Latest news with #TheFirebird
Arab Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Arab Times
Moscow Seasons Festival debuts in Kuwait
For the first time ever, Moscow will bring its flagship cultural event, the Festival 'Moscow Seasons', to the Middle East from September 25th to 27th — with Kuwait hosting a spectacular celebration of Russian culture, art, and music. Supported by the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the State of Kuwait, the Festival 'Moscow Seasons in Kuwait' is designed to introduce audiences to the charm and diversity of the Russian capital. Two locations of the Festival - Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Centre and The Avenues shopping mall - will immerse visitors in Moscow's traditions, modern attractions, and year-round cultural calendar. The highlight of the program will be a grand concert by the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra on September 27, conducted by the renowned Maestro Ivan Rudin, at the prestigious Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Centre. This exceptional evening will feature two timeless treasures of Russian classical music: Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade and Stravinsky's The Firebird — masterpieces that have shaped the history of world music. Scheherazade, with its mesmerizing violin solos and rich orchestration, transports listeners into the enchanting tales of One Thousand and One Nights. The Firebird, a groundbreaking ballet score that launched Stravinsky to international fame, blends Russian folklore with innovative orchestral colors, offering an unforgettable journey into a magical realm. Before the concert, guests will enjoy a Moscow Tea Time ceremony, offering a taste of Moscow's traditional sweets and tea. Visitors can also explore a unique photo zone with historical costumes from the celebrated Moscow Estates Festival, an annual event showcasing the city's historic mansions. Evgeny Kozlov, Chairman of the Moscow City Tourism Committee, emphasized: 'Kuwaiti visitors are increasingly discovering Moscow as a unique travel destination. In 2024, Moscow welcomed approximately 16 500 visitors from Kuwait — almost a tenfold increase compared to 2019, with 97% of them travelling for tourism. Their interest reflects Moscow's ability to combine heritage, modern leisure, and warm hospitality. The Festival 'Moscow Seasons in Kuwait' is more than an event — it is a cultural bridge between our nations and a warm invitation to experience Moscow in person.' Festival 'Moscow Seasons in Kuwait' — taking place in September from 25th to 27th at The Avenues, one of the largest shopping malls in the Middle East — will bring the spirit of the Russian capital to Kuwait through a vibrant program both on stage and in Kuwait's most famous shopping mall. Visitors will enjoy performances by artistic ensembles, a photo exhibition, and interactive presentations showcasing Moscow's landmarks. Inside the mall, guests can visit the dedicated Moscow Tourist Information Center and the special 'Moscow Tea Time' stand, offering tastings of traditional Moscow sweets and tea. By bringing 'Moscow Seasons' to Kuwait, this event marks a new chapter in the cultural and tourism partnership between two countries, offering audiences an evening of artistic excellence and a glimpse into the soul of Moscow.
The Guardian
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘Beautiful form isn't enough': National Ballet of Japan
The three pieces of Ballet Coffret range from 1910's Stravinsky-composed classic The Firebird by Michel Fokine through the mid-20th century Etudes by Harald Lander to William Forsythe's The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude from 1996. Levene captured the training, preparations and performances of the National Ballet of Japan (NBJ) over three March days in Tokyo, as well as shadowing ballerina Yui Yonezawa and visiting the New National Theatre's ballet school. Principal dancer Yui Yonezawa prepares for Ballet Coffret in Tokyo, Japan The odds of becoming a principal ballerina in a major ballet company are roughly comparable to those of representing your country in a major sport. As with professional athletes, there are dancers who show remarkable potential at a young age, some of whom make the grade and some of whom fade away. Though she was taken to ballet lessons aged three by her mother, who had herself wanted to dance, Yonezawa insists she was far from a natural ballerina at first. 