Swan Lake glides onto Joburg Theatre stage

Event Date: March 16 to 18 2012

Published by Business and Arts South Africa

Joburg Theatre presents the first ever performances by The Universal Ballet of Korea in SA for four shows only from March 16 to 18.

The acclaimed 60-member ballet company will perform the most beloved of all classical ballets, Tchaikovskyâ€™s Swan Lake. Choreography for this production is by Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov and Oleg Vinogradov. The version to be presented in The Mandela is by Oleg Vinogradov, with costume design by Galina Solovieva, set design by Simon Pastukh and lighting design by Kyungwon Seo.

Based in Seoul, Korea, with dancers and staff from more than a dozen countries throughout Europe, the US and Asia, Universal Ballet embodies the blending of the grace and harmony of Asian thought and culture with the strength and beauty of western classical ballet. Dedicated to preserving the rich tradition of European classical ballet and at the same time following the trends in contemporary choreography, the company continues to be the leading force of ballet in Korea.

Since its founding in 1984, the company, now led by General Director Julia Moon, Artistic Director Brian Yoo and Artistic Director Emeritus Oleg Vinogradov, has steadily gained fame and recognition.

Since 1995, The Universal Ballet of Korea has given a total of 439 performances in 18 countries outside of its home base in Korea. This new three-year World Tour covers more ground than any taken before, encompassing cities in Europe, North America, the Middle East, familiar haunts in Asia - and finally South Africa in The Mandela at Joburg Theatre.

â€œConsidering all the Asian ballet companies currently seeking and many deserving international attention including those in Japan, mainland China and Hong Kong, Universal Ballet must now be counted as among the most interesting, ambitious and accomplished. Unlike most of its Asian peers, it has its own incipient style and individuality. It is a Western ballet with an Eastern soul. Universal Ballet is emerging as a major player in world dance.â€ - Clive Barnes, former Dance Critic of The New York Times and New York Post

The ballet Swan Lake was originally created in Moscow in 1877, to a score commissioned from Tchaikovsky, the earliest of his three major ballet scores. The production was not very successful, however, and the version widely known today was produced in St Petersburg at the Maryinski Theatre. The second scene, where Siegfried meets Odette among the swans by the lake, was choreographed in 1894 by Lev Ivanov for a memorial concert, and the full-length version was created by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov the following year.

Over the years, alterations were made at various times by the staff at the Maryinski Theatre, most notable the revisions made in 1950 by Konstantin Sergeyev. The version performed by the Universal Ballet also includes further revisions by Oleg Vinogradov, who succeeded Sergeyev as the head of the ballet company at the Maryinski.

â€œNor can every company drill into its corps de ballet the outstanding precision and attention to stylistic detail that the Universal Ballet from South Korea demonstrated in SWAN LAKE...â€ - Anna Kisselgoff, The New York Times

Performances are on Friday March 16 at 8pm; Saturday March 17 at 3pm and 8pm; and Sunday March 18 at 3pm.

Tickets for The Universal Ballet Of Korea range from R250 to R340, with limited Premium Seating available at R400. Groups of ten or more receive a 10% discount on all seating areas. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.joburgtheatre.com or by calling 0861 670 670.

The Universal Ballet of Korea is presented in South Africa in association with M-Net.

â€œIt is Universal Balletâ€™s vision, â€˜Heavenly Art Creating a World of Beautyâ€™, that is the motivation and driving spirit of this tour. Our firm belief is that through the art of ballet we can make this world a more beautiful and better place.â€ - Julia H Moon, President, Universal Cultural Foundation