“For this year’s festival, we chose and invited dance companies capable of „shaking up” the spectators emotionally, encouraging and inspiring everyone to believe in themselves while [coping] with their everyday [problems]. The Georges Momboye Dance Company from France and Rasta Thomas’ dance group (USA) have performed on countless stages worldwide. Performances of both dance ensembles are going to become a revelation for the Latvian audiences: choreography as dynamic and energetically charged as theirs has never been seen in this country,” says Festival Director Lita Beiris.

Riga is recognized in Europe as a city rich in ballet traditions, having produced such famous dancers as Maris Liepa, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Aleksander Godunov, Vladimir Gelvan and others. In keeping with these traditions the International Baltic Ballet Festival in Riga each year brings together ballet stars from Baltic Sea states and all countries all around the world. The initiator and artistic director of the Festival is the president of the Latvian Professional Ballet Association, Latvian prima ballerina and choreographer Lita Beiris.

The program of the festival:

• On 16 April, the Festival Opening Concert is taking place at the Riga Central Railway Station;
• On 19 April (at the Latvian National Opera) and 21 April (at the Jūras Vārti theatre hall in Ventspils), the Georges Momboye Dance Company (France) are appearing with their BOYAKODAH performance. Founded in 1992 by the Côte d'Ivoire-born choreographer Georges Momboye, the Georges Momboye Company comprises some 50 dancers;
• On 23 April, an event hitherto unprecedented on the Latvian dance scene is making its debut at Riga Art Space as part of the International Baltic Ballet Festival: a dance marathon featuring dance groups from Riga;
• On 27 April, classical and contemporary dance routines will be performed by ballet stars from America, Russia, Latvia, Estonia, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Sweden and Belorussia;
• 28 April and 29 April will see Rasta Thomas’ Bad Boys of Dance perform at Riga Congress Centre and Cultural Centre of the Preiļi District respectively. The dance company founded by the dancer Rasta Thomas brings together some of the world’s most talented and diverse dancers who, thanks to their ability to „do anything” in their dance, are often referred to as „dancers of tomorrow” or „hybrid dancers”;
• On 21 April, a photography exhibition entitled Art of Dance in the Stage Space opens at the Menzendorff House; the show open through 10 May features works by Latvian and Russian photographers;
• On 1 April, In Memoriam Pina Bausch, an exhibition of photography dedicated to the legendary choreographer opens at the Goethe-Intitut Riga;
• Between 23 and 28 April, some of the Latvian cities will be toured by the Kannon Dance Center dance company from Saint Petersburg. The ensemble, founded in 1999 by Natalya Kasparova, comprises a group of brilliantly skilled dancers, equally well versed in jazz and contemporary choreography.

More information:

http://www.ballet-festival.lv/

lita.beiris@apollo.lv