HBSO welcomes Christmas with classical ballet The Nutcracker
The HCM City Ballet Symphony Orchestra (HBSO) will bring classical ballet The Nutcracker back on stage on December 9, 10 and 11 to welcome the Christmas season.
The ballet was originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Tchaikovsky.
Based on the story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by German author E.T.A. Hoffmann, the work describes the dream of a little girl Clara and her adventures with a nutcracker, a gift from her godfather.
The ballet was first performed at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1892, and has become a worldwide favourite during the Christmas season.
The Nutcracker premiered in HCM City in 2001 as part of the Transposition program by the government of Norway to bring classical music projects to Vietnam. It was choreographed by Norwegian Johanne Jakhelln Constant.
The two-act work will highlight HBSO’s talented dancers Nguyen Thu Trang as Clara, and Meritorious Artist Ho Phi Diep as the Nutcracker.
The performance will also feature Do Hoang Khang Ninh and Dam Duc Nhuan, along with dancers from HBSO’s ballet department.
HBSO’s female choir and symphony orchestra will perform the ballet’s music under the baton of conductor Tran Vuong Thach.
Meritorious Artist Thạch, former director of the HBSO, studied at leading music schools and conservatories in Belgium and The Netherlands.
He has performed in many countries such as Germany, Italy, Scotland, Spain, France, Japan and Korea.
In 2020, he was granted the title Knight of Arts and Letters (Chevaliers des Lettres et des Arts) by the French government for his efforts to promote arts exchanges between Vietnam and France.
The Nutcracker will begin at 8 pm at the Opera House at 7 Lam Son Square in District 1. Tickets are available at the venue.