Standing Ovations for Natalia Osipova and the Artists of the „Once Upon a Winter’s Dream” Ballet Gala
The people who filled the „Ion Caramitru” Hall at the National Theatre „I. L Caragiale” in Bucharest on Monday night left home delighted after two hours of top-quality ballet, having applauded standing ovations for minutes on end for the top artists from the most prestigious European ballet theaters at the international ballet gala „Once Upon a Winter’s Dream”: Natalia Osipova – for the first time on a stage in Romania, Reece Clarke and Yasmine Naghdi (The Royal Ballet), Julian MacKay and Madison Young (Bayerische Stattsballett), Marina Minoiu (Royal Danish Ballet), Dinu Tamazlâcaru (Staatsballett Berlin), Robert Enache and Ada González (National Opera Bucharest), Cristian Preda and Viviana Olaru (National Opera Iași). The show was sold out weeks in advance.
The gala began with an emotional moment, with live music provided by the quartet consisting of Rafael Butaru (violin), Mircea Lazăr (violin), Constantin Borodin (cello), and Iulia Goiana (viola), featuring ballerina Marina Minoiu and actor Andrei Runcanu. The joy that followed was punctuated, after each performance, by applause and ovations: Viviana Olaru and Cristian Preda from the National Opera Iași, in the Pas de Deux from the ballet „The Nutcracker” (Choreography by Ileana Iliescu), Dinu Tamazlâcaru in „Les Bourgeois” (music by Jacques Brel, choreography by Ben Van Cauwemberg), followed by the Pas de Deux from the ballet „Women” (music by Dmitry Shostakovich „Concerto for Piano No. 2”, choreography by Gheorghe Iancu), with Marina Minoiu and Robert Enache.
The stage was then taken over by the thrilling Natalia Osipova, the principal dancer of The Royal Ballet, who offered the audience the contemporary dance „Ashes”, choreographed by Jason Kittelberger (music by Nigel Kennedy, Kroke „Bregovic: Ederlezi”), a true demonstration of mastery, grace, and interpretive strength. The first part of the show concluded with Madison Young and Julian MacKay performing the Pas de Deux from the ballet „Cinderella” (music by Sergei Prokofiev, choreography by Christopher Wheeldon).
The second part began on a high note: pure energy with Reece Clarke and Yasmine Naghdi from The Royal Ballet, in the Pas de Deux from the ballet „Romeo and Juliet” (music by Sergei Prokofiev, choreography by Sir Kenneth MacMillan), followed by Cristian Preda and Viviana Olaru dancing the duet from the ballet „Peer Gynt” (music by Edvard Grieg), in Cristian Preda’s original choreography, before Marina Minoiu and Robert Enache offered „Echoes of Tomorrow” (music by Valentin Silvestrov „25.X.1893”, choreography by Wubjke Kuindersma), as a demonstration that everything is possible and everything can be beautiful.
Ada González and Dinu Tamazlâcaru were warmly applauded for the Pas de Deux from the ballet „Giselle” (music by Adolphe Adam, choreography by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot), the graceful Madison Young and Julian MacKay performed the exquisite Pas de Deux from the ballet „Le Parc” (music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, choreography by Angelin Prejlocaj), and Natalia Osipova floated above the stage in „The Dying Swan” (music by Camille Saint-Saëns, choreography by Mikhail Folkine).
This was followed by a rebirth (Spring, by Vivaldi, Arr. Kanazawa Yasunori, with Rafael Butaru, Mircea Lazăr, Constantin Borodin, and Iulia Goiana), and Yasmine Naghdi and Reece Clarke danced the spectacular and graceful Pas de Deux „Spring Waters” (music by Sergei Rahmaninov, choreography by Asaf Messerer).
The emotional and artistically powerful finale brought all the artists on stage, dancing steps, who enjoyed minutes of enthusiastic applause from the audience. The star of the end of the show was a little girl brought on stage to offer a bouquet of flowers. She stopped for a few seconds in the middle of the stage, looked at the artists, thought carefully to whom to offer the bouquet, and finally went and took Reece Clarke’s hand, then saluted the audience along with the artists.
An independent project, the International Ballet Gala „Once Upon a Winter’s Dream” was an Ars Gratia Regalia event, directed by Alice Minoiu, organized by the Literati Association, presented by Adrem, and communicated by PiArt Vision.
Sponsors: Garanti BBVA, De’Longhi, Diamond Boutique, Tandem Romania, Elektra Renewable, ArQA,
Partners: Țiriac Auto, Zabola Estate, Ana Radu, DeCorina Hats, Babaluna, Moxa Bucharest Boutique Hotel, Hotel Cișmigiu, Ristorante Isoletta, Domeniile Averești, Artesana, Florăria Kara, Casa de Balet
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Communication & PR: PiArt Vision
