Outstanding International and Cypriot Dancers at the Grand Ballets 2019

The Municipality of Limassol presents once again the Grand Ballets. Over the years the Grand Ballets evolved to an annual event of international repute and great cultural significance. The production is of major importance to the city of Limassol as well as to the whole of Cyprus.

The Grand Ballets 2019 production will take place on the 21st and 22nd of July at Pattihio Municipal Theatre introducing fascinating new features. The performances are under the auspices of the President of the Republic Nicos Anastasiades.

Following last year’s successful shows that introduced the participation of distinguished Cypriot Dancers this year’s performances attach a Euro-Mediterranean flavor to the institution hosting two dance groups from Cyprus and Israel respectively

A tribute to Manos Hadjidakis by distinguished Cypriot Dancers

The opening of the performance will feature nine distinguished young Cypriot dancers commemorating Manos Hadjidakis.

Leaded by choreographers Daphne Mouyassi (Soloist at the Bejart Ballet Lausanne ) and Eleni O’ Keef  (Inbal Dance Theatre – Barak Marshal) the group, consisting of Ioanna Avraam (Soloist of the Vienna State Ballet), Olga Markari (Όπερα Wrocławska Poland),Nastazia, Philippou (Semper Oper Dresden), Magda Argyridou, Maria Gerasimou,  Antigoni Neophytou (Europa Danse Company), Natasa Demetriadou (Eliot Dance Company), Melina Sophocleous and Fouli Stylianidou, will be paying a special tribute to the great Greek composer and intellectual, at the event of the 25th anniversary since his death.

The organisers’ decision to mark the 25 years since Hadjidakis’ death was not made at random. Apart from being one of the most important figures of Post-War Greece intelligencia   Manos Hadjidakis is associated with works for Ballet and Contemporary Dance. His compositions for Rallou’s Manou dance company Elliniko Chorodrama are well known and celebrated by audiences.

Works like Marsyas (1950) The accursed serpent and Six Popular Pictures (1951) and Solitude (1958) consist an integral part of Contemporary Hellenic Culture.

Τhe staging of his works for ballet and his collaboration with Rallou Manou included   other  outstanding artists of Post-war Greece from the areas of Dance, Theatre and Visual Arts (Moralis, Tsarouchis, Hadjikyriakos – Ghikas) for the settings and costumes as contributors.

Later on Hadjidakis formed a long-lasting and fruitful friendship with  Maurice Bejart – a master of Contemporary Ballet. Their collaboration resulted to the works Birds and Dionysus (1985)

The tribute will include live music: actress Marina Argyridou, guitarist Vyron Athenodorou and a group of four percussionitsts leaded by Vassos Argyrides at the piano will be joining forces with the group of dancers to celebrate various features of Hadjidakis’ work and personality on the Pattihio stage.

The Kibbutz Dance Company

The main part of the performance will host the Kibbutz Dance Company from nearby Israel leaded by the internationally renowned, multi-awarded, artistic director of the group, choreographer Rami Be’er. Be’er’s exclusive and unique choreographic character constitutes the company’s trademark both in Israel and abroad.

The group presents their latest work, ‘Asylum’, in which Be’er examines concepts such as identity, foreignness, belonging, freedom, identification, homeland, longing, and home.

The production was received enthusiastically by critics and the media and is considered "an extraordinary composition of a seasoned artist and a master in composition’. The group that is characterised by ‘dynamic sensibility’ has performed in leading venues worldwide receiving positive comments and remarks of enthusiasm for its technical and aesthetic aptitude and skill.

This year’s production is definitely an astonishing, promising performance that will fascinate the audience and will be undoubtedly a source of thrill amongst the most demanding spectators.

The Grand Ballets are to Limassol a special and unique event and 2019 marks their 20 years of continuous presence. The production preparations are already in process. Both Cypriot and Israeli participants’ outstanding aptitude has significantly raised the bar guarantying a success beyond every expectation for this year’s Grand Ballet.

Ticket sales have already begun at the Pattihio Box Office www.patihio.com.cy 25377277 and Sold out Tickets www.soldoutticketbox.com