FESTIVAL FINALE Asian Premiere “The Bolshoi Ballet are on sparkling form in George Balanchine’s Jewels.” Daily Telegraph​ Multi carat perfection Dance | Russia Like his frequent collaborator, Igor Stravinsky, Balanchine was a Russian emigré who settled in New York. Both were defining forces in 20th century culture. In merging traditional Russian technique with new world dynamism, Balanchine created a new style of “American” ballet. He changed the way we look at dance. For years the exclusive property of New York City Ballet which commissioned it in 1967, Balanchine’s masterpiece was the first full-length abstract ballet, a jewel-themed triptych, inspired by the beauty of precious stones. Each of its three acts focuses on one dazzling gem, each also evoking a different city: Paris in Fauré’s dreamy French romantic music for Emeralds; New York, with Stravinsky’s score evoking jazz-age Broadway, in Rubies; the classical grandeur of Balanchine’s home town, Imperial St Petersburg, in Diamonds. A jewel in the repertoire of many of the world’s great ballet companies, no other production compares to the Bolshoi’s, premiered in 2012. Performed by star soloists and its famous corps de ballet, it is simply breathtaking. CAST & PRODUCTION Choreography: George Balanchine Music: Gabriel Fauré (Emeralds) Igor Stravinsky (Rubies) Pyotr Tchaikovsky (Diamonds) With The Bolshoi Orchestra FESTIVAL PLUS Bolshoi Ballet in Cinema Nov 2014 - June 2015