The audience that turned up to watch the ballet gala organised by WeSSide Entertainment and the Grand Palm at the GICC on two consecutive nights proved that a sizable amount of locals appreciate the academic dance form. The Crown of the Ballet Moscow’s performances where lapped up one after the other.
The first act of the evening was Anatoly Emelyanov remake of Carmen. Carmen, played by Natalia Kungurtseva, is a ‘fiery’ gypsy woman who becomes torn between two lovers. On one hand a corporal, Don Jose, performed by Emelyanov and Escamillo, a suave bullfighter performed by Vadim Yarulin. It all ends predictably as in such classical yarns with Don Jose, performed by Emelyanov, committing a ‘crime of passion’ stabbing Carmen with a knife to the heart.
Emelyanov, who is the company’s chief choreographer and a principal dancer with the Metropolitan Classical Ballet in New York, had turned out an exceptional production that fused elements of Spanish dance patterns with ballet.
A bolero appears this time performed en pointe (on the tips of the toes). One bolero characteristic is the percussive sound made with the feet (in hard sole shoes) and the ballerinas on the tips of their toes achieve this; it has to hurt.
The company also performed Romeo and Juliet, Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker (Desperate Housewives theme music is borrowed from the Nutcracker) and a Grand Finale of the Symphony No 5.
Bifm, Orange and Sony Ericsson sponsored the shows.
