MOSCOW, February 17 – RIA Novosti. Ballet tour Bolshoi Theater, which will open the "Russian Seasons" festival in Japan, will be held from May 31 to June 19 and will become an anniversary, as part of the tour they will present the ballets "Swan Lake" and "Giselle" revised by Yuri Grigorovich and "Flames of Paris" choreographed by Alexei Ratmansky, reported reporters on Friday at a press conference artistic director Bolshoi Theater ballet Mahar Vaziev.
Sixty years ago, in August 1957, the Bolshoi Theater went on tour to Japan for the first time. Among the performers were such stars as Olga Lepeshinskaya, Irina Tikhomirnova, Vladimir Preobrazhensky, Rimma Karelskaya, Nina Timofeeva, Vladimir Vasiliev - 50 people in total. Performances and concerts were conducted by Gennady Rozhdestvensky. During a month's stay in Japan ballet troupe presented six different programs that were a huge success in the Land of the Rising Sun. Since then, the Bolshoi Theater has regularly toured Japan, performing in various cities across the country.
“The upcoming tour is an anniversary tour, and therefore, of course, special, solemn, festive. These tours are valuable because we have a huge history. Over the course of 60 years, the Bolshoi Ballet came to Japan 18 times, where it presented bright and talented artists of different generations. This testifies to our good, strong relations,” said the artistic director of the Bolshoi Theater Ballet Mahar Vaziev, noting that the upcoming tours are especially significant because they open the “Russian Seasons” and precede the cross year of Russia and Japan, which will begin in 2018.
This year's tour schedule includes three performances, two of them - "Swan Lake" and "Giselle" - performed for the Bolshoi Theater by the outstanding choreographer of our time, Yuri Grigorovich, who celebrated his 90th birthday this year. "Swan Lake" - staged by Yuri Grigorovich using choreography by Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov and Alexander Gorsky. "Giselle" - choreography by Jules Perrot, Jean Corrali, Marius Petipa, revised by Yuri Grigorovich. For the first time in Japan, the ballet "Flames of Paris" will be shown, choreographed by Alexei Ratmansky using original choreography by Vasily Vainonen.
Shvydkoy: cultural figures of Russia and Japan serve good example politiciansMikhail Shvydkoy said that cultural figures from Russia and Japan set a good example for politicians, being able to play in unison with each other, which would be useful for improving relations between the two countries."It's brand new, cultural project Russian Federation for the presentation of the best examples of Russian culture. The Russian Seasons will feature a series of tours, exhibitions, museums and film festivals. I am very glad that Japan was chosen as the first country where the Russian Seasons will be held. This indicates the dynamics of bilateral Japanese-Russian relations,” said Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Russia, Mr. Toyohisa Kozuki.
Svetlana Zakharova, Denis Rodkin, Yulia Stepanova, Igor Tsvirko and other soloists of the Bolshoi Ballet will take part in the performances that the Bolshoi Theater will present to the Japanese public. The organizers of the Bolshoi Theater's tour to Japan were the Bolshoi Theater's long-time partner - the Japan Arts company, the Asahi newspaper, with the support of the Russian Embassy in Japan.
A representative of the Japan Arts company said that the current tour will take place in five cities in Japan; a total of 15 performances will be shown, which can be watched by 30 to 35 thousand spectators. She also said that ticket sales have already begun in Tokyo and Hiroshima for the tour, which begins in May.
The ballet of the State Academic Bolshoi Theater of Russia (SABT) opens its tour in Japan today with the legendary “Swan Lake” by Pyotr Tchaikovsky in the choreographic version of the outstanding choreographer, people's artist USSR Yuri Grigorovich. The performance will be shown on stage concert hall Bunka Gakuen in Hiroshima, where the tour of the famous Russian troupe will begin, dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the first Japanese tour Bolshoi Ballet, held in 1957.
Earlier, in a conversation with TASS, he noted the particular importance of the current tour CEO SABT Vladimir Urin. “Exactly 60 years have passed since the first performances of the Bolshoi Theater ballet before the Japanese public. This figure allows us to call the current tour “diamond,” stated Urin.
