Top Russian ballerinas and dancers will be in Malta in March to perform in a ballet gala at the Mediterranean Conference Centre. Jo Caruana discovers why they have chosen Malta as their destination of choice.

Ballet and classical dance aficionados and fans will be in for a treat when, in March, artistes from some of the world’s most famous international classical companies collaborate in a dance spectacle at the Mediterranean Conference Centre.

The International Ballet Gala will be performed locally for the first time, following in the footsteps of the popular Russian Ballet Gala in Finland, which has been held annually since 2012.

“That festival was developed because we really loved spending time there, so it was a natural progression for us to holiday there and host a show at the same time,” explains Natalia Nefedova, the project manager for the Russian Ballet Festival.

“The festival attracts ballet lovers from Finland, Norway, the Baltic countries and even Russia, largely because it enables them to indulge in their passion for dance at a much lower price than they would be able to in Moscow or St Petersburg.”

Nefedova says the team have been inspired to bring the show to Malta for very similar reasons – they enjoy spending time here and believe that many locals will relish the chance to witness this unique cultural offering. After all, patrons can expect to enjoy performances from ballerinas from the Bolshoi and Stanislavsky theatres in Moscow and the Mariinsky and Mikhailovsky in St Petersburg .

“Our Maltese friends seemed thrilled by the idea when we first suggested it, so we have made it happen,” says Nefedova.

“We think it is incredible that Malta, which is such a small country, has more than 30 dance schools and that most take part in local and international competitions, festivals, shows and concerts, so we wanted to showcase how star performers work too.

“There is no denying that the Maltese have a very special relationship with culture and that is especially true in the run up to Valletta’s role as the European Capital of Culture in 2018.

“There is an amazing blend of entertainment on offer here – from theatre to festivals and feasts – and we are also eager to be part of that.”

The Russian company is also giving young Maltese dancers the chance to share the stage with these international ballerinas.

I believe in the power of international cultural cooperation

In collaboration with the local Living Dance Company, headed by Christianne Borg Manche, Maltese students will be work-ing with award-winning Russian dancer Vera Arbuzova on a piece called Tarantella Dance.

The piece was written by Leonid Levashkevich and will be performed by the children on the night. It will certainly be a unique opportunity for these young dancers to sample their potential futures as professional ballerinas.

Meanwhile, the evening’s programme will include many of the most famous classical pieces from the world of ballet, including the pas de deux Diana and Acteon from Esmeralda, the pas d’esclaves from La Corsaire, the pas de deux from ballet Shekherezade and the pas de deux from Don Qixote, as well as contemporary choreography by Nacho Duato, Vladimir Vasiliev, Vera Arbuzova, Levente Bajari and others.

Among the many performers at the gala will be the leading soloist from the Mikhailovsky Theatre, Andrey Kasyanenko. It will be his first time on stage in Malta, and is thrilled to be representing his Russian roots and training here.

“Russia is renowned for its traditions in classical and contemporary ballet, so it is always a joy to travel the world and showcase what I have been lucky enough to learn,” he says.

“Thus, beyond our performance on the island, I am also very pleased to be working with Arbuzova and so many local students to present something special to our Maltese audience with the performance of Tarantella. It will be a very rousing experience to watch these young students flourish and to share a stage with them.

“I am also very hopeful that the local public will respond well to our performance, and that this can become a regular collaboration.

“I believe in the power of international cultural cooperation and know how hard both sides of this project have worked to make it happen, so I am now looking forward to its fruitful results. May this be the first of many,” he says.

The first edition of the International Ballet Gala will be held at the MCC on March 7. Ticket prices range from €25 to €55 and are available online.

www.mcc.com.mt