( CNN ) -- As Natalie Portman and Darren Aronofsky 's controversial ballet-horror film `` Black Swan '' rolls out internationally , CNN 's arts and culture show icon steps into the world of pointe shoes and tutus . Monita Rajpal travels to St Petersburg , where iconic figures such as Nureyev , Ballanchine and Baryshnikov honed their art . The city is home to the famous Kirov Theatre and its lesser known rival the Mikhailovsky . And its here that a Russian Revolution is taking place as the renowned Spanish choreographer becomes the first non-Russian for more than a century to take command of a major Russian ballet company . He says he plans to brush the cobwebs off the old masters and drag Russian ballet into the 21st century . London is the home of the Royal Ballet and the famous ballet shoe manufacturer `` Freed of London '' which supplies 250,000 pairs of pointe shoes each year to ballet companies across the world . icon explores the relationship between shoe maker and ballerina in the company of one of the Royal 's principal dancers . George Ballanchine left St Petersburg to join Diaghalev 's famous Ballets Russes in France , but ended up in the U.S. where he formed the New York City Ballet and created scores of new works which have themselves become classics . Ballanchine himself appointed the brilliant Danish dancer and choreographer Peter Martins , who became the company 's Chief Ballet Master . Martins guides us through the development of one of the world 's most iconic ballet companies . Watch the show at the times ( GMT ) below : . Thursday 27 January : 1230 , 1830 . Saturday 29 January : 0730 , 1600 , 2330 , 0430 . Sunday 30 January : 0830,1930 .
The first non-Russian for Saturday 29 January : 0730 to take command of a major non-Russian company . Icon explores the relationship between shoemaker and ballerina . the New York City Ballet is guided through Icon by the company 's Chief Baryshnikov .