International Ballet Gala
International Ballet Gala – Celebrating 100 Years of Lithuanian Ballet
To mark the prestigious centenary of Lithuanian ballet, the Klaipėda State Musical Theatre invites you to an exceptional International Ballet Gala, bringing together some of the brightest ballet stars from across Europe.
The stage will feature ballet masters from Italy, Germany, Estonia, Japan, as well as performers from the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre and the Klaipėda State Musical Theatre. Audiences can expect a spectacular program that blends classical and contemporary ballet masterpieces, innovative choreographic interpretations, and the refined elegance of world-class performers.
The evening will begin with Klaipėda State Musical Theatre’s leading ballet soloists Anna Chekmarova and Yan Malaki presenting an excerpt from the dance performance Bittersweet Paragraphs of Existence – a work by choreographer and composer Gaj Žmavc, recently premiered as part of the diptych Forms.
Representing the Estonian National Opera, soloists Marta Navasardyan and Jevgeni Grib will perform Jevgeni Grib’s choreographies Sharps and Flats and Tango.
The Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre will delight the seaside audience with the classical ballet piece Grand Pas Classique, performed by Maria Kastorina and Arata Yamamoto, and an excerpt from Ludwig Minkus’ ballet Don Quixote, danced by Nora Straukaitė and Oleg Ligai.
Visiting from Japan, dancer Madoka Kariya will captivate the audience with two expressive works – Walk on, Walk on (choreography by Lea Ved) and The Memory of We (choreography by Rachel Anaïs Scott).
An excerpt from Antanas Jasenka’s dance performance Legend (choreography by Gaj Žmavc) will be presented by Klaipėda State Musical Theatre ballet artists Anna Chekmarova and Roman Budko.
Ballet professionals Martina Pasinotti and Alessandro Casa from Teatro Massimo (Italy) will perform an excerpt from Jean-Sébastien Colau’s ballet Le Corsaire (after Marius Petipa) and the choreographic piece Anna by Vincenzo Veneruso.
A special highlight of the evening will be the soloists from the Berlin State Opera (Germany), Yana Salenko and Marian Walter, performing Victor Ulates’ choreography Sola and Arshak Ghalumyan’s piece Tomorrow Lights.
The Klaipėda State Musical Theatre ballet troupe will present several dance numbers: Contrast in Minor Key, Prelude, and an excerpt from Douglas Lee’s performance Callisto.
This International Ballet Gala is a unique opportunity to witness Europe’s ballet elite in one evening, admire world-class choreography, and honor the rich history and century-old traditions of Lithuanian ballet.
Programme
Part I
- Excerpt from the dance performance “Bittersweet Paragraphs of Being”
Choreography: Gaj Žmavc
Music: Gaj Žmavc
Dancers: A. Chekmarova, O. Borodina, A. Ruvoletto, B. Ribeiro Santos, I. Suslo, S. Noronha Amoroso, Y. Malaki, M. Mordasov, F. Polose, F. Nani, R. Budko, B. Blay Bosch
(Klaipėda State Musical Theatre) - “Sharps and Flats”
Choreography: Jevgeni Grib
Music: Sasha Pushkin
Dancers: Marta Navasardyan, Jevgeni Grib
(Estonian National Opera) - “Grand Pas Classique”
Choreography: V. Gsovsky
Music: Daniel François Esprit Auber
Dancers: Maria Kastorina, Arata Yamamoto
(Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre) - “Walk on, walk on”
Choreography: Lea Ved
Music: Nina Simone
Dancer: Madoka Kariya
(Japan) - Excerpt from the dance performance “Legend”
Choreography: Gaj Žmavc
Music: Antanas Jasenka
Dancers: A. Chekmarova, R. Budko
(Klaipėda State Musical Theatre) - “Le Corsaire”
Choreography: Jean-Sébastien Colau after Marius Petipa
Music: Ludwig Minkus
Dancers: Martina Pasinotti, Alessandro Casà
(Teatro Massimo, Italy) - “Sola”
Choreography: Victor Ulates
Music: Arvo Pärt
Dancers: Iana Salenko-Walter, Marian Walter
(Staatsballett Berlin, Germany)
Part II
- “Contrast in Minor”
Choreography: Gaj Žmavc
Music: Gaj Žmavc
Dancers: A. Chekmarova, Y. Malaki, O. Borodina, F. Polose
(Klaipėda State Musical Theatre) - “Tango”
Choreography: Jevgeni Grib
Music: Astor Piazzolla
Dancers: Marta Navasardyan, Jevgeni Grib
(Estonia) - “Anna”
Choreography: Vincenzo Veneruso
Music: Paolo Buonvino
Dancers: Martina Pasinotti, Alessandro Casà
(Teatro Massimo, Italy) - “Callisto”
Choreography: Douglas Lee
Music: Nicolas Sávva
Dancers: K. Jermakova, O. Borodina, A. Ruvoletto, E. Bruno, Y. Kovalenko, D. Verovka, J. Ribaud, D. Semchuk, M. Ūsas, I. Temchenko, R. Semenenko, G. Ruben Repetti
(Klaipėda State Musical Theatre) - “The Memory of We”
Choreography: Rachel Anaïs Scott
Music: Claude Debussy
Dancer: Madoka Kariya
(Japan) - “Prelude”
Choreography: Gaj Žmavc
Music: Gaj Žmavc
Dancers: A. Chekmarova, Y. Malaki
(Klaipėda State Musical Theatre) - “Don Quixote”
Choreography: Marius Petipa
Music: Ludwig Minkus
Dancers: Nora Straukaitė, Oleg Ligai
(Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre) - “Tomorrow Lights”
Choreography: Arshak Ghalumyan
Music and vocals: Eric Oder, Maria Kebuladze
Dancers: Iana Salenko-Walter, Marian Walter
(Staatsballett Berlin, Germany)
