XXVI International Ballet Festival “Ballet Stars in Jūrmala” to Gather World-Class Dancers

Ballet enthusiasts are invited to enjoy the XXVI International Ballet Festival “Ballet Stars in Jūrmala” on August 2 at the Dzintari Concert Hall. The festival will present high-caliber performers from Europe’s top ballet companies, guests from the USA and Israel, as well as a selection of Latvia’s finest dancers.

Program and Artists

Artistic director Aivars Leimanis has curated a program blending classical and contemporary ballet. The repertoire includes excerpts from “Esmeralda” (Diana and Acteon pas de deux), “Le Corsaire,” “Giselle,” and the Ukrainian classical ballet “The Forest Song.” Contemporary works feature choreographies by John Cranko (“Romeo and Juliet”), John Neumeier (“The Lady of the Camellias”), Andonis Foniadakis, Marco Goecke, Edvin Revazov, Joseph Kudra and Ora Sadi, Elza Leimane, and Milana Komarova.

Stuttgart Ballet Stars

This year, the festival is proud to present Stuttgart Ballet principal dancer Elisa Badenes, named Dance Europe’s Dancer of the Year in 2023. Born in Spain, she has been with Stuttgart Ballet since 2009, performing lead roles in classical works and pieces by choreographers such as Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Wayne McGregor, and Marco Goecke. She is a laureate of several international competitions. In Jūrmala, her partner will be Stuttgart Ballet principal dancer Henrik Erikson, who joined the company in 2019 after graduating from the John Cranko School. They will perform an excerpt from Cranko’s “Romeo and Juliet” and a choreography by Marco Goecke created especially for Badenes.