Latest news with #Coppelia
Korea Herald
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Ballet Festival Korea welcomes season of connection and legacy
Following Johan Inger double bill, the festival continues with rich lineup of performances through May-June As late spring melts into early summer, Seoul once again turns to ballet to usher in the season with elegance and power. The 15th edition of Ballet Festival Korea kicked off on May 9, with a double bell from the newly established Seoul Metropolitan Ballet — "Walking Mad" and "Bliss" — by acclaimed Swedish choreographer Johan Inger, running through Sunday. This year's program under the theme of connection, brings together 12 dance companies for 26 performances and five accompanying events, ranging from artist talks to outreach programs. This edition also marks the first festival under the artistic direction of Kim Joo-won, a former principal ballerina with the Korean National Ballet and a 2006 recipient of the prestigious Benois de la Danse. Appointed last October as both director and artistic head of the festival committee, Kim shared her vision during a recent press conference at the Seoul Arts Center. 'This festival is an opportunity to reflect on the past, present and future of Korean ballet.' One of the festival's centerpiece events is "ConneXion" with Choi Tae-ji and Julia Moon at CJ Towol Theater in Seoul, May 28. The performance honors two trailblazers of Korean ballet -- former Korean National Ballet artistic director Choi and Universal Ballet director Moon -- and retraces their artistic legacies through tribute performances by KNB and Universal Ballet dancers. 'People used to call us rivals,' Choi said. 'But in truth, we were colleagues who shared our hopes and concerns for ballet. The growth of the Korean National Ballet was made possible in large part thanks to Universal Ballet's presence.' A highlight of this year's lineup is the participation of three regional companies. Following Seoul Metropolitan Ballet's opening, Gwangju City Ballet and Busan Opera House Ballet will also take the stage. Gwangju City Ballet, with a 49-year history, will present "Coppelia" on May 31 at the CJ Towol Theater. The romantic comedy ballet has been rechoreographed by artistic director Park Kyung-sook in previous stagings in 1997 and 2002. This marks the first full-length performance of "Coppelia" in Seoul in 30 years, since Universal Ballet's production in 1995. On June 4, Busan Opera House Ballet will present "Shining Wave," a contemporary piece choreographed by Park So-yeon and inspired by the sea and whales of Busan. Also at CJ Towol Theater, Ryu Hoi-woong's "Life of Ballerino: Dreamer" will be performed June 7-8, featuring male ballet dancers from Mnet's dance competition "Stage Fighter," including Kang Kyung-ho. The piece highlights the physicality and artistic journey of male dancers in a traditionally female-dominated field. From June 13 to 15, Universal Ballet returns with "The Love of Chunhyang," choreographed by artistic director Liu Bing-xian. Since its premiere in 2007, this ballet adaptation of the classic Korean folktale has become one of the company's signature works. Meanwhile, the small Jayu Theater will feature six emerging choreographers and companies selected through an open national call. These works will be presented in three double bills: Paik Yon Ballet Project Y's "The Path to Beauty 2.0" and Aham Art Project's "Waiting for Godot" on June 12-13, Dastanz' "123.45MHz" and Seo Gibum MuTanz Project's "The Room" on June 17-18, and finally Movement momm's "The Earth" and Project Cloud Nine's "Heart of the Wild" on June 21-22.
