Kevin Ng
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There were more curtain calls for last night's cast of Giselle - Maya Dumchenko and Leonid Sarafanov - than the opening night's cast. Dumchenko's Giselle was beautifully danced. Sarafanov made a most promising debut as Albrecht. This is a budding star to watch in the near future!
http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/ballet/soloist/sarafanov
It will be interesting to see the Hong Kong audience's reaction to "Jewels" today.
The cast list for the two galas in Macau this coming week is as follows.
5 Dec.
Rubies - Tarasova, Fadeyev, Dumchenko.
Swan Lake pdd Act 2- Gumerova, Korsuntsev
Chopiniana 7th Waltz - Dumchenko, Baranov
Fairy of Dolls - Sheshina, Khrebtov, Scherbakov
Sleeping Beauty pdd - Ayupova, Korsakov
Romeo and Juliet pdd- Dumchenko, Baranov
Dying Swan - Gumerova
Le Corsaire pdd - Tarasova, Batalov
6 Dec.
Almost the same programme, except that Ayupova and Korsakov will dance Tchaikovsky pdd instead. Don Q pdd replaces Le Corsaire pdd, with Tarasova and Batalov
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Svetlana Zakharova is injured and hasn't come to Hong Kong in the end. Zhanna Ayupova danced the second night of Giselle instead, and Sofia Gumerova will replace Zakharova in one of the Diamonds performances.
In the second gala programme in Macau next Friday, Anton Korsakov will make his debut in "Tchaikovsky pas de deux", dancing with Ayupova. This pair will dance Sleeping Beauty pas de deux on the first gala.
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The Hong Kong performances of Giselle will see the debuts as Albrecht of both Danila Korsuntsev and the new 20-year-old young dancer from Kiev, Leonid Sarafanov, who haven't yet danced the role in St. Petersburg. I show my preview in South China Morning Post.
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I saw Mayerling twice this time round, but only with one cast - Jonathan Cope and Tamara Rojo. Cope danced Rudolf magnificently, and I think his moving interpretation was as good as the creator of the role David Wall whom I saw in the 1980s. I never saw Lynn Seymour as Mary Vetsera, and the best cast that I saw was Alessandra Ferri before she left the Royal Ballet. Rojo was good, but nowhere as enticing as Ferri in the pas de deux. The whole Royal Ballet company danced wholeheartedly.
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Sylvia, I share your views about Alina Cojocaru's performance on Monday. It's a pity that I didn't have time to see Bussell and Bolle before I left London. I hope that you can report on this cast later.
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All the tickets for the five performances of the Kirov in Hong Kong have long been sold out in early Nov., as I just found out on my return to Hong Kong. The two performances in Macau will be at the Macau Cultural Centre (where the political handover ceremony in 1999 took place when Macau ceased to be a Portuguese colony and reverted back to China) on 5, 6 December. The Macau performances will consist of "Rubies" and various pas de deux.
The advertised casting of Giselle in Hong Kong is as follows.
28 Dec. - Vishneva, Fadeyev
29 Dec. - Zakharova, Korsuntsev
30 Dec. - Dumchenko, Sarafanov.
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I've received the schedule of next year's Stars of the White Nights Festival, which will last for 3 whole months from May to August. Visiting companies which will perform at the Maryinsky Theatre include the New York City Ballet, the Royal Ballet, Hamburg Ballet, and the National Ballet of China.