'I loved moving my body to music at nursery school. But ballet begins with putting your feet in some very awkward positions. I was often the slowest in the class to get them right,' recalls Yonezawa, speaking in Tokyo as the NBJ prepares for its first UK tour. Students from the New National Theatre Ballet School take part in a daily class. The NNT Ballet School is the official training centre for the National Ballet of Japan. It is Japan's first theatre-affiliated training institute for aspiring professional ballet dancers Established in April 2001, the school provides a two-year full-time training programme aimed at developing students into professional dancers. Students also participate in NBJ productions, gaining practical stage experience Yonezawa in the professionals' class Her father was a theatre director who suffered severe hearing difficulties and pioneered methods of training Japanese actors to use their bodies expressively. After Yonezawa's parents separated, she moved with her mother from Tokyo to Nagoya, where she began to dance. But it took around a decade before she fell under ballet's spell. Japan itself is something of a late ballet bloomer. Introduced from Europe in the early 20th century, ballet began to gain traction after the second world war. By the 1970s, Japan was producing exceptional dancers, including Yoko Morishita, who nearly all moved overseas to fulfil their ambitions. It was not until the NBJ's founding in 1997 in conjunction with the New National Theatre in Tokyo that Japan had a resident ballet company. The theatre during preparations between a matinee and evening performance Spotlights cross as the company perform Etudes The opera glasses rental concession, and a visitor to the New National Theatre Leading the NBJ as its artistic director since 2020 has been Miyako Yoshida OBE, who spent most of her performing career in Britain, with stints at Birmingham Royal Ballet (then Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet) and at the Royal Ballet. In 1995, she became the first Japanese ballerina to be a principal dancer at the Royal Ballet. Taking her acclaimed original production of Adolphe Adam's Giselle to the Royal Opera House represents something akin to a homecoming for Yoshida, while being the company's first full overseas tour (it has previously staged guest performances at Washington's Kennedy Center and Moscow's Bolshoi). Yonezawa is set to be the lead dancer for a couple of the Covent Garden performances of Giselle, a piece she finds both challenging and absorbing. The National Ballet of Japan perform The Firebird, during a performance of Ballet Coffret, a triple bill showcasing 20th-century masterpieces Ayako Ono as the Firebird, and Haruka Yoshida during Etudes National Ballet of Japan perform Etudes National Ballet of Japan perform Etudes 'The first and second acts are completely different. Not just physically, but in the entire world they portray. Act 1 is the real world, and Act 2 is the afterlife. I go from a living person to something like a ghost, close to what we call a yurei in Japanese,' explains Yonezawa. 'My body and inner self transform; Giselle's love for Albrecht is the only constant. But even that evolves, from infatuation and excitement in Act 1 to something deeper, more eternal in Act 2. That enduring love becomes the theme.' She adds that every dancer interprets Giselle differently and that attempting to imitate other performances is a hiding to nothing. 'Beautiful form isn't enough. The relationship with your partner, your individual interpretation; it's all essential. The smallest shift in emotion can change the audience's perception. If you try to plan it too much, it feels fake. This makes it a very difficult work,' says Yonezawa. Although she danced for three years in the US, this will be her first lead role overseas, at a venue where Yonezawa says every ballet dancer dreams of performing. To prepare herself, she will rely on the same routine that has kept her, remarkably, injury-free for decades in an art form infamous for taking a heavy toll on the bodies of its star performers. That preparation was captured by David Levene over three March days in Tokyo as the company staged Ballet Coffret at its home theatre. 'I'm certified in Gyrokinesis training [a method of opening up joints and muscles without overtaxing them that borrows from yoga], so I usually do that in the dressing room,' says Yonezawa. Yonezawa trying on three pairs of ballet shoes Yonezawa prepares in her dressing room, and eating beetroot powder before a performance Yonezawa squeezes through a doorway in the costume for The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude Final adjustments for Yonezawa, and with the stage manager on his last day after 25 years Yonezawa is exhausted after performing the very demanding production of The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude She also tries on three pairs of ballet shoes to see which one feels right for her body that day. 'I often end up choosing the same pair, but I still go through the process each time,' she recounts with a laugh. 'It helps me tune in.' A recent addition to her routine is eating beetroot powder a couple of hours before each performance. She believes it boosts endurance and suppresses blood pressure spikes triggered by the rigours of ballet. Although she has been fortunate enough to avoid major injuries, she recently recovered from a heart condition. Backstage before a performance of Etudes Backstage during The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude Backstage inside the Wham (wigs, hair and makeup) department, and in the physio room backstage Stretching backstage, and a dancer warming up before a performance of Etudes 'When the photographs were taken, we were staging The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude, which is a really physically intense piece,' says Yonezawa. When the day comes that Yonezawa's body can no longer withstand such intense demands, she plans to get involved in creating ballet productions. The fact that ballet performances can connect with audiences across national and linguistic borders is one of the aspects of her art that she loves most deeply. 'And in something like Act 2 of Giselle, when women in white costumes appear en pointe, it creates a world beyond our human one, without props – just with body,' Yonezawa says. 'Expressing such spiritual form through this art shows the beauty of what ballet is.' A final curtain call for Etudes Curtain call during The Firebird, and audience applause
