Review: Flames of Paris shows Bolshoi Ballet at its flamboyant best
Production is a triumph for Moscow troupe, combining spectacular dancing and dramatic power in a showcase of Bolshoi's energy, commitment and extraordinary strength in depth
Flames of Paris
Bolshoi Ballet
Cultural Centre Grand Theatre
March 24, 2015
The Bolshoi Ballet made a triumphant return to Hong Kong with Flames of Paris. Never seen here before, the ballet is packed with spectacular dancing, from folk dance to pure classicism and offers the dramatic power, panache and flamboyance which are the Bolshoi’s trademarks.
The production is Alexei Ratmansky’s 2008 reworking of a Soviet classic from the 1930s. Set during the French revolution, the plot is a farrago of noble peasants, gallant revolutionaries and wicked aristocrats. While maintaining the original ballet’s celebration of the people’s triumph, its naivety is countered by Ratmansky’s introduction of a tragic love story between courageous peasant boy Jerome and innocent, ill-fated aristocrat Adeline - a sombre reminder that revolutions have victims as well as victors.
