Photo album – fifteen evenings of La Scala Ballet in China
La Scala‘s Ballet Company have been touring China for almost a month, taking in four cities and dancing 15 performances of Don Quixote and Giselle. Last night’s performance of Giselle in the Grand Theatre in Tianjin marked the last performance and today the company heads home.
The Milanese company didn’t take guests — not even its resident Étoiles Svetlana Zakharova and Roberto Bolle — but scored success at each performance with its resident stars: Nicoletta Manni, Virna Toppi and Martina Arduino as Kitri alongside Timofej Andrijashenko, Claudio Coviello and Marco Agostino as Basilio; and Manni and Vittoria Valerio in the role of Giselle with Andrijashenko and Coviello as Albrecht.
International ballet critic, Kevin Ng, wrote:
Manni was superb in the title role. In Act 1, she was convincing as the innocent peasant girl, and her mad scene at the end of the act was captivatingly dramatic. In Act 2, Manni was ethereal as a mystical Wili and was most touching in the duet, partnered by Andrijashenko.
The blond Andrijashenko is a handsome and elegant dancer. His acting was heartfelt, and his portrayal of remorse at the end of Act 1 was moving. In Act 2, he displayed his remarkable technical virtuosity. The lofty cabrioles in his solo were breathtaking, as were his entrechats in the coda. The ending when he slowly advanced to the front of the stage after Giselle’s disappearance was very moving. It was certainly an exciting partnership. No wonder they won prolonged curtain calls from the audience at the end.
The 120-strong team visited Shanghai and Tianjin, both cities that know the company, as well as Xi’an and Macao for the first time. This was the company’s fourth tour in China in a collaboration beginning in 2006.
This trip marked the 155th foreign tour by La Scala since 1878 when it visited Paris to celebrate its 100th anniversary. In those tours there have been 859 events with 329 operas, 344 ballets and 186 concerts.
The 39 nations visited so far will rise to 40 in November with its first tour to Australia. Again Don Quixote and Giselle will be on the bill, and the productions are now being shipped down from China ready for the company’s arrival at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre in Brisbane for 13 performances.
In July 2019 La Scala will visit Finland for the first time with a with a new production of Verdi’s I Masnadieri by David MacVicar.
