Dancers perform during the Russian Seasons of the 21th Century ballet at Qatar National Convention Centre on Friday. (Shaival Dalal)
by Isabel ovalle
DOHA: The Russian Seasons of the XXI Century Diaghilev Gala Ballet performed on Friday in the theatre at the Qatar National Convention Centre. It was the first performance of the Russian Ballet in this venue and it was received by a full house auditorium.
The show, that started with a 30-minute delay, was divided in two parts and included the performance of the stars of the Mariinsky Theatre and the Kremlin Ballet Theatre, like Ilze Liepa. The production brought to Doha classics of European ballet such as The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Le Figaro, Giselle or Don Quixote.
In an empty stage, the dancers were the absolute stars of a show where the game of lights played the part of the scenery, transporting the audience perfectly to the respective periods of history. The production moved the auditorium, which seats 2,300 people, that was participating all evening with uncontainable applause.
Ilya Kuznetsov’s ‘Return’, with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and choreography by D Salimbaev was among the most acclaimed performances. The honoured artist of Russia, soloist of the Mariinsky Theatre, gave a moving and flawless performance.
The act of Ilze Liepa, ‘Meeting’, with music by M Legran and I Krutoi and choreography by Y Smoriginas, was very anticipated by the dancer’s brother and presenter of the show. The performance featured a one woman show, with only the dancer illuminated by a ray of light.
At first, apparently there is only one woman in the middle of the stage, dressed in pink, dancing side faced, until the dancer does a 180 degree turn, and shows the other half of the show, a man. With this simple movement, the meeting had begun.
The Russian Ballet was brought to Doha thanks to the Embassy of the Russia, Maris Liepa Charitable Foundation and Gazprom.
The Peninsula