Otago Daily Times
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Outstanding night of dance from RNZB
The Firebird with My Brilliant Career What a superb night of dance. These two ballets delivered a beautiful contrast in style and rhythm, but shared the theme of featuring strong female characters and exquisite dancers, with standout performances by Katherine Minor and Jennifer Ulloa in My Brilliant Career and Ana Gallardo Lobaina in The Firebird . Written in 1899 by the then teenage Stella Franklin, My Brilliant Career tells the story of a young rural Australian girl, Sybylla, who is in a state of conflict. Two distinct "sides" of her personality play out her dilemma: is she destined to be a country girl looking after her siblings, or does life hold a brighter future for her? Choreographer Cathy Marston has created a true delight — the audience can feel the conflict in Syb and Bylla, and it is a feeling that most women can appreciate with the pressures that life inflicts. Minor (Syb) and Ulloa (Bylla) play out Sybylla's complexities and struggles with delicate tenderness, but also great resolve. Guest principal artist Victor Estevez's Harry Beecham is charming and provided a great match for Minor and Ulloa; their pas de trois were an alluring narrative. The second work for this double-bill is The Firebird . A force to be reckoned with — like Lobaina, who portrays her for the second time since choreographer Loughlan Prior envisaged her in this role — the Firebird is the guardian of the natural world and protector of life. Created at a time when the classical greats ( Swan Lake , Sleeping Beauty etc.) reigned supreme, The Firebird was a complete departure from the world of traditional fairy tales, and a welcomed one at that. The world is on the brink of destruction and The Firebird is a warning that nothing should be taken for granted, least of all the Earth — perhaps a prophetic one in today's environment, I said after the first time I saw Lobaina in this role that she is the powerhouse of this company. The role of the Firebird is not one for the fainthearted, and Lobaina has the strength, grace and agility to make this her signature role. Stravinsky's iconic score underpins the intensity and weightiness of this work. Prior's vision for this ballet — along with Tracy Grant Lord's stunning costumes and John Buswell's atmospheric lighting in tandem with POW Studios' intense visuals — immerse the audience in a world where water is the most precious commodity; let's hope this vision doesn't become a reality. Again, what a superb night of dance; I'm loving the direction this company is heading in. Review by Penny Neilson
San Francisco Chronicle
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Esa-Pekka Salonen's final S.F. Symphony concerts off to a dramatic start
Esa-Pekka Salonen and the musicians of the San Francisco Symphony are making the most of their remaining concerts together. That much was clear on Friday, May 23, at Davies Symphony Hall, as the outgoing music director led the first in a monthlong series of performances marking the end of his tenure with the orchestra. The weekend's program, which repeats through Sunday, May 25, is anchored by a dramatic but nuanced reading of Igor Stravinsky's 'The Firebird' and highlighted by soloist Isabelle Faust's beautiful and well-characterized playing in Alban Berg's Violin Concerto. Like he did in 2022 performances with the Symphony, Salonen has elected to present Stravinsky's complete ballet score, rather than the popular suite from 1919 that cuts about 25 minutes of music. This decision means scenic moments that require inventiveness to pull off in concert feature alongside musical highlights. More Information Esa-Pekka Salonen's Final Concerts Salonen Conducts 'The Firebird': San Francisco Symphony. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 24; 2 p.m. Sunday, May 25. $49-$199. Esa-Pekka Salonen & Hilary Hahn: San Francisco Symphony. 2 p.m. Thursday, May 29; 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 30; 2 p.m. Sunday, June 1. $49-$350. Salonen Conducts Sibelius 7: San Francisco Symphony. 7:30 p.m. June 6-7; 2 p.m. June 8. $49-$179. Salonen Conducts Mahler 2: San Francisco Symphony. 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, June 12-14. $145-$399. All shows are at Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave., S.F. 415-864-6000. