CULTURE

Greek first for ballet

«The Snow Queen,» a ballet with music by Alexander Glazunov which will premiere in Greece at the National Opera’s Olympia Theater on Sunday, is a charming fairy tale, the magic of which appeals to both children and adults. The plot evolves around inseparable friends Gerda and Kay, who live in a large city. When a splinter from a broken evil mirror gets into Kay’s eye, he turns against Gerda and becomes fascinated by the Snow Queen, who takes him away with her to a cold place, way up north. Gerda then embarks on a journey to bring him back, using the power of her love. «This ballet is about both the beautiful and the evil aspects of the world,» said the production’s choreographer Ray Barra at a recent press conference. Along with composer of librettos Franzis Hengst, Barra created a two-act neoclassical ballet, based on Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale of the same title. The two of them selected parts from different works by Glazunov and compiled a brand-new composition, which one could mistake for an original. The sets and costumes are by Klaus Hellenstein, who was also responsible for lighting along with Yiannis Theodoridis. The production features dancers Alina Stergianou, Emilia Gaspari, Yiannis Dontsakis, Natassa Siouta, Stratos Papanoussis, Giorgos Varvariotis, Ihar Siadzko, Evridiki Issaakidou and others. More performances have been scheduled for December 21, Christmas Day and Boxing Day and then January 5, 6, 8, 22 and 23. Olympia Theater (National Opera), 59-61 Academias, tel 210.364.3700. Tickets are available at the theater’s box office, open daily 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; ticket prices range from 20 euros (for students) to 52 euros. Performances start at 7 p.m.

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