Balletto del Teatro alla Scala accomplished their China tour this September—the first time in a decade since their last appearance in China in 2006.

Balletto del Teatro alla Scala completed their 2016 China tour on 17th September - the first time the company has appeared in China in a decade, since their last appearance in 2006. This time they performed romantic ballet Giselle as well as the contemporary work Cello Suites (In den Winden im Nichts) choreographed by Heinz Spoerli. The tour also marked the beginning of an artistic collaboration between Wu Promotion and this world-renowned ballet company. From 31st August to 17th September, Balletto del Teatro alla Scala dedicated 15 splendid performances to audiences at the famous Tianjin Grand Theater, Shanghai Oriental Arts Center and Guangzhou Opera House.

Giselle is a romantic ballet in two acts, known as the ‘Crown of Ballet.’ Cello Suites (In den Winden im Nichts) , which Spoerli originally choreographed in 2003, is set to numbers 2, 3, and 6 of Bach's widely-known ‘Six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello’ composed in 1720. During the 2016 China tour, the music for Cello Suites was performed by La Scala's principal cellist Sandro Laffranchini.

Giselle, the romantic ballet par excellence, continues to attract audiences with its contrast between a sunny world and a dark and terrible kingdom inhabited by spirits. La Scala once again brought the unforgettable choreography of Coralli-Perrot to the stage in a revival by Yvette Chauviré, whose attention to and refinement of roles such as Giselle have exalted the classical tradition in all its purity and won her worldwide fame.

Cello Suites is a poetic dialogue where music and dance are in perfect harmony, and where the artistes’ bodies, almost shaped by the wind, vibrate like cello strings. Spoerli reveals his ‘neoclassical and musical’ style inspired by Baroque music, and in particular, by the Bach Suites. Coloured by the red, green and blue of the costumes, the different musical and choreographic atmospheres embrace every nuance of human emotion.

August 31–September 4, 2016 / Tianjin Grand Theatre

Balletto del Teatro alla Scala embarked on its 2016 China Tour at Tianjin Grand Theatre on the evening of August 31, 2016. The performance was led by principal dancers Nicoletta Manni, Claudio Coviello, and Antonino Sutera, and also launched the 3rd Tianjin International Opera and Dance Festival. As the first stop of the ballet company’s tour this year, and in fact the only stop in Northern China, Tianjin Grand Theater witnessed the stunning debut of Balletto del Teatro alla Scala’s 2016 China Tour.

September 8–11, 2016 / Shanghai Oriental Art Center

After Tianjin, Balletto del Teatro alla Scala continued their tour in Shanghai. Their five performances at Shanghai Oriental Arts Center brought audiences three performances of Giselle and two performances of Cello Suites (In den Winden im Nichts).  These were regarded as the most important part of the theater’s opening gala for the 2016/17 season. The participation of the Zhejiang Opera House Orchestra in the performances of Giselle was a highlight of the Shanghai stop of Balletto del Teatro alla Scala’s 2016 China Tour.

September 14-17, 2016 / Guangzhou Opera House

Balletto del Teatro alla Scala staged Giselle and Cello Suites (In den Winden im Nichts) at the Guangzhou Opera House between September 14 and 17, 2016, with three Principal dancers Nicoletta Manni, Vittoria Valerio and Lusymay Di Stefano alternately taking the leading female role of Giselle. The music was performed by the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra and Heinz Spoerli, the renowned choreographer of Cello Suites, who made a guest appearance at the Guangzhou Opera House.