The performance of ballet-féerie Nutcracker in BOZAR is a presentation of a new interpretation of Tchaikovsky masterpiece by Mikhail Venshchikov, Saint-Petersburg choreographer and a star dancer, a magnificent gift of Russian and Belgium artists to Brussels audiences during Christmas week.

A special charm of the performance of  Saint-Petersburg Arts-Michel Centre staged by Venshchikov is in return to its original version staged in glorious Mariinsky Theatre in 1892. Present at BOZAR he opened the evening, generously sharing his vision of the celebrated art piece, combining the concept of the first directors as Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, reviving the forgotten initial fragments. Next to elegant, and awaited by public Valse des Flocons de Neige, Grand Ballabile, and Divertissements des Jouets, the ballet included first time in a century  Adagio à l’Echarpe, underlining the unearthly lightness of the dancers, as if breaking the laws of gravity to recreate a mystery of the narrative of Hoffman’s “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King“.

However they were the youngest participants of the performance who stole the hearts of the audience – the energetic little grey mouse, and angels with wings and candles, – they transformed the performance into a genuine fairy tale. The pupils of Le Conservatoire de la Danse de Bruxelles, led by legendary ballet star Menia Martinez, from a very young age are set to continue the greatest traditions of the classical ballet dance. Le Conservatoire has a long-standing co-operation with Russian colleagues, traced to Menia Martinez starring in Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.

“This Nutcracker is special to us, because it assembles the old version of Marius Petipa, who also worked in Brussels, before leaving for Saint-Petersburg, and a vision of a young generation of classical ballet choreographers, like Mikhail Venshchikov, – said to Europe Diplomatic the director of Le Conservatoire, Béjart danser Jean-Paul Dimmers. – When Venshchikov stages his ballets in Belgium, he invites our children, for them it is a unique experience to perform next to great Mariinsky stars.”

However in spite of its brilliance and sophistication, the performances are held in a BOZAR Studio hall for 200 seats only, sold out a long time before the date, while the major Brussels stage of La Monnaie theatre is devoted to guest opera performances.
“After the departure of Maurice Béjart to Lausanne, we feel a certain vacuum that has not been filled so far. Although Brussels is de facto European Union capital, at the moment is does not have its own theatre as London, Paris, or Berlin with a permanent opera and ballet сompanies. We also encourage our students to head for the best stages in the world, but it is somehow sad, because there is a greatest potential in Brussels both in terms of talents and public”.

After Brussels the new version of Mikhail Venshchikov Nutcracker will head to Berlin.

«Nutcracker» at BOZAR Brussels Centre for fine art is staged with participation of “Le Conservatoire de la danse de Bruxelles” led by Menia Martinez et Jean-Paul
Dimmer. 28.12.2017