Ballet at the old opera house

Two performances by the Ballet D'Europe at the site of the former Opera House next month are meant to bring the art of dance closer to the Maltese public, Culture Minister Francis Zammit Dimech said.

The two performances - Mireille and Mozart's Requiem - will be staged as part of the Summer Arts Festival. Mireille will be performed on August 4 while Mozart's Requiem will take place on the next day.

The Ballet D'Europe is a professional company made up of 18 dancers from around the world. It is also a specialised laboratory where the dance and the dancers construct and develop themselves. The cornerstone of this European project is the development of stable employment for the dancer.

Speaking yesterday at the Phoenicia Hotel, Dr Zammit Dimech said dance formed part of our culture and should be encouraged. He said proof of dance's popularity in Malta was the fact that there were over 25 dance schools.

The two performances are being organised through the collaboration of the Dance Council Malta in collaboration with the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts.