It was a pretty last minute decision for me & my sis to purchase tickets for Ballet Festival at Dewan Filharmonik Petronas. The Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) has planned for another ballet inspired performance but this time with a little surprise - a live ballet performance by the Stars of the Moscow Ballet. Prior to the show, I was very intrigued by how the entire dance troupe would be able to perform on stage, with very limited space in the hall. We decided to go for The Nutcracker as we are more well versed with its music.
When we entered the hall, we were surprised that the organiser was able to fit in a backdrop on the stage. The entire orchestra was moved to beneath the stage in order to accommodate the troupe. The performance was divided into 2 parts - Act I & II with an internal of 20 minutes in between. The programme began on time & as soon as the orchestra struck the first few notes, the long forgotten music became all too familiar. It was heartfelt to be able to experience these beautiful melodies I grew up with come to life.
The dancers performed incredibly well even though the size of the stage was indeed a challenge for them to execute their leaps & jumps flawlessly. At one point, the Nutcracker prince nearly fell onto his knees when he was in the midst of his high leaps. The stage was way too small for him, what's more he is a tall man. He covered his mistakes very well which clearly shows a true professional dancer. The protagonist, Marie seemed wobbly at pointe in certain scenes. It could be due to exhaustion from the 2-nights gala performance or just being nervous. She still nailed her performance so we personally had no claims at all.
It was an enlightening experience to able to witness a live ballet performance, what's more from Russian ballet dancers. These performances don't come by often in Malaysia & though pricey, it was worth spending on the tickets. I hope that MPO will consider bringing similar performances to Malaysian shores as more locals are starting to appreciate these art forms. I couldn't help sneaking out my iPhone & managed to snap a shot of the backdrop in DFP during the interval. Not long after that, I was being warned by a flash of green laser light so I had to keep my phone before it risked being confiscated. Well, one shot is better than nothing... XD
Pic courtesy of Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) Facebook
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