Int'l Stars & Georgian Soloists to Perform at Ballet Gala in Tbilisi
On March 9 and 10, the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet State Theater is to present a Ballet Gala, a not-to-be-missed event for ballet and theater lovers. The audience will get to see a whole set of performances by international ballet stars as well as by leading soloists of the State Ballet of Georgia, in three acts and Pas de Deux from various ballets. The State Opera Ballet Company, led by Artistic Director and Prima Ballerina Nino Ananiashvili, has prepared an extensive and varied program for its spectators.
The program unveils well-known classic Raymonda by Alexander Glazunov, Symphony in C choreographed by George Balanchine, as well as Ballet Divertissement featuring invited guests and world-famous dancers Andrey Batalov, Maria Kochetkova and Sebastian Kloborg, together with soloists of State Ballet of Georgia Ekaterine Surmava, Lali Kandelaki, Nino Samadashvili, Yonen Takano, Nutsa Chekurashvili, Philip Fedulov, Raphael Spyker, Ruika Yokoyama, Karin Washio and Maksym Kamyshev and the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet State Theater Ballet Company and orchestra. Conductors of the Ballet Gala are Maria Seletskaja, Davit Mukeria and Papuna Ghvaberidze, while the staging choreography is made by Nina Ananiashvili and Alexey Fadeechev.
The concert opens with Act I, presenting Alexander Glazunov’s Raymonda, with leading soloists of the State Ballet of Georgia, Ekaterine Surmava and Philip Fedulov, to perform the parts of Raymonda and Jean de Brienne.
“The Gala concert is interesting since it includes fragments from different performances and it is extremely pleasant to watch,” soloist Ekaterine Surmava told GEORGIA TODAY. “The concert also hosts international stars like Maria Kochetkova and her partner Sebastian Kloborg, to make the occasion even more special. One is rarely given the chance to enjoy a performance by world-leading ballet dancers, so it’s truly a must-attend event. The pair’s performance will be a novelty for the audience, since they are performing a contemporary ballet that is not widely known to the public. The whole concert will be dynamic, incorporating both classical and contemporary performances. I’m performing Raymonda, first staged in the Tbilisi Opera around six years ago and now back and renovated, which is very exciting and challenging for us. The play is spectacular and is aesthetically sophisticated,” she said.
Ekaterine Surmava graduated the Vakhtang Chabukiani Ballet Art State School and joined the Tbilisi Z.Paliashvili Opera and Ballet Professional State Theater. She has been a soloist since May 2012 and is best-known for her leading roles: Odette, the Brides, Big Swan, Pas de trois (Swan Lake); The French Doll, Sugar Plum Fairy (Nutcracker), Jacinta (Laurencia), Variation (Don Quixote), The Jockey Dance (From Siberia to Moscow); Seventh Waltz (Chopiniana), and Terpsichore (Apollo Musagete). The dancer has also successfully participated in company tours and performed on the prestigious stages of the USA, Japan, Italy, Ecuador, China, Egypt, Belarus, Ukraine, Estonia, Azerbaijan, Spain.
At the upcoming Gala, Eka Surmava is also performing in the second act ‘Reflections,’ a neo-classical Pas de Deux that the Georgian audience has not seen for years. Act II presents Ballet Divertissement, which incorporates several classical and neo-classical Pas de Deux: Cesare Pugni, Diana and Acteon Pas de Deux from ballet ‘Esmeralda.’ Leading roles: Ruika Yokoyama, Yonen Takano; and a Pas de Deux from ‘The Talisman’ featuring Nino Samadashvili and Maksym Kamyshev. The culmination of the concert will be ‘Closer’ - a contemporary ballet presented by world ballet stars Maria Kochetkova and Sebastian Kloborg from The Royal Danish Ballet. The second act closes with Adolphe Adam, Pas de Deux from ballet ‘Le Corsaire,’ performed by Nutsa Chekurashvili and guest soloist of the Mariinsky Theater, Andrey Batalov.
“Being a soloist in the Georgian ballet company is very interesting and challenging for me, since I’m given the opportunity to try out different roles and genres through taking part in old as well as new productions,” Surmava told us. “The repertoire of the State Ballet of Georgia is very rich and diverse: apart from presenting classical and contemporary dances, it produces new plays annually. We have a multicultural troupe with a number of foreign artists dancing in our company, so working in such an international and friendly environment is a great experience for each of us.”
The last part of the concert, Act III, is Symphony in C, choreographed by great 20th century Georgian choreographer, George Balanchine, featuring other soloists from the Georgian Ballet, Lali Kandelaki, Yonen Takano, Nino Samadashvili, Philip Fedulov, Nutsa Chekurashvili, Karin Washio, Ruika Yokoyama, Raphael Spyker.
By Lika Chigladze