Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- From 28 February to 16 March 2024, Tashkent will host the annual International Opera and Ballet Festival, organized by the Art and Culture Development Foundation of Uzbekistan. Spectators will see famous productions from different countries, prepared by the most important schools, troupes and choreographers.

The festival program consists of performances that combine classics and modernity, new interpretations of iconic stories and innovative approaches to dramaturgy and scenography. On the stage of the State Academic Bolshoi Theater named after Alisher Navoi, Boris Eifman’s ballet “Russian Hamlet”, ballet productions “Like Breathing” by Italian choreographer Mauro Bigonzetti and “Gabrielle Chanel” by Yuri Posokhov, the play “Chotto Desh” by Akram Khan and the ballet “Romeo and Juliet” will be presented » Vyacheslav Samodurov. Viewers will also be treated to Offenbach’s opera The Tales of Hoffmann, directed by Stefano Poda.

28 February —1 March 
Ural Ballet in Tashkent

The festival program will feature several productions of the Yekaterinburg State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater - “Romeo and Juliet” by Vyacheslav Samodurov and the Gala Concert of the Ural Ballet.

"Romeo and Juliet" by Sergei Prokofiev, staged by Vyacheslav Samodurov

“Romeo and Juliet” by Vyacheslav Samodurov became the hallmark of the theater and troupe. This performance cannot be confused with any of the numerous productions of Prokofiev’s ballet: it is easily recognizable by the costumes (casual with fragments of Renaissance paintings) and scenography - the dangerously tilted red structure is reminiscent of Shakespeare’s Globe Theater. And also - in terms of choreographic language: classical steps are fused with non-classical dance jargon and presented at an excited tempo, the brutality and rigidity of the plasticity hides the fragility and vulnerability of the characters.

Gala Ural Ballet

Gala concert of the Ural Ballet is an almanac that includes four ballets. This is a portrait of one of the best Russian ballet companies and a panorama of the phenomenon called “classical dance”, which spans almost two centuries: the oldest part of the program dates back to 1842, the most recent was staged in the summer of 2023.

The ballet “Naples, or the Fisherman and his Bride” was composed by the Dane August Bournonville. At the premiere in 1842, Bournonville’s choreography seemed too fast, too mental to the audience. Now this is a classic of world choreography. The second part of the evening consisted of two new works. This is a miniature “Terzetto” by Alexander Merkushev, which is an example of modern high-speed classical dance. And also the production of the director of the Ural Ballet Maxim Petrov “Noon” to the music of Debussy. The evening will conclude with “Salieri Variations” - one of Samodurov’s best works, a modern image of the ancient “white ballet”.

5-6 March
Chotto Desh by Akram Khan

British director Akram Khan is one of the most famous dancers and choreographers of our time. In the play Chotto Desh (Little Homeland), Khan tells his own story through the language of dance about the dreams of a young man leaving his native Bangladesh for Britain. Using vibrant dance moves, lyrics, visuals and sound, the ballet celebrates the resilience of the human spirit in today’s world and promises to be a magical, exciting and poignant dance performance for family viewing.

8 March
Modanse by Svetlana Zakharova

The Modanse project, combining the ballets “Like Breathing” by Mauro Bigonzetti and “Gabrielle Chanel” by Ilya Demutsky, staged by Yuri Possokhov, was created specifically for the prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Theater of Russia and the etiquette of the La Scala Theater, People’s Artist of the Russian Federation Svetlana Zakharova. The musical basis of “Like Breath” is based on various works of George Frideric Handel, while the Baroque era is present not only in the music of the ballet, but also in the dance choreography, which is emphasized by stylish and daring costumes. The ballet “Gabrielle Chanel” tells the story of the path that the great Coco took, forever changing the world of fashion in the 20th century - from an unknown provincial singer to the head of one of the most influential fashion houses.

10-11 March
"Russian Hamlet" by Boris Eifman

In the play “Russian Hamlet,” Boris Eifman turned to the figure of Tsar Paul I, one of the most mysterious and controversial characters in Russian history. The director brilliantly portrayed the tragic confrontation of an extraordinary and mentally fragile personality with a hostile world built on violence, treachery and lies.

15-16 March
Opera "The Tales of Hoffmann"

The International Opera and Ballet Festival will conclude with the premiere production of the opera “The Tales of Hoffmann” by Jacques Offenbach in the version of the famous Italian director, artist and set designer Stefano Poda, performed by the National Orchestra of Uzbekistan. The literary basis of the opera is the works and biography of Ernest Theodore Amadeus Hoffmann.