BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

19/07/2006

The Ballets

Three ballets _ Romeo and Juliet, The Nutcracker, Spartacus _ by Belarusian National Ballet Theatre open the account this September.

All three award-winning ballets were declared the best ballets in the USSR in the year of their production.

Considering the strong ballet traditions of Belarus, expectations are bound to run high. Ballet reached Belarus in the second half of the 18th century supported by Belarusian-Polish feudal lords who became the patrons of the art form and this eventually lead to the establishment of the Belarusian National Ballet Theatre in Minsk. This company over the years successfully synthesised classical and folk dances plus expanded its repertoire to include classical works of Adan, Pugni, Minkus and Tchaikovsky, among others.

Under the guidance of its artistic director Valentin Elizariev (only one of three choreographers to be bestowed with the title of People's Artist of USSR) the company boasts a number of award-winning dancers and has performed in almost every continent.

Of the ballets Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet based on the Shakespearean tale (September 5 and 6) and Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker (September 9 and 10) will strike a chord but Aram Khachaturyan's Spartacus (September 7 and 8) will be a revelation. The ballet is about an historical figure who led a slave rebellion against the Romans.

Source:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/Outlook/20Jul2006_out54.php