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Ballet
Events in Hong Kong, Hong Kong Cultural Centre - Grand Theatre
15 Dec 2024, Sun
•
3 PM, 8 PM
(2 events)
With Live Accompaniment
Cast:
Hong Kong Ballet, Hong Kong Sinfonietta
The Nutcracker
Premiere of this production:
06 December 1892,
Imperial Mariinsky Theatre, Saint Petersburg
Plot
Below is a synopsis based on the original 1892 libretto by Marius Petipa. The story varies from production to production, though most follow the basic outline. The names of the characters also vary. In the original E. T. A. Hoffmann story, the young heroine is called Marie Stahlbaum and Clara (Klärchen) is her doll's name. In the adaptation by Dumas on which Petipa based his l ... Read More
Ballet
Royal Danish Theatre, The Old Stage
15 Dec 2024, Sun
•
5 PM
Christmas would not be Christmas without George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker – a ballet that has appealed to all Christmas-lovers across generations.
Cast:
Sebastian Almanzar,
The Royal Danish Ballet,
.... + 1
George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker
Premiere of this production:
06 December 1892,
Imperial Mariinsky Theatre, Saint Petersburg
Plot
Below is a synopsis based on the original 1892 libretto by Marius Petipa. The story varies from production to production, though most follow the basic outline. The names of the characters also vary. In the original E. T. A. Hoffmann story, the young heroine is called Marie Stahlbaum and Clara (Klärchen) is her doll's name. In the adaptation by Dumas on which Petipa based his l ... Read More
Ballet
Hungarian State Opera House, Opera House
15 Dec 2024, Sun
•
6 PM
Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker has for decades been an essential part of the Opera's run-up to Christmas.
Composer:
Pyotr Tchaikovsky
Cast:
Hungarian National Ballet, Hungarian State Opera Orchestra
The Nutcracker
Premiere of this production:
06 December 1892,
Imperial Mariinsky Theatre, Saint Petersburg
Plot
Below is a synopsis based on the original 1892 libretto by Marius Petipa. The story varies from production to production, though most follow the basic outline. The names of the characters also vary. In the original E. T. A. Hoffmann story, the young heroine is called Marie Stahlbaum and Clara (Klärchen) is her doll's name. In the adaptation by Dumas on which Petipa based his l ... Read More
Ballet
15 Dec 2024, Sun
•
8:30 PM
Even after 175 years, Giselle has lost none of its mystique – not least thanks to Adolphe Adam’s imaginative and catchy music. Patrice Bart staged the ghostly fairy tale in ...
Composer:
Adolphe Adam
Cast:
Ballett Zürich,
Junior Ballett Zurich,
.... + 1
Giselle
Premiere of this production:
28 June 1841,
Salle Le Peletier, Paris, France
Act I
The ballet opens on a sunny autumnal morning in the Rhineland during the Middle Ages. The grape harvest is in progress. Duke Albrecht of Silesia, a young nobleman, has fallen in love with a shy, beautiful peasant girl, Giselle, despite being betrothed to Bathilde, the daughter of the Duke of Courland. Albrecht disguises himself as a humble villager called "Loys" in order to court ... Read More
Ballet
Oslo Opera House, Main Stage
16 Dec 2024, Mon
•
6 PM
Norwegian National Ballet’s Christmas fairytale. Christmas is not the same without it: The Nutcracker is back on the Main Stage, ready to make the advent season magical for young and old alike!
Cast:
Norwegian National Ballet, Norwegian National Opera Orchestra
The Nutcracker
Premiere of this production:
06 December 1892,
Imperial Mariinsky Theatre, Saint Petersburg
Plot
Below is a synopsis based on the original 1892 libretto by Marius Petipa. The story varies from production to production, though most follow the basic outline. The names of the characters also vary. In the original E. T. A. Hoffmann story, the young heroine is called Marie Stahlbaum and Clara (Klärchen) is her doll's name. In the adaptation by Dumas on which Petipa based his l ... Read More
Ballet
17 Dec 2024, Tue
•
7 PM
Classic family ballet goes contemporary in Cinderella.
Composer:
Sergei Prokofiev
Cast:
Ewa Strusinska,
Royal Swedish Ballet,
.... + 1
Cinderella
Premiere of this production:
21 November 1945,
Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow
Act I
Cinderella, a young woman whose domineering step-mother forces her to act as a servant in her own home, helps her step-mother and two step-sisters to prepare for the Spring Ball, at which it is rumoured that the Prince will choose his bride-to-be. As the two step-sisters work together to produce a new shawl, they get into an argument over who will wear it, and end up tearing it in two throu ... Read More
Ballet
Royal Opera House (Covent Garden), Main Stage
17 Dec 2024, Tue
•
7:30 PM
This Christmas, be transported into an ethereal world where a sprinkling of fairy dust makes dreams come true.This Christmas, be transported into an ethereal world where a sprinkling of fairy dust mak...
