The international festival “Ballet stars in Jurmala” will offer a wide program! | Press release

July 27, 2022.

The information was prepared by Indra Vilipsone, Head of Communications.

The 22nd International Ballet Festival “Ballet Stars in Jūrmala” is expanding its program this year. Instead of the usual one-day format, the artistic director of the festival, Aivars Leimanis, has planned a meeting with ballet stars this year for two consecutive evenings, experiencing the pleasure of ballet art both on the big stage and in a much more intimate atmosphere in the Small Hall of the Dzintari Concert Hall.

on August 5, 2022 at 20.00 In the small hall, the audience is invited to an exquisite evening of camera-format performances. The first part of the program will feature the choreography of Edvins Revazov with the music of Johann Sebastian Bach “White Noise”, performed by the choreographer himself and the outstanding Latvian ballerina Anna Lauder. In the sequel, another bright duet – Elsa Leimane and Anton Freimans in the challenging work “Firebird” by choreographer Marko Gekes. In the evening, in the second part, Edwin Revazov will invite us to the world of the character of August Strinberg and the music of Pēter Vaska with the ballet “Miss Julie”, premiered in Lübeck in 2021. Dancers: Anna Lauder, Elsa Leiman and Edwin Revazov. Musicians: Magdalēna Ceple – cello, Natalija Dirvukas – piano, Madara Pētersone, Alina Vižine – violin, Ivars Brīnums – viola, Nadežda Bardyukas – cello, Yuris Gavriljuks – double bass.

On August 6, the festival will take place on the big stage of the Dzintari Concert Hall, inviting you to meet well-known ballet personalities and offering to meet new names in both choreography and performance. Let’s see the “black” pas de deux from John Neumeier’s ballet “Lady of the Camellias” performed by Anna Lauder and Edwin Revazov. It is the final and most emotional duet of the three duets of the legendary ballet, which form the central axis of the central work of the performance “Lady of the Camellias”. The pair of leading soloists of the Hamburg Ballet will also perform Neumayer’s work “Des Knaben Wunderhorn” (Des Knaben Wunderhorn) with music by Gustav Mahler.

The audience will have the opportunity to meet the soloists of the Finnish National Ballet. Rebecca King (USA) received her ballet education at the Royal Ballet Institute of Maryland, before her career in Finland she danced at the Donetsk National Ballet, the Prague Ballet Theater and the Czech National Ballet. Jun Xia (China) has been dancing in the Finnish National Ballet since 2019. As a child, he learned traditional Chinese dances, after graduating from the Shanghai Dance Academy, he became a laureate of the Prix de Lausanne. He also danced in the Hong Kong Ballet. The couple from Finland will perform Medora and Verga’s pas de deux from the ballet “Corsair” as well as a duet from the ballet “Spartacus” by Australian ballet choreographer Lucas Jervies.

Those who were lucky enough to see Maurus Gauthier, the leading soloist of the Hanover Ballet in the role of Nizhinsky at the Latvian National Opera and Ballet, are in for a pleasant reunion. In Jurmala, Gauthier will introduce the audience to the nuanced world of micro-movements by Marko Geke with the solo “Affi”. The work was created in 2005, inspired by three Johnny Cash songs.

The visit of Anastasija Baird and Artyom Shoshin (Ukraine), representatives of Kyiv modern ballet, will also be special. They will dance “Sarabanda” and “We dance Pergolezi” choreography by Radu Poklitarus, a well-known Moldavian-born Ukrainian choreographer in Latvia.

As usual, the Ballet Festival in Jūrmala is the time when the dancers of the Latvian National Ballet also start preparing for the new season. This time, bright and diverse duets are in the program – a fragment from the ballet “Swan Lake” danced by Sabīne Strokša and Darius Florians Katana; a duet from Marco Gecke’s ballet “Nijinsky” will be performed by Elsa Leiman and Aiden William Conefrey. Konefrys will also dance a pas de deux from the ballet “Esmeralda” together with Yeti Laukuča. Annija Kopštāle and Kārlis Cīrulis will meet in the duet “Diana and Akteon”, while Julia Brauer and Viktor Seiko will perform a fragment from the ballet “Dracula” choreographed by Krzysztof Pastor. One of Elsa Leiman’s latest choreographies called “Mmhm…” will be danced by Justine Teličena and Anton Freimans. And, of course, the traditional “Grand Finale” of the festival, choreographed by Aivars Leimanis.

The festival is supported by the municipality of Jūrmala and the State Cultural Capital Fund.

Additional information:

Indra Vilipsone

Communications manager

E-pasts: [email protected]

Phone: 26320977

www.dzintarukoncertzale.lv

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