Nureyev Gala - Vienna State Opera, June 28th 2019.

Jun 29

Jun 29 Nureyev Gala - Vienna State Opera, June 28th 2019.

Surely one of the most important Ballet events of the whole Season in Vienna…

To be quite frank, I normally never write a critic about a Gala – it would „sound“ like a competition during a marathon and that is not the point (some critics have joined me for the first time – saying also that THEY NEVER review a Gala – although until last year they have very well written about it…).

The Gala audiences love a “bit of a circus” and this time they had quite a good taste of it... But that is - to my way of thinking - not what dance is all about…

…and not to forget: this year's Gala was again nearly too long (4 hours and 15 minutes) and the structure and choice of pieces not very near to my taste.

Nevertheless an interesting evening with many – if not all – very good moments.

1st Part:

DELIRIENWALZER (Roland Petit | Josef Strauss). Natascha Mair – Davide Dato

Copyright: Vienna State Ballet / Ashley Taylor

JOCKEY-Dance (August Bournonville | Carl Christian Møller): Arne Vandervelde, Dumitru Taran

ESMERALDA PAS DE DEUX (Nicholas Beriozoff | Riccardo Drigo, Cesare Pugni, Romualdo Marenco): Liudmila Konovalova – Young Gyu Choi (Guest, Principal at Het Nationale Ballet – Debùt at The Vienna State Opera) Konovalova – Young Gyu Choi (Guest, Principal at Het Nationale Ballet – Debùt at The Vienna State Opera)

LUMINOUS (András Lukács | Max Richter): Nina Tonoli – Jakob Feyferlik

ROMEO AND JULIETTE (Pas de deux from the third act, Rudolph Nurejev | Sergey Prokofiev): Ioanna Avraam | Robert Gabdullin

TROIS GNOSSIENNES (Hans van Manen | Erik Satie): Olga Esina, Roman Lazik

COPPÉLIA (Excerpt from the 3rd act, Pierre Lacotte | Léo Delibes): Natascha Mair | Jakob Feyferlik | Ensemble

2nd Part:

SLEEPING BEAUTY (Excerpt from the 2nd Act, Rudolph Nurejev | Peter Iljitsch Tschaikowsky); Navrin Turnbull

SWAN LAKE (excerpt from the 3rd act, Rudolph Nurejev | Peter Iljitsch Tschaikowsky): Kiyoka Hashimoto | Leonardo Basílio

DIE FLEDERMAUS (Excerpt from the 2nd act, Roland Petit | Johann Strauß, arr. Gamley): Olga Esina , Vladimir Shishov - giving hist last performance with the Vienna State Ballet after a brilliant career.

CANTATA (Excerpt: Pas de deux, Mauro Bigonzetti | Gruppo „Assurd“): Alice Firenze, Eno Peci

OCHIBA (Patrick de Bana | Philip Glass): Nina Poláková – Manuel Legris

THE TALISMAN PAS DE DEUX (Pjotr Gussew | Riccardo Drigo, Cesare Pugni): Anastasia Nuikina (Guest, Ballett from the Mariinski-Theatre – Debùt in the Vienna State Operaan der Wiener Staatso and Kimin Kim (Guest, Principal Dancer from the Mariinski-Theatre)

ARTIFACT SUITE (Excerpt, William Forsythe | Johann Sebastian Bach): Madison Young – James Stephens, Natascha Mair – Davide Dato, Ensemble

3rd Part:

SYLVIA (3rd act, Manuel Legris after Mérante and others | Léo Delibes): Nikisha Fogo, Denys Cherevychko, Davide Dato, Géraud Wielick, Ketevan Papava, Kamil Pavelka, Dumitru Taran and Ensemble

During the Party after the Gala Elena Bottaro and Madison Young were promoted to Soloists.
Navrin Turnbull and Arne Vandervelde advanced to Demi-Soloists.

Principal Dancer Vladimir Shishov gave his last performance withe the Vienna State Ballet and will dedicate his time to givinglessons at the Ballet academy as well as to the company.

Soloist Nina Tonoli is moving to Het Nationale Ballet in Amsterdam.

Here, Mr. Shishov's last curtain Call at the Vienna State Opera after an emotional performance of „Die Fledermaus“ (Pas de Deux) with Olga Esina (Video & Pictures, Copyright: Catharina Aurora Habermann)