In love with the Prince of Siam

The curtain rises on Bangkok’s 19th International Festival of Dance and Music next month with two performances by the Ekaterinburg Ballet and Opera Theatre, one of the oldest ballet theatres in Russia.
The company will present the world premiere of the two-act “Katya and the Prince of Siam” on September 11 and a three-act “Cinderella” on September 13, both at the Thailand Cultural Centre. 
Recognised as the keeper of Russian and international ballet traditions, the Ekaterinburg Ballet and Opera Theatre has been honoured with eleven Golden Mask awards, most recently in April.

The company’s foundation was laid in the early 20th century with its first staging of “The Magic Flute”. Ever since, a host of distinguished Russian choreographers – among them Leonid Yakobson, Pyotr Gusev, Yuri Grigorovich, Igor Belsky, Nikolai Boyarchikov, Oleg Vinogradov, Natalia Kasatkina and Vladimir Vasilyov – have worked ceaselessly at perfecting its capabilities.
The company began its contemporary history in 2011 with choreographer Vyacheslav Samodurov taking over as ballet director. Today its repertoire features Russian classics and original works created by Vyacheslav Samodurov for the ballet.
The Ekaterinburg marked the advent of the 21st century by continuing to reconstruct the ballets of Petipa, a process that began at the Mariinsky Theatre. 
It also encourages new talent with “Dance-Platform” – a choreography workshop whose best works are presented onstage.
The world premiere of the new “Katya and the Prince of Siam” on September 11 will feature music by Pavel Ovsyannikov and a libretto by Yana Temiz.

The romantic tale has the handsome Prince Chakrabongse being sent by his father, the King of Siam, to train with Russia’s elite Page Corps. There he encounters a local beauty, Katya, and falls in love. 
Choreographed by Vasily Medvedev, an Honoured Artist of Estonia, the dancing speaks of their love and their shared pain as they bridge the cultural divide. 
Interestingly, the ballet also incorporates elements of Thai classical dance. 
Playing Katya is principal dancer Ekaterina Sapogova, whose several awards include gold medals in the 2012 All-Russia Competition and last year’s Ekaterina Maksimova Fourteenth Open Russian Competition. 

The prince is essayed by Kirill Popov, also a principal dancer. 
Conducted by Mikhail Granovski of the Bolshoi Theatre, the ballet promises a perfect evening devoted to culture.
The next offering is “Cinderella” on September 13. Sergei Prokofiev composed this sparkling score between 1940 and 1944 and it has since become beloved as the ultimate in fairytale romance. 
A full-scale production, it is choreographed by Vladimir Vasiliev, former principal dancer of the Bolshoi Theatre Ballet. 
The production is also distinguished by its extravagant sets and spectacular costumes, both designed by the award-winning Vyacheslav Okunev from St Petersburg. An honoured People’s Artist of Russia, Okunev is design director at the Mikhailovsky Theatre in his hometown, art director of the Mariinsky Theatre, State Prize winner of the Republics of Moldova, Belarus and Kazakhstan and winner of the top Golden Light Stand of St Petersburg. 

He has designed more than 350 opera and ballet productions at leading theatres including Teatro alla Scala, Arena di Verona, Teatro Lirico di Cagliari (all in Italy), the Royal Theatre in Glasgow, the Vienna and Berlin state opera houses, the National Opera of Greece, the national theatres of Seoul and Tokyo, and the New York City Ballet. 
The two Bangkok performances also mark 120 years of diplomatic relations between Thailand and Russia. 
The festival is supported by the 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 Corp, Thai Airways International and the Tourism Authority of Thailand. 

Katya awaits

- Seats are available at www.ThaiTicketMajor.com and (02) 262 3191. 
- Find out more at www.BangkokFestivals.com.