The Jubilee 15th DANCE OPEN International Ballet Festival will be held in St Petersburg from April 16th to 25th on the main stage of the Alexander Theatre.
It will truly be a choreographic feast for ballet lovers, as many world stars will be dancing.
The first performance will be by the oldest group, The Vienna Ballet company, on the 16th April. Wiener Staatsballett is bringing an exclusive programme of one-act miniatures. Each piece has been choreographed and chosen personally by the world famous dancer Manuel Legris.
The one-act ballets will include 'The Breathing of the Soul' by Jirji Bubenichek, a magnetic and philosophical sketch, followed by 'Skew - Whiff', a virtuoso choreographic joke by Paul Lightfoot and Sol Leon. These dances provide irony, humour and furious rhythm. 'Bluebeard's Secret' by Stephan Thoss takes your soul with both drama and playfulness.
The 18th and 19th of April are dedicated to the immortal tragedy of star crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet. This performance will mark the 125th anniversary of the music of Sergei Prokofiev and will be performed by dancers from the Perm Theatre and soloists from Covent Garden - Matthew Golding (Romeo) and Gary Avis (Thibald).
On 21st April, Dresden Ballet (Semoeroper Ballett Dresden) premieres a piece which echoes the atmosphere and the life of the city of St Petersburg.
The choreographer Edward Klyug, from Maribor Slovene National Theatre, presents a fantasy version of 'Peer Gynt' on the 23rd. The leading man will be Denis Matvienko.
The Gala Concert boasts many world famous dancers from world renown theatres. Amongst them will be:Big Theatre of Russia,
Mariinsky Opera and Ballet Theatre,
Norwegian Ballet,
Bavarian Opera,
And lead dancers from Vienna, Zurich, Berlin, San Francisco and Stuttgart.
Ekaterinburg Galanova, founder and producer of the DANCE OPEN International Ballet Festival remarked that the whole programme is designed to bring to life the character, moods, emotions and culture of St Petersburg and its people.