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit On Friday, these extended scenes crackled with energy and purpose, driven by Salonen's vivid dramatic imagination. The performance brilliantly elucidated the work's overall structure, with the conductor masterfully restraining even the fully orchestrated moments. This careful pacing built tension until the inevitable climax in the 'Infernal Dance,' which the musicians delivered with maximum ferocity. Although interpretations generally adhere to Stravinsky's plentiful metronome markings, Salonen pushed the tempo at the acceleration into the fast coda of the dance, adding to the excitement. Alternatively, in the finale, he slowed the tempo down to the specified molto pesante (very heavy) but held the last chord for almost a full 10 seconds as the orchestra built the sound in a finely graded crescendo. In the concert's first half, Salonen conducted the first Symphony performance of 'Chorale,' a 2002 work by his longtime friend and fellow Finnish composer Magnus Lindberg, who conceived the piece as an intro to Berg's Violin Concerto. It takes off from the same J.S. Bach chorale harmonization that Berg used, but Lindberg reimagines it with a dense and intricate orchestration style that is characteristic of his work. Salonen imparted refinement to a score that could easily suffer from being overplayed by a less attentive conductor. The orchestra handled the incredibly difficult runs in the woodwinds and strings with utmost clarity. The work concludes with a beautiful if unconventional cadence to a sustained major chord, anticipating exactly the manner in which Berg ends his piece. The Austrian composer's 1935 concerto demands a soloist like Faust, who was all in on characterizing the musical material and sharing it, rather than seizing control and showing off. The piece is a portrait of Manon Gropius, who died at 18; she was the daughter of architect Walter Gropius and Alma Mahler Werfel (composer Gustav Mahler's widow). In a performance as good as Friday night's, the music captures the moods and manners of the girl so vividly that a listener can almost see her. The passionate but highly contrasting first movement played to Faust's strengths. From the opening arpeggios, rendered almost shyly and with minimal vibrato, she deployed a variety of tone and phrasing that Salonen and the orchestra only amplified. This performance had exquisite balance and clarity, with even the forceful brass-heavy moments making their point without going over the top. The second movement opens wildly but shifts in the middle to a set of variations on the Bach chorale 'Es ist genug' (It is enough). Though mainly quiet, this is the emotional center of the piece, played here with extraordinary intensity. Toward the end, concertmaster Alexander Barantschik took up the theme and then handed it off seamlessly to Faust, who extended the melody into her instrument's upper reaches as the orchestra sank down to a cadence. It was a breathtaking way to take leave of Berg's masterpiece. As is his custom when acknowledging applause, Salonen joined the first row of violins, rather than standing in front of them. But during Friday's encore bow, the orchestra didn't stand as requested, giving him the solo moment he had tried to dodge. He seemed a bit surprised, but he shouldn't have been. The Symphony musicians know how special this time with Salonen has been, and they're marking the end of an era in the best way they can. Up next, Salonen partners with violinist Hilary Hahnr in concerts Thursday-Sunday, May 29-June 1, followed by the conductor leading Jean Sibelius' Symphony No. 7 on June 6-8.
Otago Daily Times
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Ballets demonstrate powerful storytelling
Royal New Zealand Ballet dancer Ana Gallardo Lobaina performs in The Firebird, which will be staged at Dunedin's Regent Theatre on May 24 and 25. PHOTO: STEPHEN A'COURT The Royal New Zealand Ballet (RNZB) returns to Dunedin this month with two major ballets — the powerful The Firebird and the evocative My Brilliant Career, presented in association with Avis. Created by choreographer Loughlan Prior in 2021, The Firebird is a reimagining of the Russian fairytale, in a dystopian desert world where water is more valuable than gold. The production is making its debut in the South Island, and will be staged at Dunedin's Regent Theatre on Saturday, May 24, at 7.30pm and Sunday, May 25, at 1.30pm. In The Firebird, Prior's expressive choreography, set against Tracy Grant Lord's striking costume and set designs and enhanced by immersive projections from POW Studios, brings to life a world both magical and perilously real. The Dunedin performances will be accompanied by a recorded version of Igor Stravinsky's sweeping score. Complementing it is the New Zealand premiere of My Brilliant Career, choreographed by Cathy Marston now performed by the RNZB for the first time. Based on Miles Franklin's novel, this one-act ballet explores the fierce independence and passion of a young woman determined to carve her own path in life. RNZB artistic director Ty King-Wall said in a statement the company was delighted to be presenting ''a pair of contrasting, but equally thought-provoking and emotionally charged narrative works'' which demonstrated the immense storytelling capacity of ballet. Together, the performances make for an unforgettable dance experience.
