May 2016

Svetlana Zakharova

  • A Russian prima ballerina in Monaco
 
 Francesca Zakharova

 À droite : Denis Rodkin, Svetlana Zakharova et Mikhail Lobukhin dans le poignant Francesca da Rimini, mis en scène par Yuri Possokhov.

On 6 and 7 July the Grimaldi Forum Monaco turns its spotlight on one of the Bolshoi's most gifted dancers of her generation, on a world tour with her show Amore.

 

Svetlana Zakharova began her career with the Mariinsky Ballet then joined the prestigious Bolshoi where she is now principal dancer, as well as being the Milan Scala's only Russian étoile and a permanent guest dancer at Tokyo's national theatre; she has also been awarded a Prix Benois de la Danse. Zakharova is bringing Amore, her new production mixing classical virtuosity with contemporary style, to the Principality. For this programme produced by MuzArts Moscow Production and presented in Monaco by AMD Peacock, Zakharova has chosen three ballets by renowned choreographers. To music by Monte-Carlo's Orchestre des Solistes, she will perform with top dancers from the legendary Bolshoi: Denis Rodkin, Mikhail Lobukhin, Denis Savin and others.

 

Romance to humour
The curtain rises on a poetic tale of two lovers doomed to spend eternity in hell. "The ballet Francesca da Rimini set to music by Tchaikovsky sends shivers down my spine," Zakharova admits. "For me it's one of the most striking examples of Yuri Possokhov's choreographic genius." This is followed by Rain Before It Falls choreographed by Patrick De Bana, who dances it with the Russian star. In this piece that plunges us into a writer's dreams and fears, Zakharova expresses all the power of love, sadness and passion. The third and culminating piece is Strokes through the Tail by Marguerite Donlon, who found her inspiration for it in Mozart's 40th Symphony. "This ballet is fundamentally different from the preceding two. I like it for its very courageous choreography but also for its humour," explains Zakharova, who here tackles the challenge of dancing a role quite unlike any other she has interpreted.