11th International Festival "Stars of the White Nights"
dedicated to the 300TH Anniversary of St Petersburg
May 5 - August 5, 2003
Artistic Director: Valery Gergiev
Monday, May 5 & Tuesday, May 6
Prokofiev/Konchalovsky/Tsypin
WAR AND PEACE**
With Anna Netrebko, Gegam Grigorian and Vladimir Moroz
Conducted by Valery Gergiev
Wednesday, May 7
ORCHESTRA OF THE MARIINSKY THEATRE
Shostakovich Festive Overture
Glazunov Violin Concerto
Mahler Symphony No. 7
Soloist: Vadim Repin
Conducted by Valery Gergiev
Thursday, May 8
WORLD ORCHESTRA FOR PEACE
Strauss Don Juan
Mendelssohn Symphony No. 4 "Italian"
Shostakovich Symphony No. 10
Conducted by Valery Gergiev
Friday, May 9
BALLETS BY SHOSTAKOVICH *
The Young Girl and the Hooligan
Klop (The Bedbug)
Leningrad Symphony
Saturday, May 10
Petipa/Tchaikovsky
SWAN LAKE *
Zakharova, Kolb
Sunday, May 11
Tchaikovsky/Leiser & Caurier
12:00 EUGENE ONEGIN **
(new production)
Petipa/Adam
20:00: GISELLE*
Vishneva,Ruzimatov
Tuesday, May 13
Prokofiev/Alexandrov
SEMYON KOTKO **
Wednesday, May 14
Zakharov/Asafiev
FOUNTAIN OF BAKHCHISARAI *
SMOLNY CLOISTER
SINFONIETTA CRACOVIA
Penderecki Sinfonietta for Strings
Mozart Piano Concerto in A, KV 488
Beethoven Symphony No. 3
Soloist: Christoph Eschenbach
Conducted by John Axelrod
Thursday, May 15
Petipa/Tchaikovsky
SWAN LAKE*
Pavlenko, Korsuntsev
Friday, May 16
Petit/Bizet, Balanchine/Stravinsky, Balanchine/Prokofiev
CARMEN, APOLLO, PRODIGAL SON *
Saturday, May 17
Petipa/Minkus
DON QUIXOTE *
Sunday, May 18 & Monday, May 19
CENTRAL BALLET OF CHINA
RAISE THE RED LANTERN
Director: Zhang Yimou
SMOLNY CLOISTER
ISRAEL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
Mahler Symphony No. 3
Conductor: Zubin Mehta
Tuesday, May 20
Ratmansky/Prokofiev
CINDERELLA *
Wednesday, May 21
Lavrovsky/Prokofiev
ROMEO AND JULIET *
SMOLNY CLOISTER
ORCHESTRE DES CHAMPS-ELYSÉES
Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 7
Conducted by Philippe Herreweghe
Thursday, May 22
AN EVENING OF PROKOFIEV
Maddalena - Opera (semi-staged)**
Prodigal Son - choreography by Balanchine*
SMOLNY CLOISTER
ZAGREB PHILHARMONIC
Friday, May 23
Musorgsky/Alexandrov
18.00 KHOVANSHCHINA **
Conducted by Valery Gergiev
Saturday, May 24
Verdi/McVicar
20.00 MACBETH **
Conducted by Valery Gergiev
SMOLNY CLOISTER
COLLEGIUM VOCALE GENT
15.00 Bach: Mass in b minor
Conducted by Philippe Herreweghe
Sunday, May 25
12:00 ORCHESTRA AND CHORUS OF THE MARIINSKY
Mahler: Symphony No. 2
Anna Netrebko (soprano), Olga Borodina (mezzo soprano)
Conducted by Valery Gergiev
Petipa/Tchaikovsky
20:00 SWAN LAKE*
Monday, May 26
From the Archives of the Mariinsky:
HISTORIC BALLETS *
Tuesday, May 27
Tchaikovsky/Galybin
THE QUEEN OF SPADES **
Conducted by Valery Gergiev
Wednesday, May 28
Petipa/Tchaikovsky
SLEEPING BEAUTY *
Thursday, May 29
MET ORCHESTRA
Mahler Symphony No.1
Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique
Conducted by James Levine
Friday, May 30
'300 YEARS of ST PETERSBURG' GALA
