Mariinsky Ballet's Maria Khoreva dazzles in Rudolf Nureyev tribute at Hong Kong festival

More than 30 years after his untimely death in 1993, Rudolf Nureyev's name has lost none of its magic. Nureyev & Friends – A Ballet Gala Tribute revisits a project Nureyev himself created in which a group of dancers would tour with a programme of short pieces, presenting top-notch ballet around the world.
Advertisement
The repertoire consisted of works drawn from Nureyev's career. It ranged from the familiar, with some of ballet's most famous pas de deux, to lesser-known pieces and featured some of Nureyev's own choreography, making for an interestingly eclectic programme.
Fittingly, the performers included dancers from the three companies with which Nureyev was most closely associated: the Paris Opera Ballet, Britain's Royal Ballet and what is now St Petersburg's Mariinsky Ballet – Leningrad's Kirov Ballet when Nureyev was there.
After its initial revival in Vienna in 2024, this first Asian edition had as artistic adviser Paris Opera Ballet 'Étoile' Charles Jude, a protégé of Nureyev who danced in those original tours; the artistic director was former Royal Ballet principal David Makhateli; and the project manager was Hong Kong's own
Lam Chun-wing , the first Chinese dancer to join the Paris Opera Ballet.
Mathieu Ganio, formerly of Paris Opera Ballet, and one of the troupe's star ballerinas, Dorothée Gilbert, dance the duet from Act IV of Swan Lake as part of Nureyev & Friends – a Ballet Gala Tribute. Photo: Tony Luk, courtesy of the Hong Kong Arts Festival
Galas are, inevitably, a lucky dip – some of the dancing was sublime, some good; if some was disappointing, the high points made up for it.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

South China Morning Post

19 hours ago

• South China Morning Post

Pioneering ballet dancer Misty Copeland on diversity and what's next for her

Ten years ago this month, Misty Copeland sat in front of a hastily arranged news conference fighting back tears of pride over her new role: principal dancer for New York's American Ballet Theatre (ABT) company. 'This is it,' she said, with emotion. 'This has been my dream since I was 13.' The occasion was highly unusual. Normally, when a dancer is promoted, a brief press release is issued. But this was Copeland, a crossover star with fame beyond the insular world of ballet. And now she was becoming the first black female principal in the company's history – just days after her New York debut as the lead in Swan Lake brought a refreshingly diverse, packed audience to the Metropolitan Opera House. Now, a decade and many accomplishments later, Copeland is retiring from the company she joined as a teenager. 'It's been 25 years at ABT, and I think it's time,' said Copeland, 42, last week. 'It's time for me to move to the next stage.' Misty Copeland, who spent 25 years at American Ballet Theatre, is retiring from the company. Photo: Taylor Jewell/Invision/AP The company is planning a splashy farewell on October 22, featuring performances by Copeland at New York's Lincoln Centre – for the first time in five years – and other dancers. There will be speeches and film clips.

HKFP

5 days ago

• HKFP

Kai Tak Sports Park drew 590,000 concertgoers in first 3 months since opening, Hong Kong gov't says

Around 590,000 people attended concerts held at Hong Kong's Kai Tak Sports Park in the first three months after it opened, with over half of them tourists, the government has said. Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law said in a written reply to lawmakers on Wednesday that 15 large-scale concerts had been held at Kai Tak Stadium and Kai Tak Arena since the sprawling sports park officially opened on March 1. As of May 31, the two Kai Tak facilities welcomed about 590,000 concertgoers, more than the total attendance in the first five months this year at two other major concert venues in the city, Law said. Around 221,000 people attended concerts held at the AsiaWorld-Expo, near the International Airport, from January to May, while concerts at the Hong Kong Coliseum in Hung Hom over the same period attracted about 275,000. Law also said more than half of Kai Tak's concertgoers came from mainland China and overseas, whereas tourists comprised over 30 per cent of the concertgoers at the AsiaWorld-Expo. The government estimated that around 285 large-scale pop concerts would be held throughout 2024 and the first half of 2025, drawing 3.9 million spectators, including 1.4 million tourists, she said. The tourists would spend an estimated HK$3.4 billion in the city, Law added. Transport plans When asked how to ensure mainland Chinese concertgoers could cross the border smoothly after each concert, Law said the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the police, and the Transport Department would work closely with event organisers, venue management, and public transport operators. She said that the number of cross-boundary coaches on the night of May 24, when Singaporean pop star JJ Lin took the stage at Kai Tak Stadium, was double the figure on normal days. About 3,300 passengers who purchased tickets in advance were transported within one hour after the concert ended, Law said. The 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium has seen international and local acts, such as British band Coldplay, Taiwanese band Mayday, and Hong Kong pop star Nicholas Tse. Taiwanese superstar Jay Chou is set to perform for three nights at the end of June at the venue.

RTHK

6 days ago

• RTHK

Doctor in Matthew Perry overdose case to plead guilty

Doctor in Matthew Perry overdose case to plead guilty Salvador Plasencia is said to be planning to plead guilty to four counts of distribution of ketamine. File photo: Reuters The main doctor charged in connection with the drug overdose of "Friends" star Matthew Perry is expected to enter a guilty plea in the coming weeks, the US Justice Department said on Monday. Salvador Plasencia "has agreed to plead guilty to four counts of distribution of ketamine, which carries a statutory maximum sentence of 40 years in federal prison," the department said in a statement. The second doctor in the case, Mark Chavez, pleaded guilty last October to conspiring to distribute ketamine in the weeks before the actor was found dead in the hot tub of his Los Angeles home in 2023. Perry's lengthy struggles with substance addiction were well-documented, but his death at age 54 sent shockwaves through the global legions of "Friends" fans. A criminal investigation was launched soon after an autopsy discovered he had high levels of ketamine –an anaesthetic – in his system. Plasencia allegedly bought ketamine off Chavez and sold it to the American-Canadian actor at hugely inflated prices. "I wonder how much this moron will pay," Plasencia wrote in one text message presented by prosecutors. He went to Perry's home to administer ketamine by injection, according to a plea deal published Monday by the Justice Department. In total, Plasencia distributed 20 vials of ketamine over a roughly two-week period in autumn 2023, the document said. Perry had been taking ketamine as part of supervised therapy for depression. But prosecutors say that before his death he became addicted to the substance, which also has psychedelic properties and is a popular party drug. (AFP)