Why Your Kids Should Attend the Performances of the Georgian Ballet

I took my daughter to see the season opening of the Georgian State Ballet on October 9th. I was blown away; she was inspired.

Aged 5 and coming from a long day at kindergarten, it was hardly surprising to see her get sleepy during the second half of the late night performance, but when I suggested (with heavy heart!) that we leave early, she opened her eyes as wide as she could and said: "No, mummy, I want to wait til the end!"

And it was well worth every second spent!

The show opened with George Balanchine's Serenade- a performance which, it is said, has no official story but many interpretations. The ballerinas- dressed in pale blue, and the male soloists in striking black, told us a story of love and rejection, hopes and dreams.

Then Nina Ananiashvili, Prima Ballerina and Head of the Georgian State Ballet, came on stage to perform Fokin's Spectre de la Rose and elicited a collective sigh as everyone sat straighter in their seats. Her partner in this dance- the Spectre himself- was performed in beautiful, stunning leaps and bounds by Japanese ballet soloist Yonen Takano.

After a quick refresher, we were on to the performance we had all been waiting for- the challenging Symphony in C choreographed by George Balanchine and brought to the Georgian stage by the special efforts of the State ballet dancers in the capable hands of repetiteur Ben Huys who had flown over from New York for the opening preparations [more info here].

While it was regrettable that we were unable to witness the opening of the season from the grand interior of the Opera house as planned (renovation works are now due for completion in December), the sparkle and pomp of the show itself left no-one in any doubt just how spectacular the 164th season of the Georgian ballet is going to be!

Katie Ruth Davies

Photo: Prima Ballerina Nina Ananiashvili performing Fokin's Spectre de la Rose with Japanese soloist Yonen Takano.