with Olga Borodina, Renée Fleming, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Uliana Lopatkina, Karita Mattila, Anna Netrebko, Bryn Terfel, Diana Vishneva, Svetlana Zakharova, Farukh Ruzimatov, Igor Zelensky and others
Conducted by Valery Gergiev
Saturday, May 31
12:00 MET ORCHESTRA
Berlioz La Mort de Cleopatra
Brahms Double Concerto
Rachmaninov Third Piano Concerto
Soloists: Olga Borodina (mezzo soprano)
David Chan (violin), Rafael Figueroa (cello)
Arcadi Volodos (piano)
Conducted by James Levine
Petipa/Adam
19:00 GISELLE *
Sunday, June 1
Shostakovitch/Molostova/Tsypin
19:00 LADY MACBETH **
Conducted by Valery Gergiev
Monday, June 2
ORCHESTRA AND CHORUS OF THE MARIINSKY
Tchaikovsky Fantasy Overture Romeo and Juliet
Berlioz Romeo et Juliette
Prokofiev Suite from Romeo and Juliet
Conducted by Valery Gergiev
June 3, 6 & 9
Verdi/Roubaud
LA TRAVIATA (new production)**
With Anna Netrebko in the title role
Conducted by Valery Gergiev
Thursday, June 5
Rubinstein/Dodin
THE DEMON **
Nikitin,
Conducted by Valery Gergiev
Saturday, June 7
BALLET GALA
FRANKFURT BALLET, William Forsythe
SMOLNY CLOISTER
ROTTERDAM PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
Berlioz Requiem
Conducted by Valery Gergiev
Sunday, June 8
12:00 ROTTERDAM PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
Mahler Symphony No. 6
Conducted by Valery Gergiev
19:00 PARSIFAL**
Conducted by Christoph Eschenbach
Tuesday, June 10
Petipa/Minkus
LA BAYADERE *
SMOLNY CLOISTER
LAHTI SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Sibelius Pohola's Daughter
Aho Symphony No. 9
Sibelius Symphony No. 5
Soloist: Christian Lindberg
VYBORG CASTLE
Verdi
AIDA**
Conducted by Gianandrea Noseda
Wednesday, June 11
VYBORG CASTLE
SWEDISH RADIO ORCHESTRA AND CHORUS
LAHTI SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
MARIINSKY ORCHESTRA AND CHORUS
Verdi Requiem
Conducted by Valery Gergiev
Thursday, June 12
SWEDISH RADIO ORCHESTRA AND CHORUS
Brahms Requiem
Conducted by Manfred Honeck
June 13, 14, 15 & 16
Wagner/Mirzoev/Tsypin
DER RING DES NIBELUNGEN (new production)**
Cast includes: Vladimir Vaneev, Viktor Chernomortsev, Olga Sergeeva, Gary Rideout
Conducted by Valery Gergiev
Friday, June 13
22:00 SMOLNY CLOISTER
SWEDISH RADIO CHORUS
Saturday, June 14
14:00 ORCHESTRA OF THE NATIONS
Conducted by Justus Frantz
Sunday, June 15
14:00 MARIINSKY YOUNG PHILHARMONIC
Mahler Symphony No. 5
Conducted by Gianandrea Noseda
Tuesday, June 17
Leontiev, Fokine, Nijinsky
20:00 STRAVINSKY BALLETS **
Petrushka, Firebird, Rite of Spring
Conducted by Valery Gergiev
Wednesday, June 18
Cimarosa/Miller, Stravinsky/Miller
CLEOPATRA/OEDIPUS REX**
Conducted by Valery Gergiev
Thursday, June 19
MELBOURNE SYMPHONY
Sibelius Violin Concerto
Lentz Guyuhmgan
Strauss Tod und Verklärung
Friday, June 20
Musorgsky/Kramer/Tsypin
BORIS GODUNOV **
Conducted by Valery Gergiev
Smolny Cloister
MELBOURNE SYMPHONY
Kancheli Fingerprints
Mahler Symphony No. 4
