26th International Ballet Festival “Ballet Stars in Jūrmala” to Gather World-Class Dancers
On August 2, the Dzintari Concert Hall will host the 26th International Ballet Festival “Ballet Stars in Jūrmala”, featuring renowned artists from Europe, the USA, and Israel, alongside leading Latvian ballet dancers.
Festival Program and Guests
A major cultural event is coming to Jūrmala: on August 2, the Dzintari Concert Hall will present the 26th International Ballet Festival “Ballet Stars in Jūrmala”. Artistic director Aivars Leimanis has curated a program blending classical and contemporary ballet.
The stage will welcome artists from leading European ballet companies, as well as guests from the USA and Israel. Among the highlights is Elisa Badenes, principal soloist of the Stuttgart Ballet, named Dancer of the Year by Dance Europe magazine in 2023. She will perform with Henrik Erikson, also a principal soloist of Stuttgart Ballet. Together they will present a fragment from John Cranko’s “Romeo and Juliet” and a choreography by Marco Goecke.
Classical and Contemporary Works
The classical repertoire includes fragments from “Esmeralda”, “Le Corsaire”, “Giselle”, and the Ukrainian classical ballet “Forest Song”. Contemporary choreographies feature works from John Cranko’s “Romeo and Juliet”, John Neumeier’s “Lady of the Camellias”, choreography by Antonis Foniadakis and Marco Goecke, Eduard Revazov’s pas de deux “Spring”, a collaboration by Joseph Kudra and Or Saadi, a fragment from Elza Leimane’s ballet “Crow”, and Milana Komarova’s duet “Venom”.
Latvian and International Stars
Anna Laudere, principal soloist of the Hamburg State Ballet, will perform with Alessandro Frola, principal soloist of the Vienna State Ballet. From Israel and the USA, a dance duo Or Saadi and Joseph Kudra will present contemporary work, while classical ballet traditions will be upheld by Daria Manoilo and Maksim Bilokrinickij, soloists of the Croatian National Ballet.
From the Latvian National Ballet, leading soloists Elza Leimane, Jolanta Lubēja, and Amir Dodarkhojayev will take the stage, along with soloists Emma Lagūna, Germans Ševčenko, Darius Florian Catana, Kristaps Jaunžeikars, Robert Nae, and Alexej Filo. The festival traditionally provides a platform for young talent – this year, Billie Annija Andersone, a student of the Riga Ballet School, will perform a variation from Marius Petipa’s “Talisman”.
The concert will take place on August 2 at 7:00 PM in the Great Hall of the Dzintari Concert Hall. Tickets are available at “Biļešu paradīze” box offices and online.
