Program of the “Ballet and Dance” section of the VII St. Petersburg International Cultural Forum
From November 15 to 17, the VII St. Petersburg International Cultural Forum will take place. By tradition, this year Boris Eifman became the head of its “Ballet and Dance” section (co-headed by Nikolai Tsiskaridze, Principal of the Vaganova Ballet Academy). Find the program of the ballet section below.
- Round table discussion “Ballet in the Age of the Cold War”
Moderator – Mikhail Shvydkoy, Special Representative of the President of Russia for International Cultural Cooperation
Date and time: November 15, 10:30 – 12:00
Venue: General Staff Building of the Hermitage (Dvortsovaya Sq., 6/8)
The discussion will aim to explore the most effective ways of using the potential of ballet art as an instrument of people-to-people diplomacy that helps to communicate and bring people together, to encourage dialogue and to strengthen mutual understanding between representatives of different cultures, religions and political systems.
Speakers:
– Jill Dougherty, journalist, Global Fellow, Woodrow Wilson Center, former Bureau Chief, CNN Moscow
– Boris Eifman, Artistic Director, Eifman Ballet of St Petersburg, President, Boris Eifman Dance Academy
– Robert Gosende, retired diplomat, US Department of State, ex-Deputy Director, US Information Agency
– Azari Plissetski, choreographer, teacher, Béjart Ballet Lausanne and Rudra Béjart School Lausanne
– Elena Shcherbakova, Artistic Director – Director, Igor Moiseyev State Academic Ensemble of Popular Dance
– Mikhail Shvydkoy, Special Representative of the President of Russia for International Cultural Cooperation
– Vladimir Urin, Director General, State Academic Bolshoi Theatre of Russia
- Premiere show of the screen ballet by Boris Eifman Tchaikovsky. PRO et CONTRA
Date and time: November 15, 14:00 – 16:00
Venue: “Lenfilm” Cinema (Kamennoostrovsky Pr., 10)
- Welcome Day at the Boris Eifman Dance Academy and Presentation of the Children’s Dance Theatre
Date and time: November 16, 10:00 – 11:30
Venue: Boris Eifman Dance Academy (Bolshaya Pushkarskaya St., 14)
- Round table discussion “Role of the Italian ballet in Forming the National Classical Tradition of Choreographic Art”
Moderator – Boris Eifman, Artistic Director, Eifman Ballet of St Petersburg, President, Boris Eifman Dance Academy
Date and time: November 16, 11:30 – 13:00
Venue: Boris Eifman Dance Academy (Bolshaya Pushkarskaya St., 14)
The discussion will focus on historical, cultural, artistic and corporate aspects of professional and creative accomplishments of Italian ballet masters, tutors and dancers during XVIII–XIX centuries and their influence on development of classical Russian ballet as a self-sufficient cultural phenomenon.
Speakers:
– Valeria Crippa, journalist, dance critic, Corriere della Sera
– Boris Eifman, Artistic Director, Eifman Ballet of St Petersburg, President, Boris Eifman Dance Academy
– Donatella Ferrante, Executive Director, Department for Live Performances (theatre, dance, circus and travelling shows), Ministry of Culture and Cultural Heritage of Italy
– Roberto Giovanardi, impresario, Director General, ATER (Theatre Association of Emilia-Romagna)
– Francesca Pedroni, dance critic and researcher, Teacher of History of Dance, Accademia Teatro alla Scala Ballet School
– Azari Plissetski, choreographer, teacher, Béjart Ballet Lausanne and Rudra Béjart School Lausanne
– Oleg Vinogradov, choreographer, teacher
- Excursion “Ballet in St Petersburg”
Date and time: November 17, 10:00 – 12:00
Coach will depart from the Vaganova Ballet Academy (Zodchego Rossi St., 2)
The tour will include world famous cultural institutions (the city’s main theatres and ballet schools) as well as locations linked to lives of distinguished ballet dancers and choreographers – Marius Petipa, Anna Pavlova, Vaslav Nijinsky, Olga Spessivtseva, Natalia Dudinskaya and others.
Ekaterina Shchavinskaya, chief archivist of the Eifman Ballet, has developed the content and will lead the excursion on the day.