Soloist: Anna Netrebko
Saturday, June 21
ORCHESTRA OF THE MARIINSKY THEATRE
Salonen Worldpremiere
Shostakovitch Piano Concerto No. 1
Stravinsky Rite of Springs
Soloist: Alexander Toradze
Conducted by Esa Pekka Salonen
Petipa/Tchaikovsky
SWAN LAKE *
Sunday, June 22
14.00 BAMBERGER SYMPHONIKER
Strauss Also sprach Zarathustra
Strauss Horn Concerto
Strauss Till Eulenspiegel
Soloist: Marie Luise Neunecker
Conducted by Jonathan Nott
BALLET GALA *
In honor of Olga Moiseeva
55 Years - A life with the Mariinsky
Zakharova, Makhalina, Mezanskaia, Nioradze
Monday, June 23
ORCHESTRA OF THE MARIINSKY THEATRE
Wagner Siegfried Idyll
Pfitzner Violin Concerto
Mahler Symphony No. 9
Soloist: Rainer Kuechel
Conducted by Valery Gergiev
Tuesday, June 24
IVANGOROD FORTRESS
13:00: A CAPELLA CONCERT
Chorus of the Mariinsky Theatre
Russian Church Music
18:00: CHORUS AND ORCHESTRA OF THE MARIINSKY THEATRE, CHORUS AND ORCHESTRA OF THE ESTONIAN STATE OPERA,
Beethoven Symphony No. 9
Conducted by Valery Gergiev
22:00: PRINCE IGOR (staged performance)**
MARIINSKY THEATRE
BALLET GALA
STARS OF THE PARIS OPERA BALLET
Wednesday, June 25
NARVI
13:00: A CAPELLA CONCERT
Chorus of the Estonian State Opera
21:00: OPERA GALA
MARIINSKY THEATRE
Simonov/Slonimsky
Libretto and design by Mikhail Chemiakin
18:00 PRINCESS PIRLIPAT (Worthiness Punished)*
Simonov/ Tchaikovsky
Design by Mikhail Chemiakin
22:00 THE NUTCRACKER *
Thursday, June 26
ORCHESTRA and CHORUS OF THE MARIINSKY
Berlioz La Damnation de Faust
Conducted by Gianandrea Noseda
Friday, June 27
STRAVINSKY BALLETS*
Firebird, Les Noces, Rite of Spring
Conducted by Valery Gergiev
Saturday, June 28
VIENNA PHILHARMONIC (matinee)
Conducted by Valery Gergiev
MARIINSKY 'WHITE NIGHTS' BALL
Sunday, June 29
15:00: Small Philharmonic Hall
VIENNA STREICHSOLISTEN
Bach Double Concerto for 2 violins and strngs, and basso continuo
Staar Metamorphosis of a Labyrinth (world premiere)
Mozart
J. Strauss
Soloists: Manfred Honeck, Sergei Levitin (Bach)
Renee Staar (Staar)
WHITE NIGHTS' PREMIERE
TchaikovskyPountney
THE ENCHANTRESS**
Vaneev, Sergeeva, Savova, Chernomortsev
Conducted by Valery Gergiev
Monday, June 30
Puccini/Le Moli
IL TRITTICO
TABARRO, SUOR ANGELICA, GIANNI SCHICCHI
Conducted by Gianandrea Noseda
Tuesday, July 1
MOSCOW SOLOISTS
Conducted by Yuri Bashmet
Wednesday, July 2
FILARMONICA DELLA SCALA
Conducted by Riccardo Muti
July 9 - 13
HAMBURG BALLET, John Neumeier
July 16 - 28
THE ROYAL BALLET, Covent Garden
Swan Lake, Mayerling and Triple Bill
July 30 - August 4
NEW YORK CITY BALLET
* = Ballet of the Mariinsky Theatre (Kirov Ballet)
** = Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre (Kirov Opera)
Unless otherwise stated, all performances start at 19:00 in the Mariinsky Theatre
Programme correct at time of printing but may be subject to change
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The second leg of the Kirov's tour to China will begin in Hong Kong in late Nov.
