Ballet brings grace and pomp to local scene

Last Friday and Saturday’s Swan Lake and Concert of Ballet Stars at the Hotel Nikko Saipan Theater Hall was truly one of Saipan’s best cultural events of the year and brought world-class ballet performers from Russia and Japan, together with homegrown talents.

No less than 500 ballet aficionados watched the show performed by alumni and students of Perm State Opera and Ballet Theater, Takagi Ballet School of Tokyo, and Saipan’s very own Glushko’s Academy of Performing Arts.

The show was made up of two parts. Swan Lake had Glushko’s Academy up-and-coming ballerinas perform with Russian and Japanese prima ballerinas, while Concert of Ballet Stars exclusively featured Perm State Opera and Ballet Theater’s Nikolai Kalabin and Dasha Sosnina, Takagi Ballet School of Tokyo’s Saeka Kato and Aya Muto, and local ballerina Anna Glushko.

Swan Lake, a ballet rendition of the classic tale, showcased young ballerinas from Saipan. Parents and friends cheered when they saw their children up on stage performing almost flawlessly with the professional ballet dancers.

Twenty-two-year-old Kalabin played Prince Siegfried while Sosnina, 27, played Odette and Odile. Barbara Sher portrayed the Queen and Joe Connolly played the character of Robart.

The two Japanese ballerinas, Kato and Muto rendered the Neopolitan Dance during the first part of the program. Glushko, Seiko Nakamura, and Fei-Fei Cheng from Glushko’s Academy danced as the big swans in the show.

The second part of the show highlighted some dance routines performed only by Glushko and the guest ballerinas from Russia and Japan. A good part of the program was considered new and had never been performed for the local audience.

Pearl of the Ocean, Oh Russia, a prelude from ballet Les Lylphides, variation of Kitry and Amour from ballet Don Quixote, variation of Lilac Fairy from ballet Sleeping Beauty, Adagio from ballet Le Corsaire, and variation of Carmen from ballet Carmen were some of the numbers the professional ballerinas performed during the show.

Hotel Nikko Saipan, Hyatt Regency Saipan, World Resort Saipan, Pacific Islands Club, Aqua Resort Club, Fiesta Resort and Spa, CNMI Council for Arts and Culture, Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino, Saipan Tribune, Shell Marianas, Pacific Trading Co., Ltd., Submarine Sirena, Coca Cola Beverage (Micronesia), Inc., Thai House Restaurant, Capricciosa, Country House Restaurant, Northwest Airlines, National Office Supply, Herman’s Modern Bakery, Joeten, The Athlete’s Foot, Cargo Express (Saipan), Inc., Marianas Variety, Shirley’s Coffee Shop, Lollipops, AJ’s Restaurant, GIG Discotheque, and KMCV CNMI sponsored the two-hour show.