The 235 participants in the tour, including ballet dancers and orchestra musicians, as well as technical staff of the Bolshoi Theater, are expected to ensure the brilliance of the performances. As for the scenery, it was shipped to Japan in eight giant shipping containers. In addition to “Swan Lake,” so beloved by the Japanese, the Land of the Rising Sun will show the well-known “Giselle,” staged by Yuri Grigorovich, and the completely unknown ballet “Flames of Paris,” staged by Alexei Ratmansky, first brought to Japan.
The tour will last until June 19 and will cover five cities - Hiroshima, Tokyo, Otsu, Sendai and Osaka, for a total of 15 performances. In total, in the 60 years since its first Japanese visit, the Bolshoi Theater has visited the Land of the Rising Sun 17 times. The current tour will be the 19th in a row and essentially an anniversary one.
These figures were presented at a press conference held at the Russian Embassy in Japan on the eve of the opening of the anniversary tour.
“We are celebrating the 60th anniversary of the first tour of the Bolshoi Theater ballet in Japan,” said Dmitry Birichevsky, Minister-Counselor of the Russian Embassy in Japan. “But these same tours are timed to coincide with the opening of a new project between Russia and Japan called “Russian Seasons.” Their program included over 200 events that will take place throughout the year in more than 45 cities and remote prefectures in Japan."
However, as it turned out, many participants in the anniversary tour were in Japan for the first time, and some were on the first tour in their lives. Debutant in in a certain sense Even the head of the Bolshoi Theater ballet, Mahar Vaziev, named himself.
“I first came to Japan as the director of the Bolshoi Theater ballet troupe,” Vaziev told reporters. "Before this I visited ballet many times Mariinsky Theater, where he served for 13 years, then came with the La Scala ballet, where he worked for seven years,” Vaziev listed, emphasizing that his current visit at the head of the Bolshoi Theater ballet troupe is of particular significance for him.
“Today, the Bolshoi Theater ballet is the most dear group to me,” Vaziev admitted. “We came with our main cast, which included such stars as Svetlana Zakharova, Olga Smirnova, Ekaterina Krysanova, Evgenia Obraztsova, Denis Rodkin, Vladislav Lantratov, Semyon Chudin , Artem Ovcharenko, Igor Tsvirko... We also brought some very young, promising ones, it’s simply impossible to list them all.”
“Everything that exists today - both the present and the future, we are all here. I hope that the tour will be successful. Our Russian-Japanese ballet history is already 60 years old, but this is just the beginning,” said the head of the Bolshoi Theater ballet.
The press conference was attended, in particular, by Bolshoi Theater soloist Evgenia Obraztsova, who said that she was very pleased to be in Japan again. “But as part of the Bolshoi Theater troupe, I came to this wonderful country for the first time,” said the artist.
Another participant in the meeting with the press, Alena Kovaleva, who has only been working at the Bolshoi for a year, said that this was the very first tour in her artistic life. “We have seen so many stars and professionals in Japan, I want not to let you down, I want to live up to the level of the Bolshoi and not disappoint the Japanese public,” shared the young ballerina.
Bolshoi Theater premier Artem Ovcharenko will also perform in Japan for the first time. He had the honor of dancing Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake, which will open the Bolshoi tour today. “I have been performing this role for several years now,” Ovcharenko told TASS. "I will try to imagine Prince Siegfried in at its best in front of the discerning and ballet-loving Japanese public,” the artist promised.
The next performance on the Bolshoi Ballet's tour bill is "Giselle". Adan's masterpiece directed by Grigorovich will be shown on June 4 in Tokyo at the famous Bunkan Kaikan hall, where the opening of the "Russian Seasons" in Japan will take place. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Olga Golodets are expected to take part in the ceremony.
The Russian Seasons festival will be the prologue to the cross year of Russia and Japan, which Vladimir Putin and Shinzo Abe announced for 2018. The project program includes over 200 events that will take place throughout the year in more than 45 cities in Japan. It is expected that more than 3 million people will watch the events taking place as part of the Russian Seasons.
