The St Petersburg Theatre Russian Ballet's The Sleeping Beauty To Make Its Asian Premiere In KL

How The Dance Company manages to secure St Petersburg Theatre Russian Ballet's The Sleeping Beauty for its Asian debut

The Dance Company was established in 2017 with the goal of bringing world class dance performances to Malaysia. After the success of Swan Lake with Ballet West last year, the company is keeping the momentum going with St Petersburg Theatre Russian Ballet's The Sleeping Beauty happening in Oct 11 and 12, 2019 at the Plenary Hall, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

We spoke to Audrey Kwan, one of the founders of The Dance Company, about the challenges of bringing the acclaimed international production to Kuala Lumpur.

The ballet, Swan Lake by Ballet West which was featured in Genting last year. (Photo courtesy of Ballet West)

Above Swan Lake by Ballet West performed at Genting last year. (Photo courtesy of Ballet West)

1. What is The Dance Company?

"We're a combination of people with diverse backgrounds. Shannon Lee, our managing director, was encouraged to venture out of the hospitality field into the performing arts after working alongside people like producer Simon Cowell and singer Jessie J in the UK.

I'm the artistic director who is also an engineer and a professional dancer. My vision is to merge both the arts and science in my performances. I had done that with my own choreography, Dancing Architecture, back in 2013, a performance that incorporates elements of physics in dance.”

2. How did the partnership with St Petersburg Theatre Russian Ballet come about?

“It was not an easy journey. St Petersburg Theatre Russian Ballet, created by the principals of The Mariinsky Theatre, is the pride of Russia. After countless phone meetings with our Russian partner, we had one final meeting in China.

We had to learn fast about the challenges of putting on the performance in Malaysia like getting the funding to bring in such a high-profile company. The Sleeping Beauty is one of the most technically challenging classical dance choreographed by Marius Petipa with music by Peter Tchaikovsky. In its first ever performance in Asia, the world-renowned ballet troupe will be bringing a full team of 33 Russian ballet dancers.

We believe that in order to cultivate an appreciation for the arts in Malaysia, we should be showcasing the best, like a ballet performance straight from St Petersburg.”

Above Anna Voitina and Aleksandr Voitin are the featured principal dancers in The Sleeping Beauty (Photo courtesy of The Dance Company)

3. Tell us more about the preparation.

"The dancers have started rehearsals in Russia much earlier. The stage would have to be set up within the week they are performing in KL. Since the company does about 250 shows a year, it's normal to set up just days before a performance.

I can't divulge further because there are some trade secrets in producing such shows in a limited time but I can tell you this – Harlequin floors are the best to ensure dancers are able to perform effortlessly, and these floors need to be imported from places like the UK."

4. What are some of the highlights of The Sleeping Beauty?

"It's a century-old dance performance that first premiered in St Petersburg in 1890 with a prologue, two acts and an epilogue. Not only is the choreography so complex, the performers also have to embody well-known characters to present a rather dark fairytale that is the Brother's Grimm version of Charles Perrault's La Belle au bois dormant. Look out for characters from Perrault's other folktales like Little Red Riding Hood to also make an appearance!"

Above A scene from The Sleeping Beauty (Photo courtesy of The Dance Company)

5. Why do you think we should have more ballet performance of this scale in Malaysia?

"Ballet, like all other art forms, should be viewed as a functional and integral part of daily lives. Ballet builds the foundation for all other dance genres, from posture to the correct use of muscles.

Ballet may be niche, but it's very popular in Malaysia in the education field since there are many dance schools that offer ballet lessons. There are many aspiring young talents here who may wonder about their career options. We're only inspiring them to pursue their dreams."

For ticketing details, visit ticketcharge.com.my

Topics

The Dance Company St Petersburg Theatre Russian Ballet Ballet Performing Arts Theatre