Egypt Independent
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Egypt Independent
Coppelia at Cairo Opera House in 5 performances starting Thursday
The Cairo Opera Ballet Company is presenting the world-class classical ballet Coppelia, accompanied by Cairo Opera Orchestra conducted by Maestro Mohamed Saad Pasha, in five performances across this week. The performances will begin at 9:00 pm on Thursday, Friday, Sunday, and Monday, May 8, 11, and 12, in addition to a gala performance at 2:00 pm on Friday, May 9, on the Grand Theater. Directed by Artistic Director Armenia Kamel, the ballet Coppelia is choreographed by Valentin Barty, with set design by Mohamed al-Gharbawy, lighting by Yasser Shalaan, costumes by Gianluca Saito, and music by French composer Léo Delibes. The Coppelia is a ballet inspired by the story of the famous German writer Ernst Hoffmann. The events take place in three acts in a village located between Hungary and Poland. It revolves around the beautiful wooden puppet Coppelia, created by the genius inventor Dr. Coppelius. The young Frans falls in love with her, believing her to be a real person. However, his lively fiancee, Solinda, carries out a clever trick with the help of the villagers to rid him of his illusions. Coppelia is a world-class ballet, first performed at the Paris Opera in 1870. It is a fantasy show characterized by dazzling visuals and the integration of artistic elements, including lighting, set design, and costumes. It has been performed on various stages worldwide and has been adapted in several artistic forms. This ballet aims to convey to the audience a dreamy, imaginative atmosphere sometimes characterized by joy and humor, and at other times by sadness, jealousy, and defiance. The Cairo Opera Ballet Company was founded in 1966 and was affiliated with the Higher Institute of Ballet. It presented its first performances in the same year, and it also presented its performances in many countries around the world, including Russia, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Germany, France and Tunisia. It became one of the troupes affiliated with the Opera House in 1991. Its repertoire includes several renowed international classical performances, including Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Giselle, Don Quixote, The Rite of Spring, Hamlet, Lorcan, Carmina Burana, Bolero, Cinderella, Dances We Meet, and In Spite of Everything.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rare ballet ‘Coppelia' at Five Points Washington
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — A rare style of ballet is set to take the stage at Five Points Washington. Ian Thatcher, the artistic director for the Peoria Ballet Company, stopped by WMBD This Morning to share a brief demonstration of the athletics and artistry that goes into the upcoming Coppelia Ballet. 'It's probably the only comedic ballet that's left, the same author that wrote Nutcracker wrote Coppellia so it has lots of similarities' he said. Thatcher, who plays Dr. Coppelius in the show, will be joined by fifty other dancers that make up the show. It all comes together with stunning sets, props and special effects – including a two-story toy shop complete with a balcony overlooking the square. The crew puts in a large amount of work, as right after the completion of Nutcracker, they began the spring rehearsal for Coppelia, including taking class almost every day, Thatcher said. Coppelia plays at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 12, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 13. Tickets can be purchased here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
After rocky road, Havana's 'Cathedral of Ice Cream' back in from the cold
For three months, residents of Havana were deprived of a rare affordable treat when their beloved state-owned Coppelia ice cream parlor closed its doors -- another victim of tough economic times. Now reopened, it boasts not only new flavors, but also an updated price list that -- despite a 60-percent government subsidy -- may freeze out many clients in a country where the average monthly salary is just over $40. A mainstay for locals since opening its doors in 1966, Coppelia became internationally known after featuring in the 1993 film "Strawberry and Chocolate" -- the first Cuban film ever nominated for an Oscar. With capacity for 547 patrons, the sprawling, modernist building surrounded by lush vegetation has for decades drawn long lines of customers in a country with a well-documented love for ice cream. The store was a project of revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, himself a big fan of a sweet scoop and determined not to be deprived by the US trade embargo imposed on the communist island in 1962. Coppelia originally boasted a menu with 26 ice cream flavors from its inception until Cuba's economic crisis in the 1990s that was triggered by the collapse of the Soviet bloc -- a key ally and financial backer. In recent years, production costs boosted by skyrocketing prices of agricultural goods have started outpacing sales income, Coppelia boss Jose Antonio Gonzalez, 61, told AFP, who also blamed a rise in private competition. Cuba has allowed private small- and medium-sized enterprises to operate on the island since 2021, after a near six-decade ban in favor of state-owned enterprises such as Coppelia. Then in November, the parlor announced it was closing temporarily, to widespread frustration from long-suffering Cubans. "We didn't close due to a lack of ice cream" but rather to "correct" the pricing, Gonzalez said. By the time it closed, Coppelia could only offer a single ice cream flavor. It now has eight since reopening on February 5. "Coppelia opened, what a joy for all the people who live here!" celebrated 82-year-old Havana resident Victor Montoya. Mijail Morales, 47, said he was also pleased, although "with this increase in prices, I don't think that the average Havanan will be able to go as regularly as they did before." Moreover, he complained that "it does not have the taste of the Coppelia ice cream of five months ago, never mind the ice cream of 10, 15, 20 years ago." - 'It's expensive' - At Sabor Cid, a private ice cream shop that opened around the corner from Coppelia in May, customer Erena Cobo, a 57-year-old state employee, praised the "exquisite" offering. But at more than $3 for a single scoop of one of its 24 flavors, "it's expensive. It cannot be compared with the prices at Coppelia." Co-owner Jhendry Garcia explained the price was determined by the import costs and an unreliable foreign currency exchange rate. For Gonzalez, private shops will always find it hard to compete with Coppelia due to its subsidized prices, central location, expansive floor area and sales volumes of 1,200 10-liter (2.6-gallon) tubs per day. "It's not called the Cathedral of Ice Cream for nothing!" Cuba is battling its worst economic crisis in 30 years with frequent electricity blackouts, rampant inflation -- especially on food -- and shortages of medicine, fuel and other essentials. rd/lp/mlr/jgc