Giselle - 28, 29, 30 Nov.
Jewels - 1 Dec. mat. and evening
After Hong Kong, the Kirov will give 2 performances in Macau. Details will be announced shortly.
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NO7, I do envy you seeing the three different casts, and I am so happy to read your vivid descriptions of the performances. I long to see Vishneva's Nikiya (which you praised in particular) again. I am glad to read that this production of La Bayadere will be shown again in the Mariinsky Festival next year, though only once.
Re the "Danse des fleurs de lotus", it must have been a treat for you and the Parisian audiences to see the Vaganova students in it.
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Lolly, I'll try to find out details for you about this ball. I think that tickets can be booked, but they may be very expensive. I would suggest that you contact in the meantime the corporate events department at the Mariinsky Theatre - katiasir@mariinsky.ru
Jeannie should be in St. Petersburg now. Perhaps she has more details. Jeannie has told me that she will attend this spectacular ball on 31 May.
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Originally posted by NO7
Each interval took ages. I even thought of walking back to my hotel and take a nap. Thanks heaven that in the second performance time was shortened from 3 hrs 55minutes to 3hrs 30min.
NO7, how clever of you to pick a hotel so near the Theatre du Chatelet! Last time I saw Sylvie Guillem's Giselle with the Finnish National Ballet there, and I remember several hotels very near the Chatelet.
The length of this Kirov Bayadere was about 3 hours 30 minutes at the New York performance which I saw. I hope that you'll still see the final performance tonight with Sofia Gumerova and Igor Kolb.
Viviane, for your info. the Vaganova students didn't dance in New York, unlike in Paris this time.
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To celebrate Natalia Dudinskaya's 90th birthday, the Kirov is organising a Gala as well as several performances in November.
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NO7, I am glad to hear that you like this first cast of La Bayadere in Paris. In New York in July I also felt that Vishneva and Fadeyev were sublime in this glorious re-constructed production of La Bayadere.
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I forgot to mention in my earlier posting that the National Ballet of China has an excellent production of La Sylphide staged for them several years ago by Frank Anderson. I saw it twice when they toured Hong Kong in 2000. I remember that the Chinese company was meant to tour America with this production last year, but the tour was cancelled after the Sept. 11 tragedy.
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I've always wanted to see the Kirov in La Sylphide, which they only dance in St. Petersburg but seldom on overseas tours. This season at the Maryinsky Anton Korsakov has danced La Sylphide with Elena Sheshina, as well as a guest dancer from Japan.
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Frankly I've been disappointed by Stephen Jefferies' directorship of the 40-strong Hong Kong Ballet since 1996. In view of his Royal Ballet background, I am dismayed by how little he has made use of it to benefit the Hong Kong company as well as audiences. In recent years he has only introduced one Ashton ballet - La Fille Mal Gardee - into the company's repertory, which was quite decently danced by the two casts that I saw. In the first year of his directorship, one of the first programmes that he planned was an Ashton programme which consisted of "Les Patineurs" and "The Two Pigeons", the first of which had already been acquired by Jefferies' predecessor as director. It is annoying that both master works had not been revived since 1996.
The new ballets introduced by Jefferies have been by and large story ballets with a Chinese theme, which are undistinguished in terms of choreography, e.g. Matthew Hart's "Mu Lan", Domy Reiter-Soffer's "White Snake". The programming under previous directors was far more interesting - e.g. Balanchine masterpieces such as "Who Cares", "Tchaikovsky Pas De Deux", and "Allegro Brillante" which have unfortunately been ditched by Jefferies; or even some pure dance works by Choo-San Goh. Jefferies hasn't presented a mixed bill programme for at least two seasons. In comparison the diverse programmes offered by other Asian companies such as the Singapore Dance Theatre and the National Ballet of China are far more satisfying. (The National Ballet of China in "La Sylphide", which they danced on tour in 2000, is one of the few highlights in the Hong Kong ballet scene recently.)
