Classic Ballet from Shanghai
- Published: 2/10/2009 at 12:00 AM
- Newspaper section: Realtime
The annual Bangkok's International Festival of Dance & Music would not be complete without classic ballet from Europe. This year is a bit different as the audiences here will be treated to a premiere appearance by a strong regional dance company on two nights.
Romeo and Juliet (left) and La Sylphide will be performed by the Shanghai National Ballet on Sun, Oct 4 and Tue, Oct 6, respectively. The showtime is 7:30pm and the venue is Thailand Cultural Centre.
The Shanghai National Ballet will present Romeo and Juliet on Sun, Oct 4 and La Sylphide on Tue, Oct 6 - both starting at 7:30pm at Thailand Cultural Centre.
Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, with its tale of star-crossed lovers, family conflicts and tragic consequences, remains one of the most well-known, moving love stories around the world.
The Shanghai version of Romeo and Juliet is adapted into a three-act ballet by celebrated choreographer Derek Deane, former artistic director of the English National Ballet.
Two days later is also the first time for the two-act La Sylphide to be staged in Bangkok.
La Sylphide is one of the world's oldest surviving romantic ballets of the Romantic era and the upcoming show by the Shanghai National Ballet is a rearrangement of the original August Bournonville version by French choreographer Jean-Paul Gravier - a recipient of the National Order of Arts and Letters award from France.
Based on a fairytale by Charles Nodier, it is the story of an ethereal forest sprite who captures the heart of a young Scot.
Totally mesmerised, he leaves his bride-to-be at the altar and follows the Sylphide to the forest. The tale has a tragic ending as the lovelorn young man becomes the cause of her death and is left to ponder the role he has played in the tragedy.
Tickets for each show cost 600, 1,200, 1,600, 2,000 and 2,500 baht and can be purchased from Thaiticketmajor booths. Call 02-262-3456 or visit http://www.thaiticketmajor.com.