Cast:
The Royal Ballet,
Jonathan Lo,
.... + 1
Cinderella
Premiere of this production:
21 November 1945,
Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow
Act I
Cinderella, a young woman whose domineering step-mother forces her to act as a servant in her own home, helps her step-mother and two step-sisters to prepare for the Spring Ball, at which it is rumoured that the Prince will choose his bride-to-be. As the two step-sisters work together to produce a new shawl, they get into an argument over who will wear it, and end up tearing it in two throu ... Read More
Ballet
Events in Hong Kong, Hong Kong Cultural Centre - Grand Theatre
17 Dec 2024, Tue
•
7:30 PM
With Live Accompaniment
Cast:
Hong Kong Ballet, Hong Kong Sinfonietta
The Nutcracker
Premiere of this production:
06 December 1892,
Imperial Mariinsky Theatre, Saint Petersburg
Plot
Below is a synopsis based on the original 1892 libretto by Marius Petipa. The story varies from production to production, though most follow the basic outline. The names of the characters also vary. In the original E. T. A. Hoffmann story, the young heroine is called Marie Stahlbaum and Clara (Klärchen) is her doll's name. In the adaptation by Dumas on which Petipa based his l ... Read More
Ballet
17 Dec 2024, Tue
•
8 PM
In this ballet inspired by an idealized East, Petipa combined the classic pas de deux with Hindu exoticism and his dancers dedicated to religion: the bayaderas. The story of an impossible love that tr...
Composer:
Ludwig Minkus
Cast:
Buenos Aires Philharmonic Orchestra,
Ballet Estable del Teatro Colón,
.... + 2
Ballet
Dutch National Opera, Main Stage
17 Dec 2024, Tue
•
8:15 PM
According to German folk legend, nutcrackers bring good luck. And that’s certainly proven true for the international ballet world. Since the premiere of the original version in 1892, The Nu...
Cast:
Dutch Ballet Orchestra,
Dutch National Ballet,
.... + 2
The Nutcracker and the Mouse King
Premiere of this production:
06 December 1892,
Imperial Mariinsky Theatre, Saint Petersburg
Plot
Below is a synopsis based on the original 1892 libretto by Marius Petipa. The story varies from production to production, though most follow the basic outline. The names of the characters also vary. In the original E. T. A. Hoffmann story, the young heroine is called Marie Stahlbaum and Clara (Klärchen) is her doll's name. In the adaptation by Dumas on which Petipa based his l ... Read More
Ballet
Oslo Opera House, Main Stage
18 Dec 2024, Wed
•
1 PM, 4:30 PM
(2 events)
Norwegian National Ballet’s Christmas fairytale. Christmas is not the same without it: The Nutcracker is back on the Main Stage, ready to make the advent season magical for young and old alike!
Cast:
Norwegian National Ballet, Norwegian National Opera Orchestra
The Nutcracker
Premiere of this production:
06 December 1892,
Imperial Mariinsky Theatre, Saint Petersburg
Plot
Below is a synopsis based on the original 1892 libretto by Marius Petipa. The story varies from production to production, though most follow the basic outline. The names of the characters also vary. In the original E. T. A. Hoffmann story, the young heroine is called Marie Stahlbaum and Clara (Klärchen) is her doll's name. In the adaptation by Dumas on which Petipa based his l ... Read More
Ballet
Hungarian State Opera House, Opera House
18 Dec 2024, Wed
•
7 PM
Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker has for decades been an essential part of the Opera's run-up to Christmas.
Cast:
Hungarian National Ballet, Hungarian State Opera Orchestra
The Nutcracker
Premiere of this production:
06 December 1892,
Imperial Mariinsky Theatre, Saint Petersburg
Plot
Below is a synopsis based on the original 1892 libretto by Marius Petipa. The story varies from production to production, though most follow the basic outline. The names of the characters also vary. In the original E. T. A. Hoffmann story, the young heroine is called Marie Stahlbaum and Clara (Klärchen) is her doll's name. In the adaptation by Dumas on which Petipa based his l ... Read More
Ballet
Royal Danish Theatre, The Old Stage
18 Dec 2024, Wed
•
7:30 PM
Christmas would not be Christmas without George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker – a ballet that has appealed to all Christmas-lovers across generations.
Cast:
Sebastian Almanzar,
The Royal Danish Ballet,
.... + 1
George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker
Premiere of this production:
06 December 1892,
Imperial Mariinsky Theatre, Saint Petersburg
Plot
Below is a synopsis based on the original 1892 libretto by Marius Petipa. The story varies from production to production, though most follow the basic outline. The names of the characters also vary. In the original E. T. A. Hoffmann story, the young heroine is called Marie Stahlbaum and Clara (Klärchen) is her doll's name. In the adaptation by Dumas on which Petipa based his l ... Read More
Ballet
Events in Hong Kong, Hong Kong Cultural Centre - Grand Theatre
18 Dec 2024, Wed
•
7:30 PM
The ultimate holiday tradition returns with Septime Webre’s timeless classic The Nutcracker, filled with Tchaikovsky’s world-famous score, opulent sets and costumes and beloved Hong Kong e...
