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The Bolshoi Ballet, one of the world's oldest and most prestigious ballet companies, has returned to China, presenting two ballet gala concerts and three performances of The Sleeping Beauty at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing from Wednesday to May 11, followed by two ballet gala performances at the Pingshan Theatre in Shenzhen on May 14 and 15.

The performances in Beijing will be accompanied by the Bolshoi Orchestra under the baton of Pavel Sorokin. In Shenzhen, the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra will perform under the baton of Alexei Bogorad.

The Sleeping Beauty, which premiered in 1890 at the Mariinsky Theatre in Russia, is a timeless ballet composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Choreographed by Marius Petipa, the ballet is based on Charles Perrault's fairy tale La Belle au Bois Dormant and follows the classic story of a cursed princess, magical fairies, and true love's kiss.

"The Sleeping Beauty is a masterpiece that had already acquired the status of the pinnacle of classical ballet by the beginning of the twentieth century and has remained in the Bolshoi Theatre's repertoire for a long time," says Makhar Vaziev, artistic director of the Bolshoi Ballet.

In 1973, young choreographer Yuri Grigorovich, together with designer Simon Virsaladze, decided to modernize Petipa's version by adding dynamic power. Unlike traditional productions emphasizing spectacle, Grigorovich focused on storytelling, symbolism, and emotional development.

The final act of The Sleeping Beauty is a major contributor to its timeless and classic status. A grand wedding scene, known for its joyful tone, dazzling divertissements, and musical brilliance, celebrates the triumph of good over evil and the endurance of love.

"The final act of The Sleeping Beauty is an ideal world created jointly by Tchaikovsky and Petipa — a world without evil, without darkness, and without violence. It celebrates the most noble, sunlit, and love-filled spiritual realm of humanity," said dance critic Xiao Suhua, a professor of Beijing Dance Academy.

For the upcoming tour in China, ballet stars including Artem Ovcharenko, a principal dancer of the Bolshoi Ballet, along with other top-ranking dancers such as Elizaveta Kokoreva, Eleonora Sevenard, and Igor Tsvirko, are part of the star-studded cast.

"For many years, starting in 1961, artists from China performed on the stage of the Bolshoi Theatre. The Bolshoi Theatre has repeatedly toured to China, where our artists have been met with great success. The Bolshoi Ballet is especially loved by Chinese audiences," says Vaziev.

He also noted that the Bolshoi Ballet first toured China in 1959, visiting Shanghai, Guangzhou, Wuhan and Beijing, with programs including Swan Lake, Giselle, and Chopiniana.

The Bolshoi Ballet has returned to China multiple times in the past decade. In 2010, it performed at the NCPA for the first time, staging The Pharaoh's Daughter, choreographed by Petipa to the music of Cesare Pugni, and Don Quixote with music by Ludwig Minkus. In 2018, the company gave three performances of Le Corsaire, choreographed by Petipa and composed by Adolphe Adam, and The Flames of Paris, with choreography by Vasily Vainonen. In 2023, the Bolshoi returned with the classic Don Quixote and two gala shows.

In 2024, it performed in Shanghai with its signature Spartacus, choreographed by Grigorovich to music by Aram Khachaturian, along with a gala performance.

During this latest China tour, the company will also present gala concerts featuring 11 excerpts from "some of the most brilliant pieces from the Bolshoi Ballet's repertoire, which have been performed for centuries," according to the artistic director.

Highlights include the pas de deux from Swan Lake, the pas de deux from The Talisman, and the Adagio from Romeo and Juliet.

The return of the Bolshoi Ballet has sparked a wave of excitement among Chinese ballet enthusiasts. On platforms like Weibo and Xiaohongshu (RedNote), fans have been eagerly sharing ticket stubs and favorite memories from past performances.

Many of the Bolshoi's principal dancers have responded warmly to their Chinese fans on social media, sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses of rehearsals and local experiences in China.

Kristina Kretova, who was promoted to principal dancer at the end of the 2024-25 season, shared on her RedNote platform that she will join the China tour this May with her husband, Igor Tsvirko, also a principal dancer of the Bolshoi Ballet.

"I am very glad to tell my Chinese fans that I am the new principal dancer of the Bolshoi Ballet … I will join the China tour in May with my husband. Love you all," she wrote, which received hundreds of likes and comments from the fans in China.

"I have watched your performance of Spartacus in Shanghai last year and am looking forward to your shows in Beijing," commented a fan.

chennan@chinadaily.com.cn