Tales of slavery and love

Russia has long been renowned for its ballet and opera companies and Thailand’s audiences will soon be introduced to another of them, as the Russia’s Bashkir State Opera and Ballet Theatre performs in the Land of Smiles next month as part of Bangkok’s 19th International Festival of Dance & Music. The company is bringing two landmark classical ballets, both personally staged by world-famous choreographer Yuri Grigorovich of the Bolshoi Theatre, to the Thailand Cultural Centre, namely “Spartacus” on September 15 and “Le Corsaire” on September 17.
Nowhere is the ballet-dance matrix more nurtured than in Russia, which has given birth to some of the greatest dancers and choreographers of our times, among them Rudolf Nureyev and Grigorovich himself. 
Nureyev began his journey at Russia’s Bashkir State Opera and Ballet Theatre. The theatre’s creative principles and traditions guided Nureyev throughout his career and found constant reflection in his art. 

The ballets, which also celebrate the 120th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Russia and Thailand, are identical to Grigorovich’s Bolshoi Theatre productions. The choreographer, who turned 90 earlier this year, has been recognised with several international awards throughout his long career and his cooperation with the Bashkir Theatre spanned two decades during which he staged seven performances with them. He was also the impetus behind the Bashkir Theatre’s “Rudolf Nureyev International Ballet Festival”, which continues to attract prominent Russian and foreign dancers every year. 
From its very beginning in 1938, the Bashkir Theatre has attracted talented artists and has played a significant role in embedding ballet as a part of Russian culture. Besides Nureyev, the Bashkir Theatre has nurtured a long list of artists and its importance in the ballet world was underlined in April with yet another prestigious Golden Mask award for its interpretation of Handel’s opera “Hercules”. It also received a Fyodor Volkov nomination for “The Best Creative Team”.
Grigorovich’s iconic masterpiece, the three-act classical ballet “Spartacus” came to define the Bolshoi Theatre. With magnificent style and intensity, he outlines one of the best-known works of the Russian ballet tradition by composer Aram Khachaturian. The ballet was first staged in Leningrad in 1956 and is based on the novel by Raffaello Giovagnoli. The story follows the exploits of Thracian king Spartacus who leads a slave uprising against the Romans. 

The ballet is designed by Simon Virsaladze, whose nearly three-decade long creative alliance with Yuri Grigorovich gave birth to a new principle of design in ballet “music” of colour and symphonic compositions created by movements of costume spots. Dancing the powerful role of the Thracian king is Rustam Iskhakov. Sofia Gavriushina portrays Phrygia while Oleg Shaibakov take on Crassus. 
Two days later, the Bashkir State Opera and Ballet Theatre will stage “Le Corsaire”, also with choreography by Grigorovich. Set to the score of Adolphe Adam, its libretto is by Jules Henri de SaintGeorges and Joseph Mazilier. A classical heritage ballet first performed at the Paris Grand Opera in 1856, the three-act Le Corsaire is full of action, passion and romance. Based on Lord Byron’s narrative poem “The Corsair”, the ballet perfectly balances romance with bravura action. 
A swash-buckling tale of pirates and damsels in distress, of love and betrayal, the ballet spins an enchanting action-packed web. It is love at first sight for Conrad and Medora – danced by Oleg Shaibakov and Sofia Gavriushina. The dashing pirate, Conrad, first encounters Medora at a slave market. 
Identical to the Bolshoi Theatre production, it comes complete with all the iconic dancing scenes – Le Jardin Anime, Pas d’Esclave, the Grand Pas de Trois des Odalisques and  Le Corsaire Pas de Deux. Full of action, passion and romance, this exquisite production will certainly delight the ballet connoisseur. 
With its fairytale story line Le Corsaire needed a compelling stage design and providing that is Bolshoi Theatre’s Nikolai Sharonov. His sets transport the audience effortlessly from the marketplace in Andrianople, to the pirates’ lair with pit stops in the  pasha’s palace on the island of Cos. 
Conducting the orchestra for both productions is German Kim, an Honoured Artist of the Republic of Bashkortostan. 
Both ballet productions are demanding with extravagant sets, costumes and design and helping bring performances of this magni¬tude to Bangkok is the unstinting support of Crown Property Bureau, Bangkok Bank, Bangkok Dusit Medical Services, BMW Thailand, B Grimm Group, Dusit Thani Bangkok, Indorama Ventures, Ministry of Culture, Nation Group, PTT, Singha Corporation, Thai Airways International, Thai Union Group and the Tourism Authority of Thailand. 

- Tickets are on sale at www.ThaiTicketMajor.com and (02) 262 3191
- Find out more at www.BangkokFestivals.com