Gala concert at Russian Bolshoi Theatre marks 25th anniversary of Brazilian ballet school

A gala concert dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the Bolshoi Theatre Ballet School in Joinville, Brazil, and the national holiday, Independence Day, which is celebrated annually on 7 September, was held on the New Stage of the Bolshoi Theatre.

The event was attended by 35 students and graduates of the educational institution. They now work as artists in Russia's leading theatres, performing on stages from the Bolshoi Theatre to theatres in Kazan, Perm, Samara, and St. Petersburg.

The programme included excerpts from classical ballets and the Russian premiere of the mini-ballet Kaori by Brazilian choreographer and school graduate William Almeida. The performances were accompanied by the Bolshoi Theatre orchestra conducted by Aleksey Bogorad.

Brazilian Ambassador to Sergio Rodrigues dos Santos gave a speech.

"Brazil and Russia are major players in the global economy, especially in sectors such as food and energy. [...] We want to expand our bilateral trade. [...] One area we need to focus on is improving payment mechanisms to facilitate trade flows between our countries," he said.

The artistic direction of the gala concert was carried out by the school's founder Vladimir Vasiliev and the prima ballerina of the Kazan Opera and Ballet Theatre, a graduate of the Bolshoi Theatre Ballet School in Joinville, Amanda Gomes. According to her, the synthesis of the Russian ballet school and Brazilian performing tradition creates a unique creative foundation that is recognised internationally.

"It was a great honour for me to dance on the stage of the Bolshoi Theatre. [...] It seems to me that the dedication on stage, the soul that Brazilians and Russians bring to dance, is very similar. And I am very happy that our school has become such an important link between Russian and Brazilian cultures," she said.

Pavel Kazarian, Director of the Bolshoi Theatre School in Brazil, emphasised the social and educational mission of the project.

"It (the school – Ed.) offers exclusively free training and thus fulfils an important social function, allowing children and young people to receive an excellent professional education and become involved in high art," he said.

The Bolshoi Theatre Ballet School in Brazil was founded on 15 March 2000. Over a quarter of a century, it has trained more than 500 specialists, over 70 per cent of whom work in ballet companies in 26 countries.

Photo: TV BRICS