2024 marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France, and in the annual Sino-French Cultural Spring series, cultural exchanges from France are diverse and rich. At the end of April, Shenzhen will usher in the blockbuster performance project of the Sino-French Cultural Spring series - the China tour of the Ballet of the National Opera de Bordeaux (hereinafter referred to as the Bordeaux Ballet). It is reported that the Shenzhen leg of this round of China tour will be used as the premiere site, presenting the audience with the rare ballet "Fairy" and the ballet classic "Don Quixote" Act III. At 20:00 on April 27-28 (Saturday and Sunday), Shenzhen audiences will witness for the first time the exquisite dance movements from the pure French ballet school, the founding country of ballet.
The Romantic Ballet Pioneer "The Fairy"
For the first time, humans danced on pointe
192 years ago, the Paris Opera's version of La Nymph ushered in the era of romantic ballet, becoming the first "white ballet" in the history of dance. Originally adapted by Adolfo Nouli and choreographed by Filipe Taglioni for his daughter, this ballet officially entered the history of pointe dancing. Among the six major schools of ballet recognized in the world, French ballet is known for its gentleness, lightness, delicacy, agility and elegance, often using fast steps to give the impression that the performer is light on stage. As one of the representative works of the French ballet school, "Nymph" is deeply loved and sought after by audiences all over the world. The version brought by the Bordeaux Dance Company is an adapted and refined version of the Danish choreographer Bournonville on the basis of the French premiere version, which refines the story of "The Fairies", condenses the poetic essence of the work, and narrates the main plot more smoothly, which not only makes the performance more complete, but also highlights the show-off part, achieving a balance between the story and the dance, echoing each other, making the audience more dazzled and dizzy.
Classical ballet "the pinnacle of dazzling skills"
Don Quixote not to be missed by ballet lovers
Don Quixote is an indispensable adjective for the famous Russian choreographer Petipa, who has left a strong mark on classical ballet: in more than two hours, nearly 10 solo variations have become the scoring "artifact" of today's major international ballet competitions and the highlight of heavyweight ballet celebrations. Some of these variations are passionate and Spanish, and some are rigorous and elegant, and they can be called one of the most representative choreography of classical ballet. It is precisely because Don Quixote is so interesting and challenging that almost all the major ballet companies in the world have this work. The version presented by the Bordeaux Ballet is a new version by José Martínez, the current Artistic Director of the Paris Opera, based on Petipa's version and combining the characteristics of the French School. The rich Spanish style, the exquisite and elegant French ballet combined with the passionate Spanish style, make the dance fans full of expectations!
When it comes to the royal French dance tradition, the Paris Opera Ballet is the face of French ballet, but it is definitely not the only one. Also with "royal French blood" are the National Ballet of Marseille, the Ballet of the Opera de Toulouse, the Ballet of the Opéra National de Bordeaux, and many more.
Since the 18th century, ballet has developed in the Bordeaux region and has gradually gained a great reputation. The Ballet National de Bordeaux has won numerous awards, including the Pioneer Angel Award at the Edinburgh International Festival, the Best Foreign Ballet in Cuba and the prestigious Lifar Prize twice. The visit of the Ballet Nationale de Bordeaux to China will be a rare opportunity for this year's audience to enjoy the "French Orthodox" ballet, watch two classics in one night, and experience the essence of ballet from different eras.
(Photo courtesy of the performer)
(Author: Shenzhen Special Zone Daily reporter Liu Shasha)