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Written in 1866 by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and Punishment is a devastatingly modern psychological thriller that provided choreographer Helen Pickett and director James Bonas with a startling source for a ballet. The protagonist Raskolnikov is a brilliant student forced to stop his studies due to brutal poverty, a person capable of great warmth and generosity, a loyal family member and friend… and an appalling murderer. These contradictions are so real and so vivid that this young man’s journey towards redemption has captured readers for over 150 years.

The powerful physicality of Raskolnikov’s life, the web of relationships and drama that surround him, and the profound humanity that Dostoyevsky discovers all speak to today’s world and beg to be explored in dance. Pickett brings Raskolnikov’s story to life in this striking new ballet, featuring music by Isobel Waller-Bridge, sets and costumes by Soutra Gilmour, lighting design by Jennifer Tipton, and video design by Tal Yarden.

“It’s not often that a presenting organization such as the Kennedy Center can support the creation of a new full-length story ballet by giving it a chance to be seen in another city. It’s an extra thrill that ABT is bringing us a story crafted and created by a predominantly female creative team. While it may not seem revolutionary, seeing a classical full-length ballet with choreography, music, lighting, sets, and costumes all directed by women, performed by a company directed by a woman, is a huge step forward for the field.”

—Jane Raleigh, Kennedy Center director of dance programming