Asian Tour 2011
Welcome to the 2011 Asian Tour page of the Béjart Ballet Lausanne. The programme offered a fine balance between creation, reprise and major ballets from Maurice Béjart’s repertoire. The company received a warm welcome and standing ovations.
South Korea
10 and 11 October – Daejeon
The company began this tour by performing in Daejeon Cantate 51, Ce que l’amour me dit and Boléro.
China
15 and 16 October – Beijing
18 and 19 October – Hangzhou
21 and 22 October – Shanghai
The ballets performed in China were Là où sont les Oiseaux, Dionysos (suite) and Boléro. For the world creation of Là où sont les oiseaux, Gil Roman received a distinction in praise of his artistic work and his collaboration with the Chinese author Chen Shenglai. It was given to him by Liu WenGuo, artistic director of the China Shanghai International Arts Festival.
Main Partner of the Asian Tour 2011
« I am proud to see Breguet associated with the Béjart Ballet de Lausanne for its Asian tour.
Since its founding in 1775, Breguet has maintained close ties with the European cultural and artistic heritage. It is therefore a great honour for me to pursue this link by confirming my support for European art through such a prestigious company as the Béjart Ballet Lausanne. I sincerely hope that this association will mark the start of a long series of Breguet partnerships in Asia. »
Marc A. Hayek
CEO, Montres Breguet SA
The Ballets
This tour saw the world premiere of the new choreography of Gil Roman, an artistic collaboration with the Chinese author Chen Shenglai. read more
The dance simply follows the musical and religious intentions of the partition, aiming only to … read more
It is around 1895 that Mahler composed his brilliant Third Symphony. At the time, he was much inspired by… read more
« A Greek tells the myth of Dionysus, his miraculous birth and furious dance in which Greece and the Middle East meet on the Passage to … read more
Maurice Béjart describes the creation of Ravel’s work in these terms: « Music that is too well-known and yet still fresh due to its simplicity. A melody (originally oriental and not…read more
The theatres
10 and 11 october – Daejeon – South Korea
Ballets performed : Ce que l’amour me dit, Cantate 51, Boléro
The Daejeon Culture & Arts Center hosted the BBL in its large complex built in 2003. This features several theatres, an outdoor amphitheatre, numerous rehearsal rooms and cutting-edge technical equipment. The company has already performed Maurice Béjart ballets here back in 2005.
15 and 16 october – Beijing – China
Ballets performed: Dionysos (suite), Là où sont les oiseaux (Gil Roman’s new creation), Boléro
The National Center for the Performing Arts is an imposing glass and titanium structure set over more than 30,000 m2 and surrounded by a large artificial lake. To not disturb the aesthetics of the venue, access is via a tunnel under the lake, creating a place cut off from the world and dedicated to dreams. This complex, designed by French architect Paul Andreu, has three halls of different sizes and a total of 5,452 seats.
18 and 19 october – Hangzhou – China
Ballets performed: Dionysos (suite), Là où sont les oiseaux (Gil Roman’s new creation), Boléro
The Hangzhou Grand Theatre is a pearl in its own shell. This centre, dedicated to the arts and built by Canadian architect Carlos Ott, is a composition of glass, titanium and water that creates a light, transparent sense of harmony. 100,000 square metres in total area, it includes an opera, a concert hall, a multipurpose space, an outdoor stage and a park with a lake. Complemented by a quality infrastructure, the centre quickly became a point of reference in the region.
21 and 22 octobre – Shanghai – China
Ballets performed: Dionysos (suite), Là où sont les oiseaux (Gil Roman’s new creation), Boléro
The Shanghai Grand Theatre was the final venue visited on this tour. This Arts Palace, built in 1998 by architect Jean-Marie Charpentier, has hosted more than 6,000 high-level representations. Its three stages are dedicated to the discovery of art from around the world. This temple of artistic excellence is a major centre for creativity that has already received numerous distinctions.
The tour benefited from the generous support from the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia.
Our warm thanks also go to the Embassy of Switzerland in China and the Consulate General of Switzerland in Shanghai, the Embassy of Switzerland in the Republic of South Korea and the Swiss Cultural Fund Korea.