"Russian Seasons" will present in Japan more than 20 famous Russian cultural institutions, including the Bolshoi Theater, Mariinsky, Hermitage, Maly Theatre of Drama, Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre, Symphony Orchestra of the Moscow Philharmonic, Moscow Nikulin Circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard, Drama Theater named after A. S. Pushkin, Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet, Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra named after P. I. Tchaikovsky, Symphony Chapel of Russia, All-Russian State Institute of Cinematography named after S. A. Gerasimov (VGIK), All-Russian Museum Association musical culture named after M.I. Glinka, State Cossack Song and Dance Ensemble "Stavropol".
As Russian Minister of Culture Vladimir Medinsky previously announced, “Russian Seasons” will become an annual project. Next year they will be held in Italy, in 2019 - in the USA, and in 2020 residents of Germany will get acquainted with them.
The Bolshoi Theater ballet troupe is on tour in Japan. Almost 250 artists will stay in the Land of the Rising Sun for about three weeks. During this time Russian artists There are seven cities to visit. However, eager to see my favorite performers, Japanese fans ballet dancers also make considerable trips across half the country.
The Japanese have very little life situations, when giving vent to feelings and even more so screaming is not considered shameful. But this is already a tradition at performances of the Bolshoi Theater ballet troupe. Especially when there are idols on stage. Bolshoi, “Swan”, Zakharova - the Japanese don’t need to explain anything else: tickets will be sold out long before the start of the tour.
Svetlana Zakharova, prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Theater, People's Artist of Russia: “For us, for artists, this is the most important thing when the audience accepts you warmly, accepts you with enthusiasm. That’s why we come here, to please the audience, to please the Japanese, who they are waiting for us, they want to see the Bolshoi Ballet."
“I always look forward to the arrival of the Bolshoi Theater,” says one of the spectators. “But today is a special joy because Mrs. Zakharova has finally arrived. She is, of course, the best Odette I have ever seen. She has a unique gift: she makes any orthodox classic look incredibly modern."
In addition to “The Swan,” the Bolshoi brought “La Bayadère” and “Don Quixote” to Japan. The good old repertoire in a young performance. Denis Rodkin in the role of Siegfried is a real discovery of this tour. In Japan, he dances the part of the prince for the first time, confirming along with the rest high class Bolshoi Ballet and adding to the army of fans.
“This is my first time at the Bolshoi Ballet. All the dancers are so slender, it’s even impossible to imagine that people can be so beautiful,” one of the ballet spectators shares his impressions.
Vladimir Urin, General Director of the Bolshoi Theater: “The Japanese public is a special public in relation to Russian ballet. This public is incredibly attentive, incredibly friendly, but at the same time incredibly demanding. And as soon as a brilliant performance takes place, the hall instantly explodes with applause and we We understand that this is wonderful. As soon as we do something wrong, there is polite applause.”
The ovation that blew up the hall in Tokyo after the end of the fourth act needs no explanation.
“Bolshoy”, or as they say here “Borisei”, is one of the few Russian words that has firmly entered into Japanese. It means only one thing - the Bolshoi Theater, which is perceived here primarily as the standard of ballet art. Each visit of the troupe only strengthens the Japanese in this opinion. This time they will make sure of this before December 7th.
HIROSHIMA, June 2. /Specialist. corr. TASS Olga Svistunova/. The ballet of the State Academic Bolshoi Theater of Russia (SABT) opens its tour in Japan on Friday with the legendary "Swan Lake" by Pyotr Tchaikovsky in the choreographic version of the outstanding choreographer, People's Artist of the USSR Yuri Grigorovich. The performance will be shown on the stage of the Bunka Gakuen Concert Hall in Hiroshima, where the Russian troupe's tour will begin, dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the Bolshoi Ballet's first Japanese tour, which took place in 1957.
The special significance of the current tour was previously noted by the General Director of the Bolshoi Theater, Vladimir Urin, in a conversation with TASS. “Exactly 60 years have passed since the first performances of the Bolshoi Theater ballet before the Japanese public. This figure allows us to call the current tour “diamond,” stated Urin. The current tour will be the 19th for the Bolshoi Theater ballet troupe and, in fact, an anniversary one.
"Diamond Tour"
In addition to Swan Lake, beloved by the Japanese, the Bolshoi Theater troupe will present Giselle, staged by Yuri Grigorovich, and the completely unknown ballet Flames of Paris, first brought to Japan, staged by Alexei Ratmansky.
