'Amore': Russian ballet star Svetlana Zakharova brings new show to China

World
Europe

03:42

Russian ballet star Svetlana Zakharova has brought her new show 'Amore' to audiences at Beijing's Tianqiao theatre. The show embraces different types of choreography in three distinct dances. Our reporter Ding Siyue has more.

A ballet feast of classical and modern intertwined a beautiful symphony that spans the times and styles. Svetlana Zakharova, together with many stars from the Bolshoi theatre, showcased the Chinese premiere of 'Amore'.

SVETLANA ZAKHAROVA BALLET DANCER "Why AMORE? It's simply because the whole project is expressing love, different love. All three works have their own styles. The reason why AMORE can achieve such great success in the world is not only because of its good performance but also because the audience can find their favorite style in the whole dance."

The first ballet 'Francesca Da Rimini' is based on Dante's Divine Comedy about the tragic love story between young Francesca and Paolo. Accompanied by Tchaikovsky's symphonic poem, the dancers wow the audiences with their technique and story telling.

The second show 'The rain before it falls' was especially created for Zakharova. The abstract choreography allows the ballerina to perform in a completely different and unexpected way.

The third dance 'Strokes through the tail' adds some humor into ballet. The choreographer believes that the dance is becoming like a game of life.

YURY BARANOV PRODUCER, 'AMORE' "We are very happy to have such an opportunity to come to the Tianqiao Theater to showcase this project in cooperation with Zakharova. This is a very unusual project, demonstrated by a new experience and a new way of creating."

WANG QUANXING, DEPUTY DIRECTOR THE NATIONAL BALLET OF CHINA "We want to bring the world's top theatres and stars to our Tianqiao Theater and showcase the best art in the world to Chinese audiences. I think that China and Russia have a long-standing relationship. We want to enhance the friendship between the two peoples through in-depth cultural exchanges."

A towering figure in the 21st century ballet, Svetlana Zakharova is as famous for her sublime interpretations of the great classical roles as for her embracement of contemporary choreography.

She was promoted to principal dancer at the age of 18. Since 2001, Zakharova has frequently appeared as principal guest artist with various companies including Tokyo, Paris, Rome, Milan, Vienna, and New York.

SVETLANA ZAKHAROVA BALLET DANCER "I started to dance classical ballet when I was very young. After so many years of experience, I certainly wanted to try something new. I am very happy that I can have this experience of performing AMORE."

Since its debut in Italy in 2016, 'AMORE' has also been staged in famous theaters in Russia, Japan and the United Kingdom. This appearance at the Tianqiao Theater is the fifth stop of the 'AMORE' global performance and the premiere in China.