I also don't comprehend why Jefferies has not brought more guest artists from the Royal Ballet. Tetsuya Kumakawa was the only Royal Ballet dancer (he had already left the Royal by the time he came) who has been invited to guest in Hong Kong.
On the plus side, the technical standard of the dancers has risen since Jefferies took over, though the acting ability of the company in general leaves a lot to be desired. Jefferies' own productions of Swan Lake and Nutcracker were respectable, but his Sleeping Beauty was atrocious, revising Petipa's text unnecessarily in many places especially in the Prologue. I will never forget Jefferies putting two dancers in one of the fairies' solos in the Prologue. Jefferies also acquired a production of La Bayadere from a South African company, in which one of the three shades solos was excised.
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The voting section for members of the public is now in English, as well as in French.
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Mel, Veronika Part was born in St. Petersburg, according to her bio in the Kirov/Mariinsky website.
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Veronika Part is of course Russian, she has joined the ABT this season and danced with them during their Japanese tour. Her memorable roles in the Kirov included the Lilac Fairy, and the second ballerina role in Emeralds.
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I've just been informed of some changes relating to Diana Vishneva's performances in Paris, since NO7's update last week. Diana Vishneva will dance with Andrian Fadeyev in "La Bayadere" on 28 Oct. instead of with Igor Kolb. And in "Nutcracker" Vishneva will also be partnered by Fadeyev on 22 Oct.
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The special events organised by the Mariinsky Theatre to celebrate the city's 300th anniversary next year include -
31 Dec. 2002 - New Year's Eve Concert and Ball, in the Mariinsky Theatre.
21 Feb. to 2 March - Mariinsky International Ballet Festival (details in another thread).
5 May to 5 Aug. - Stars of the White Nights Festival (It's the longest White Nights Festival ever.) Kirov Ballet and Opera as well as overseas companies will participate. Details not yet announced.
31 May - Concert and Ball in Tsarskoe Selo.
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St. Petersburg Times reported that words will be added to the city's anthem - a movement from the ballet "The Bronze Horseman" - to celebrate the tri-centenary.
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Asylmuratova is now the head of the Vaganova Academy. Ruzimatov hasn't retired, and is still dancing with the Kirov. (I saw him dance in a gala in St. Petersburg last year.) He was guesting in Japan earlier this year.
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Thanks Jeannie. I heard that the Nijinsky Prix ceremony on 14 December will be broadcast live on the French TV channel Mezzo.
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Terry, there's a review of this gala which was part of Hamburg Ballet's "Ballet Days" in the Oct. issue of the British magazine "Dance Expression".
I am delighted that the Hamburg Ballet will tour Hong Kong next March with "Nijinsky", "Lady of the Camellias", and "St. Matthew Passion" as part of its Asian tour.
Kirov's tour to China
in Kirov-Mariinsky Ballet
Posted
NO7, I found out that the Kirov will only tour Manchester next spring, but not Dublin and Edinburgh.
The Hong Kong audience loved the Kirov's two performances of "Jewels" yesterday even more than "Giselle". Both performances, especially the evening, were gloriously danced. Sofia Gumerova was superb as the "Diamonds" ballerina and the second woman in "Emeralds". (I miss Veronika Part in this role in Emeralds though.) Andrian Fadeyev was a dazzling "Rubies" soloist, full of charisma, dancing with Elvira Tarasova. There were loud ovations at the end of both Jewels performances from the appreciative audiences who are 'starved' of Balanchine choreography. It's not possible unfortunately to see Balanchine ballets often in Hong Kong.
The last time Balanchine choreography was performed here was in 2000 when the ABT danced "Theme and Variations", and the Pacific Northwest Ballet danced "Midsummer". I am deeply grateful to the Hong Kong Cultural Centre for asking the Kirov to bring "Jewels" here.