Wed. Mar. 18
16:07
La Belle
'La Belle' (The Sleeping Beauty) is a three-act ballet by award-winning French choreographer Jean-Christophe Maillot. In 1993, Maillot became artistic director of the Ballets de Monte-Carlo, creating over 30 ballets for the company, including 'Romeo and Juliet' (1996), 'Scheherazade' (2009), and 'Opus 50' (2011). Based on Charles Perrault’s famous fairy tale, Maillot staged this unconventional and unique version of 'La Belle', which explores the darker side of Perrault’s story. The incredible choreography is set to the score of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, performed by the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Nicolas Brochot. Besides the performers of the Ballets de Monte-Carlo, the production features star dancers of the Bolshoi Ballet: Semyon Chudin (Prince) and Olga Smirnova (La Belle). This performance was recorded at the Salle des Princes of the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco, in December 2016.
Thu. Mar. 19
21:04
La Bayadère
'La Bayadère' is a three-act ballet by the French choreographer Marius Petipa. Set in 19th-century India, 'La Bayadère' tells the sad love story of the noble warrior Solor and his Nikia, a temple dancer or 'bayadère', who is poisoned by her rival, Gamzatti. The ballet features one of the most celebrated scenes of classical ballet, namely 'The Kingdom of the Shades'. In this iconic scene, Solor dreams, under the influence of opium, of reuniting with his beloved Nikia. This production of the ballet features the revised choreography by Vladimir Ponomarev and Vakhtang Chabukiani (1941), and includes dances by Konstantin Sergeyev and Nikolai Zubkovsky. The ballet’s music, composed by Ludwig Minkus, is performed by the Mariinsky Orchestra under the direction of Boris Gruzin. Among the performers are Viktoria Tereshkina, Anastasia Matvienko, Vladimir Shklyarov, and Vladimir Ponomarev. This performance was recorded at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia, in July 2014.
Sat. Mar. 21
15:57
Ravel by Cherkaoui/Verbruggen
The Royal Ballet Flanders performs a beautiful program with ballets by choreographers Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and Jeroen Verbruggen. The Symphonic Orchestra of the Opera Vlaanderen is conducted by Yannis Pouspourikas. Ravel remains a source of inspiration for many choreographers. Cherkaoui and rising talent Verbruggen take their vision of Ravel's music to the stage with the Ballet Flanders. Verbruggen draws his inspiration from Ravel's ”Pavane pour une infante défunte” and from ”Ma mère l'Oye.” Cherkaoui also translates Ravel into dance, opting for the colorful ”Pictures at an Exhibition” composed by Mussorgsky, which was orchestrated by Ravel to become the most widely performed orchestration of this work. Among the star dancers are Nancy Osbaldeston, Alexander Burton, and Drew Jacoby. Recorded in the Opera Antwerp in 2016 and directed by Andreas Morell.
Yesterday
16:13
Anastasia
By popular demand, Canada's Ballet Jörgen reprises the tragic tale of the Russian Grand Duchess Anastasia, 10 years after the ballet's premiere and 100 years after Anastasia's story. Created by acclaimed choreographer Bengt Jörgen, the ballet is set to an original score for orchestra by Russian composer Ivan Barbotin. He previously wrote the scores for two of Canada's Ballet Jörgen's most popular ballets: The Velveteen Rabbit and The Emperor’s New Clothes. Anastasia is both the tragic story of an innocent young girl and a modern myth: the exact events of that fateful summer of 1918 are shrouded in the mists of time. The ballet explores this lovable yet controversial main character's emotions, aspirations, and affections, as she is faced with a world in turmoil that undergoes an inevitable transformation. Anastasia is a sumptuous ballet performance, where costume and set design as well as the exquisite stage lighting reveal Canada's Ballet Jörgen's dedication to creative quality.