The tour will last until June 19 and will cover five cities - Hiroshima, Tokyo, Otsu, Sendai and Osaka, for a total of 15 performances.
These figures were presented at a press conference held at the Russian Embassy in Japan on the eve of the opening of the anniversary tour.
“We are celebrating the 60th anniversary of the first tour of the Bolshoi Theater ballet in Japan,” said Dmitry Birichevsky, Minister-Counselor of the Russian Embassy in Japan. “But these same tours are timed to coincide with the opening of a new project between Russia and Japan called “Russian Seasons.” Their program included over 200 events that will take place throughout the year in more than 45 cities and remote prefectures in Japan."
However, as it turned out, many participants in the anniversary tour were in Japan for the first time, and some were on the first tour in their lives. Even the head of the Bolshoi Theater ballet, Makhar Vaziev, called himself a debutant in a certain sense.
Vaziev and other debutants
“I first came to Japan as the director of the Bolshoi Theater ballet troupe,” Vaziev told reporters. “Before this, I visited the Mariinsky Theater ballet many times, where I served for 13 years, then I came with the La Scala ballet, where I worked for seven years,” Vaziev listed, emphasizing that his current visit at the head of the Bolshoi Theater ballet troupe has a special meaning for him. special meaning.
“Today, the Bolshoi Theater ballet is the most dear group to me,” Vaziev admitted. “We came with our main cast, which included such stars as Svetlana Zakharova, Olga Smirnova, Ekaterina Krysanova, Evgenia Obraztsova, Denis Rodkin, Vladislav Lantratov, Semyon Chudin , Artem Ovcharenko, Igor Tsvirko... We also brought some very young, promising ones, it’s simply impossible to list them all.”
“Everything that exists today - both the present and the future, we are all here. I hope that the tour will be successful. Our Russian-Japanese ballet history is already 60 years old, but this is just the beginning,” said the head of the Bolshoi Theater ballet.
The press conference was attended, in particular, by Bolshoi Theater soloist Evgenia Obraztsova, who said that she was very pleased to be in Japan again. “But as part of the Bolshoi Theater troupe, I came to this wonderful country for the first time,” said the artist.
Another participant in the press conference, Alena Kovaleva, who has only been working at the Bolshoi for a year, said that this was the very first tour in her artistic life. “We have seen so many stars and professionals in Japan, I want not to let you down, I want to live up to the level of the Bolshoi and not disappoint the Japanese public,” shared the young ballerina.
Bolshoi Theater premier Artem Ovcharenko will also perform in Japan for the first time. He had the honor of dancing Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake, which will open the Bolshoi tour on Friday. “I have been performing this role for several years now,” Ovcharenko told TASS. “I will try to present Prince Siegfried in the best possible way to the discerning and ballet-loving Japanese public,” the artist promised.
The Bolshoi Ballet will open "Russian Seasons"
The next performance on the Bolshoi Ballet's tour bill is "Giselle". Adan's masterpiece directed by Grigorovich will be shown on June 4 in Tokyo at the famous Bunkan Kaikan hall, where the opening of the "Russian Seasons" in Japan will take place. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Olga Golodets are expected to take part in the ceremony.
The Russian Seasons festival will be the prologue to the cross year of Russia and Japan, which Vladimir Putin and Shinzo Abe announced for 2018.
The project program includes over 200 events that will take place throughout the year in more than 45 cities in Japan. It is expected that more than 3 million people will watch the events taking place as part of the Russian Seasons.
"Russian Seasons" will present in Japan more than 20 famous Russian cultural institutions, including the Bolshoi Theater, Mariinsky, Hermitage, Maly Drama Theater, Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theater, Moscow Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, Moscow Nikulin Circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard, Drama Theater named after A. S. Pushkin, Academy of Russian Ballet named after A. Ya. Vaganova, Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra named after P. I. Tchaikovsky, Symphony Chapel of Russia, All-Russian State Institute of Cinematography named after S. A. Gerasimov (VGIK), All-Russian Museum Association of Musical Culture named after M. I. Glinka, State Cossack Song and Dance Ensemble "Stavropol".