Cast:
Hong Kong Ballet, Hong Kong Sinfonietta
The Nutcracker
Premiere of this production:
06 December 1892,
Imperial Mariinsky Theatre, Saint Petersburg
Plot
Below is a synopsis based on the original 1892 libretto by Marius Petipa. The story varies from production to production, though most follow the basic outline. The names of the characters also vary. In the original E. T. A. Hoffmann story, the young heroine is called Marie Stahlbaum and Clara (Klärchen) is her doll's name. In the adaptation by Dumas on which Petipa based his l ... Read More
Ballet
18 Dec 2024, Wed
•
8 PM
In this ballet inspired by an idealized East, Petipa combined the classic pas de deux with Hindu exoticism and his dancers dedicated to religion: the bayaderas. The story of an impossible love that tr...
Cast:
Buenos Aires Philharmonic Orchestra,
Ballet Estable del Teatro Colón,
.... + 2
Ballet
18 Dec 2024, Wed
•
8 PM
The new Season opens with the reprise of a much loved Christmas classic that has enchanted La Scala since 1969: The Nutcracker, with Rudolf Nureyev’s choreography and the historic staging o...
Cast:
Teatro alla Scala Orchestra,
Hugo Marchand,
.... + 2
The Nutcracker
Premiere of this production:
06 December 1892,
Imperial Mariinsky Theatre, Saint Petersburg
Plot
Below is a synopsis based on the original 1892 libretto by Marius Petipa. The story varies from production to production, though most follow the basic outline. The names of the characters also vary. In the original E. T. A. Hoffmann story, the young heroine is called Marie Stahlbaum and Clara (Klärchen) is her doll's name. In the adaptation by Dumas on which Petipa based his l ... Read More
Ballet
Dutch National Opera, Main Stage
18 Dec 2024, Wed
•
8:15 PM
According to German folk legend, nutcrackers bring good luck. And that’s certainly proven true for the international ballet world. Since the premiere of the original version in 1892, The Nu...
Cast:
Dutch Ballet Orchestra,
Dutch National Ballet,
.... + 2
The Nutcracker and the Mouse King
Premiere of this production:
06 December 1892,
Imperial Mariinsky Theatre, Saint Petersburg
Plot
Below is a synopsis based on the original 1892 libretto by Marius Petipa. The story varies from production to production, though most follow the basic outline. The names of the characters also vary. In the original E. T. A. Hoffmann story, the young heroine is called Marie Stahlbaum and Clara (Klärchen) is her doll's name. In the adaptation by Dumas on which Petipa based his l ... Read More
Ballet
19 Dec 2024, Thu
•
7 PM
Even after 175 years, Giselle has lost none of its mystique – not least thanks to Adolphe Adam’s imaginative and catchy music. Patrice Bart staged the ghostly fairy tale in ...
Cast:
Ballett Zürich,
Junior Ballett Zurich,
.... + 1
Giselle
Premiere of this production:
28 June 1841,
Salle Le Peletier, Paris, France
Act I
The ballet opens on a sunny autumnal morning in the Rhineland during the Middle Ages. The grape harvest is in progress. Duke Albrecht of Silesia, a young nobleman, has fallen in love with a shy, beautiful peasant girl, Giselle, despite being betrothed to Bathilde, the daughter of the Duke of Courland. Albrecht disguises himself as a humble villager called "Loys" in order to court ... Read More
First time at Ballet?
Ballet is one of the most exquisite forms of high art in existence. And yet it is also one of the most exclusive. There is certainly an aura of inaccessibility, both from those inside the ballet world, and those of us looking in from the outside.Watching it for the first time can be a bit... overwhelming. While you know that it’s impressive, for sure, you aren’t quite sure why. But don’t worry. Here are some top tips on getting the best out of watching a ballet performance.
For a newcomer to ballet, it’s best to try and see a classical ballet performance, if only so that you can greater appreciate these types of modern variations later down the line.
For a performance that contains zero dialogue, you can’t be expected to pick up the plot just by following the dance.The Libretto (which in Italian means booklet) contains the synopsis of a show, as well as some important staging directions.
The time of your performance is written on your ticket, and they do vary, so it’s worth checking. If you miss the beginning of the ballet, you’ll have to watch it on a monitor until there’s a suitable break in the performance, which can often be at the first interval! This is to ensure the spell in the auditorium is not broken by a constant stream of latecomers.
Seeing the same ballet twice (or three, four or five times!) is incredibly rewarding. Different dancers interpret works in fascinatingly different ways, and you’ll be able to catch moments and nuances you missed the first time.
The Gocomgo team has collected for you the best, in our opinion, works for your acquaintance with the delightful world of ballet.
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