Feng Ying (right), head of National Ballet of China, deliveres an opening speech at the ballet season's debut gala. The event was co-hosted by Swedish ambassador to China Lars Peter Fredén (center) and noted ballerina Cao Shuci of the National Ballet of China. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The season's first snowfall on Friday brought severe cold to Beijing over the weekend, but it didn' affect the success of the opening galas of the 2nd China International Ballet Season. World-renowned dancers from top ballet troupes all over the world, such as the Paris Opera Ballet, Bolshoi Theater of Russia and American Ballet Theater, treated Beijing ballet fans to stunning performances on Friday and Saturday nights.

The gala was co-hosted by Lars Peter Fredén, who is the Swedish ambassador to China as well as a ballet fan, and noted ballerina Cao Shuci of the National Ballet of China. In fluent Chinese and with a humorous hosting style, Fredén made a cameo appearance in a piece by the National Ballet of China and several times won the audience's applause.

Feng Ying, head of the National Ballet of China, declared the ballet season open and delivered an opening speech. She gave thanks to the Chinese Ministry of Culture, National Art Foundation and the local government of Xicheng district for supporting the ballet season, and stressed that Chinese ballet troupes will keep performing and lead to more cooperation with their international colleagues.

To the accompaniment of a soothing adagio, Lucia Lacarra, superstar of the Bavarian State Ballet, performed the classic pas de deux from Swan Lake with Marlon Dino, her partner and husband. Ruslan Skvorsov and Evgenia Obraztsova, principal dancers of the Bolshoi Ballet, performed a brilliant piece from the classical ballet, The Sleeping Beauty.

In addition to classical ballet, contemporary ballet performances by Aurélie Dupont, principal dancer of the Paris Opera Ballet, Sarah Lance Ribagorda, soloist with the American Ballet Theatre and other top dancers deeply affected the audience.

South Africa's Vuyani Dance Company, from Johannesburg, brought their original dance performance filled with the strong heartbeat of Africa. Themed on offering sacrifices to gods and ancestors, the troupe introduced a live band and singers, and danced with a distinct sense of rhythm, a pleasant change of atmosphere.

Among all the foreign dancers, Adiarys Almeida, principal guest artist of many noted ballet troupes and former prima ballerina of the National Ballet of Cuba, and her long-term partner, Joseph Michael Gatti, a dancer with the Orlando Ballet in the US, won the warmest applause. After a lively pas de deux from Don Quixote, they gave an encore with dazzling tour fouettes and other breathtakingly difficult moves.

As one of the sponsors, the National Ballet of China took the spotlight in the second part of the gala. Dancers performed the most brilliant piece from their last original ballet, Crane Whisperer, a Chinese version of Swan Lake, as the opening performance of the second half. Against the background of a beautiful sunset, the dance by more than 30 dancers held great appeal for the audience.

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