As Russian Minister of Culture Vladimir Medinsky previously announced, “Russian Seasons” will become an annual project. Next year they will be held in Italy, in 2019 - in the USA, and in 2020 residents of Germany will get acquainted with them.
The ballet of the State Academic Bolshoi Theater of Russia (SABT) went on tour to Japan. The troupe was given the honor of opening the festival Russian culture"Russian Seasons".
The current tour is timed to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the first Japanese tour of the Bolshoi Theater Ballet.
“It is an honor for the Bolshoi Theater to open the Russian Seasons in Japan,” General Director of the Bolshoi Theater Vladimir Urin told TASS. At the same time, he emphasized that “there are few such groups that have the right to open such a prestigious festival.” “And the Bolshoi Theater ballet is undoubtedly among them,” says Urin. He recalled that the Bolshoi Theater ballet troupe first performed in Japan in 1957 - exactly 60 years ago.
In 1956 Soviet Union and Japan signed a declaration of peaceful cooperation. A year later, the Bolshoi Theater ballet troupe was sent to Japan on a friendly visit. The tour was a huge success, and since then the Bolshoi Ballet has become a welcome guest in this country.
“According to our calculations, the Bolshoi Theater ballet troupe went on major tours to Japan 17 times, not counting the very first visit, which took place 60 years ago. This figure allows us to call the current tour “diamond,” Urin said. According to him, the tour will take place from June 1 to 19 and will cover five cities - Hiroshima, Tokyo, Otsu, Sendai and Osaka. As for the repertoire, according to the General Director of the Bolshoi Theater, it is formed in agreement with the host party, which is the Japan Arts company.
“Historically, not a single tour of ours to Japan is complete without Swan Lake. This is the one " business card“Russian ballet, which every Japanese citizen should see, is considered in the Land of the Rising Sun,” noted the head of the Bolshoi Theater. - So “Swan Lake” will definitely be there. Two more of our wonderful ballets will be added to it - “Giselle” and “Flames of Paris”.
The main roles in the performances will be performed by theater stars, in particular, Svetlana Zakharova, Olga Smirnova, Ekaterina Krysanova, Yulia Stepanova, Denis Rodkin, Vladislav Lantratov, Semyon Chudin, Artem Ovcharenko, Igor Tsvirko, as well as guest premier Ivan Vasiliev. The Bolshoi Theater Orchestra will take part in the tour, conducted by Pavel Sorokin.
“In Japan they love the Bolshoi Theater. There is a completely unique audience there, which receives our performances with special warmth, so performing in front of such spectators is the greatest pleasure,” admitted the head of the Bolshoi Theater.
“Russian Seasons” starts in Tokyo
The main event of the tour will be the opening of the Russian Seasons festival, which will take place on June 4 in Tokyo at the famous Bunkan Kaikan Hall, where the ballet Giselle will be presented. The opening ceremony will be attended by Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe and Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Olga Golodets, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan Hirokazu Matsuno and Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation Vladimir Medinsky, Ambassador of Russia to Japan Evgeny Afanasyev, as well as famous figures art.
On this day, a photo exhibition dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the first tour will be shown.
The Russian Seasons festival will be the prologue to the “cross” year of Russia and Japan, which Vladimir Putin and Shinzo Abe announced for 2018. The project program includes over 200 events that will take place throughout the year in more than 45 cities in Japan. It is expected that more than 3 million people will watch the events taking place as part of the Russian Seasons.
“Russian Seasons” will present in Japan more than 20 famous Russian cultural institutions, including the Bolshoi Theater, Mariinsky, Hermitage, Maly Drama Theater, Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theater, Moscow Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, Moscow Nikulin Circus, Pushkin Drama Theater, Academy of Russian Ballet named after Vaganova, the Tchaikovsky Grand Symphony Orchestra, the Symphonic Chapel of Russia, the All-Russian State Institute of Cinematography named after Gerasimov, the Glinka All-Russian Academy of Cinematography, the State Cossack Song and Dance Ensemble "Stavropol".
As Medinsky previously reported, “Russian Seasons” will become an annual project. Next year they will be held in Italy, in 2019 - in the USA, and in 2020 residents of Germany will get acquainted with them.