The Thousand and One Nights ballet began to be staged in Beijing Monday night by the Ballet Internationale from the United States.
Eight performances will be presented at the Minzugong Grand Theater from Jan. 20 to 27, together with other ballet classics such as Carmen, to greet the Chinese New Year, according to the Beijing Joy-Garden Culture Development Co., Ltd., organizer of the performances.
Most of the tickets had been sold out, especially those in the lower price range.
"It shows that Beijing audience have a wider interest in ballet, beyond the traditional performances such as Swan Lake," said Wang Runying, general manager of Joy-Garden.
The full-length Thousand and One Nights ballet is choreographed by Eldar Aliev, leader of the former Russia Krrov Ballet. Performers, including lead ballerinas Karen Kennedy and Irina Komarenko, were selected from twelve countries.
Founded in 1973, Ballet Internationale is one of the largest ballet groups in the central United States. It has been touring several Chinese cities including Shanghai and Ningbo since last December, featuring such classics as Thousand and One Nights and Carmen.
(Xinhua News Agency January 22, 2003)
