Two classic ballet masterpieces are about to open at the National Centre for the Performing Arts

Two classic ballet masterpieces are about to open at the National Centre for the Performing Arts

Bordeaux National Opera Ballet 2024 China Tour Finale Beijing Station

This year is an important year for the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France. As the first large-scale French dance company to tour China, with its unique artistic style and excellent performance skills, the world-renowned French National Opera Ballet in Bordeaux has brought two landmark works of world ballet - "Fairy", which is known as the pioneering work of romantic ballet, and "Don Quixote" (Act 3), which is full of joy and difficult and dazzling passages. From May 18th to 19th, the National Grand Theater, the finale of the China tour, will start a major performance. A performance can watch two rare ballet masterpieces at the same time, and feel the exquisite dance of the pure French ballet school, which is very worth looking forward to!

Pioneering "point dance"

Ballet "Fairy"

On March 12, 1832, the world's first ballet "Fairy", choreographed by Italian dancer Philippe Tarioni and starring his daughter Mary Tarioni, premiered at the Royal Conservatory of Paris and achieved unprecedented success. "Fairy" is not only a landmark work that pioneered pointe dance in the history of ballet, but also rewrote the history of ballet and successfully opened the era of romantic ballet. In order to play the role of "Fairy" in the play, Mary Tarioni not only danced in the form of pointy feet, but also broke through the court ballet dress for the first time to remove the complicated decoration, and appeared in a flowing and fluffy white gauze skirt. Therefore, "Fairy" became the first "white ballet" in the history of dance.

Two years later, the founder of the Danish ballet school, August Bonneville, discovered the work in Paris. He was so fascinated by the ballet that he decided to create his own version. On November 28, 1836, August Bonneville's version of the ballet "The Fairies" premiered at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen. This version was shorter than the previous version by Philippe Tarioni, giving more meaning to the role of James, and commissioned the young composer Lewinsky Olde for its original score. It soon became one of the most popular works of the Royal Danish Ballet and is still performed as a repertoire of the company to this day.

The Bordeaux National Opera's two-act ballet "The Fairy" is based on the Auguste Bonneville version and premiered on December 14, 2021. The play is mainly about a young farmer who meets the fairy the night before his wedding. Unable to resist the temptation of her beauty, he follows the fairy on his wedding day and dies tragically with the fairy. The whole ballet is refined and smooth, and the story and dance are perfectly balanced and echoed.

The "pinnacle" of classical ballet

Don Quixote (Act III)

"Don Quixote" is a literary masterpiece created by the famous Spanish writer Cervantes in 1605. It was inspired by the famous Russian choreographer Marius Pitipa, who is known as the "father of classical ballet" and created the classical ballet of the same name in 1869. It is one of the most popular ballets and has been adapted into several versions of the ballet of the same name.

The upcoming performance of "Don Quixote" (Act 3) at the National Theatre is a version of the choreography adapted by Jose Martinez, who was appointed director of the Paris Opera Ballet in 2022, combining the characteristics of French ballet. It brings together countless ballet "famous scenes", and there are nearly ten solo variations in the whole play. It can be called one of the most representative choreographies of classical ballet. The fun and challenge of its dance make it a reserved work for international heavyweight ballet companies.

The plot of the entire dance drama is derived from the novel's second volume, "The Marriage of Gamarche," which describes the love story between Gitri and the barber Basilio. Basilio tries to help his girlfriend Gitri escape a marriage arranged by her father, who wants his daughter to marry the rich gentleman Gamarche. There are so many guests, including the chivalrous Don Quixote, and Sancho Panza, Mercedes and the matador. Basilio rushes in with a cloak, plays a "suicide" scene with a razor, and pretends to be seriously injured. Gitri hopes to at least fulfill the "dying" man's last wish: to marry her. Don Quixote interceded for them, and after a priest blessed the couple and completed the ceremony, Basilio confessed to his ruse. Don Quixote again intervened to help the father and daughter reconcile and request a wedding for Gitley and Basilio. After the wedding, the ranger and his loyal servant waved goodbye to everyone, and they will continue to pursue their dreams and embark on a new journey.

Ballet was born in France under Louis XIV in the late 17th century, and began to develop in Bordeaux in the 18th century, gradually gaining fame and gradually opening up creativity. Since the 1990s, the Bordeaux National Opera Ballet has opened up a range of classical works to a modern style through collaboration with many choreographers. The company now has nearly 40 dancers. The Bordeaux National Opera Ballet has won many awards, including the Herald Angel Award at the Edinburgh International Festival, the Best Foreign Ballet in Cuba, and the prestigious Liffar Award twice. Artistic Director Eric Chierre has been at the helm of the Bordeaux Opera Ballet since 2017. This time, the Ballet of the National Opera of Bordeaux in France specially brought together two famous ballets "Fairy" and "Don Quixote" (Act 3) in one performance, not only allowing Chinese audiences to enjoy two classic works at one time and feel the essence of ballet in different eras, but also to better promote Sino-French cultural exchanges and mutual learning, and to present the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France.