Staatsballett Berlin La Péri

Venue: National Centre for the Performing Arts - Opera House

Dates: Jun. 08, 2013-Jun. 09, 2013

Price: VIP/800/700/600/500/300/240/180 RMB

About

Music by Friedrich Burgmüller

Choreography and Production: Vladimir Malakhov

Stage Design and costumes: Jordi Roig

Artist

Dancers

Jun 08

Shoko Nakamura

Michail Kaniskin

Jun 09

Iana Salenko

Marian Walter

Vladimir Malakhov Artistic Director

Vladimir Malakhov is one of the most famous and renowned artistic personalities in the world of ballets. In 2004, he became the artistic director and first soloist of the Staatsballett Berlin. Vladimir Malakhov is born in 1968 in Ukraine. He began his dance training at the age of four. Starting from the age of ten, he was under the tutelage of Peter Pestov. Upon graduation in 1986, he joined the Moscow Classical Ballet as the company's youngest principal dancer. In 1992, Malakhov joined the Vienna State Opera Ballet as a principal artist and the National Ballet of Canada in 1994. In the spring of 1995, he had his debut with the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. Since that time, he has remained a principal dancer with ABT and continued to dance principal roles in Vienna and with the renowned Stuttgart Ballet.

Presenter

Staatsballett Berlin

Since January 1st, 2004 Berlin has once again witnessed the founding of one big independent ballet institution: The Staatsballett Berlin. With 88 dancers and 2 apprentices from 25 nations, the Staatsballett Berlin is currently Germany's biggest ballet company. Appointed as the artistic director from 2004, Vladimir Malakhov is entrusted with a heritage – one of the most famous and renowned artistic personalities in the world of ballet.

The Staatsballett Berlin aims to not only make Berlin, its resident city, the capital of dance, but also radiate into the international world of dance. For the first time in 2006, the Staatsballett Berlin presented the International Dance Summit Berlin with the goal to gather the performances of the Staatsballett Berlin with those of guest companies, to discover similarities and open up possibilities. The International Dance Summit Berlin has now become an important annual international dance event.

Synopsis

Prologue: In Jail

Prince Achmed is in jail on his death sentence. He remembers the events of the last days. It's like - invisible to Achmed - La Peri watches protectively over him. Péris are intangible, angelic beings of the Oriental paradise.

ACT I. Magnificent Harem in the Palace of Prince Achmed

Prince Achmed is tired of the pleasures at harem. His confidant Roucem tries to cheer him up and orders the Odalisques for a pleasurable dance. Nourmahal, Achmed's favorite odalisque, is among them. But Ahmed does not enjoy the sensual beauty of them. He desires pure love that satisfies all. In his imagination, La Péri takes the form of Nourmahal.

Roucem orders the slavers to select four princesses from Scotland, Spain, France and Germany for Ahmed's harem. They dance with Roucem and present themselves at their best, but they fail to attract Ahmed's attention. He is overwhelmed by the longing for another extraordinary beauty.

Ahmed leaves his melancholy thoughts run free, and then he sees La Péri in his vision. He is surprised by Nourmahal that imposes herself between him and his dream. Both figures and their respective aura aware of the earthly and the sublime, then he arrives to the knowledge of his new world view.

Roucem returns with the slaver. Achmed orders Roucem to send away Nourmahal and smokes his opium pipe.

Ahmed soon finds himself in a paradisiacal garden again, where he discovered more Péris. La Péri also appears to him again. She gives him a star of her glory, a talisman by which she may be called to him, whenever he has sincere wishes.

Act II. In the Garden of Paradise

Completely immersed in his fantasy, Ahmed sees himself surrounded by numerous Péris. La Péri falls into his arms and dances with him merrily. Finally, more and more Péris join the scene and present themselves in their uniqueness.

Act III. In the Harem

Roucem wakes Ahmed from his opium dreams. He is surprised to discover that he actually holds in his hands the talisman La Péri has given him. He immediately summons her to come to him.

There was sudden uproar on the Palace Terrace. Leila, the favorite slave of the Pasha, has fled and is killed by the soldiers. La Peri appears and slips immediately into Leila's body, so that she can approach Achmed in a human form. In order to hide from the pursuers, Roucem brings the beautiful slave to Achmed's chambers. Under many excuses, Pasha is rejected from searching. Abmed dances with Leila. He is fascinated by this magical and mysterious creature that reminds him of the Peri. They enjoy an intimate pas de deux.

The jealous Nourmahal observes this and tells Leila's hideout to the Pasha. When Pasha comes back, the two are surprised. He orders to bring Leila away and throw Ahmed into prison. Ahmed is sentenced death penalty, because he has deceived the mighty ruler.

Epilogue. In Jail

Ahmed is lost in the thought of these experiences. He rejects the last opportunity to admit his guilt, that he had deceived the Pasha. He chooses death. He feels that the Péri has been waiting for him.