Instead of savoring sugarplums and waltzing flowers this Christmas season, Moscow ballet lovers can relive a beautiful tragedy.


A much-loved version of the ballet "Romeo and Juliet" is being revived at the Bolshoi Theater and will premiere anew Dec. 25.


"It is not just here that we have been asked to restore this production," said Vyacheslav Gordeyev, who directs the Bolshoi ballet company. "We have also had requests from the Japan, where we tour every two years, and from England."


It was in London almost 40 years ago that Bolshoi prima ballerina Galina Ulanova captivated Western audiences with her unforgettable portrayal of Juliet. It is this same production, which was created by Soviet choreographer Leonid Lavrovsky, that the Bolshoi is renewing, using the original sets and costumes sewn from the original designs. Premiered at the Bolshoi in 1946, Lavrovsky's masterpiece was retired in 1978 to make way for a new version by Yury Grigorovich, the Bolshoi chief who was replaced earlier this year amid tumult over leadership at the theater.


Lavrovsky's ballet, with Prokofiev's soaring score, closely follows Shakespeare's original play. Of the more than a dozen choreographic interpretations of "Romeo and Juliet" that have been created worldwide, the three-act Lavrovsky production is distinguished by its dramatic force.


"Shakespeare's story unfolds very quickly, and Lavrovsky's production captures this more than other versions," Gordeyev said. "It captures the intensity of the characters' feelings, feelings that are universally human."


Ulanova's combination of poetry, humanity and dramatic projection made her a legendary Juliet; even well into her 40s she was able to portray the glory and tragedy of youth.


Now, Ulanova is the senior coach for the Bolshoi's latest successors to the role: Nadezhda Gracheva, Nina Ananiashvili and Galina Stepanenko. The theater is also inviting the Stanislavsky theater's exquisite leading ballerina, Tatyana Chernobrovkina, to guest as Juliet this season.


Gracheva, a dancer known for her powerful technique and versatility, sees the dramatic side of her role as the greatest challenge. "The image of Juliet is entirely different [from Grigorovich's ballet]," Gracheva said. "The dramatic interplay between the characters is very important." Her Romeo will be Andrei Uvarov, a tall dancer whose lyricism is well suited to Romeo.


Among the tests of their artistry, acting ability and physical endurance will be the balcony scene, with its lovestruck exuberance and difficult choreographic combinations.


During a recent, lengthy rehearsal, Gracheva broke off a set of leaps around the room and sank to the floor. "That's one tough little balcony," she said, taking off her pointe shoes and folding tissues over her toes to cushion them.


"Romeo and Juliet" marks the third premiere of the 1995-96 Bolshoi season. The undistinguished children's ballet "Snow White" debuted in October, while the opera "Khovanshchina," directed by Mstislav Rostropovich, made a much more favorable impression in November.


The rest of the season includes two new ballets by Gordeyev -- "Snowstorm" and "Last Tango" -- set to premiere March 21, and, drawing again on Shakespeare, the Bolshoi premiere of British choreographer John Cranko's 1969 ballet "The Taming of the Shrew," scheduled for May 7.





"Romeo and Juliet" plays at 7 p.m. on Dec. 25 and 27 at the Bolshoi theater. For tickets call the box office at 292-9986 or EPS ticket service at 927-6982 or 927- 6983. Nearest metro: Okhotny Ryad.