Published: 25 December, 2007, 16:42
Edited: 25 December, 2007, 16:42
Dancers and musicians from one of Russia's most famous opera and ballet companies are on a rare visit to China. Performers from the Mariinsky in St. Petersburg are playing at the newly opened National Grand Theatre in Beijing. They'll be the first foreig
About 500 artists will perform over the next two weeks. At least 30 thousand people will see classics such as “Prince Igor” and “Swan Lake”. Tickets were sold long before opening night.
The Director of Mariinsky theatre, Valery Gergiev, said his company had promised to perform at the National Grand Theatre ten years ago.
Also known as the National Centre for the Performing Arts, it was created by French architect Paul Andreu and is one of the most significant cultural projects in China in recent years.
The titanium-and-glass construction is almost 200 thousand square metres in size and seats up to 6,500 people.