Hamburg Ballet performs before enthusiastic audience in Beijing

On February 3, John Neumeier’s renowned ballet “The Lady of the Camellias” premiered in Beijing. The performance in the opera hall of the National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA) was enthusiastically received by an audience of more than 2,000.

Hamburg Ballet performs “The Lady of the Camellias” by John Neumeier, dancers Joelle Boulogne & Alexandre Riabko, (c) Holger Badekow

Neumeier adapted the ballet in the first days of the guest performance for the NCPA stage, which at more than 18-meters wide far exceeds that of the Hamburg Ballet at only 14 meters.

“When we arrived in Beijing a few days ago, we had a huge amount of work before us together with our Chinese colleagues from the NCPA, and we didn’t know if we’d manage to bring The Lady of the Camellias to this stage as we had imagined,” said Neumeier. “I’m so happy that all the sides were able to work together across language barriers. I’m impressed by the zeal, with which China has embraced culture and changed from our last guest appearance here eleven years ago.”

The premier was also attended by the German Ambassador to China, Michael Schäfer, who noted the importance of culture for engagement at the reception following the performance. Prior to the premier, the German Embassy in Beijing and the Goethe-Institut hosted various accompanying events, including a joint press conference and a visit with Chinese dancers.

Altogether, the 97-member ensemble will perform “The Lady of the Camellias” six times in Beijing before departing for Hamburg on February 10. The premier cast Joëlle Boulogne and Alexander Riabko in the main roles. Additional dancers are set to perform their interpretation of the roles over the coming days. 

Details about the Hamburg Ballet’s tour can be followed on its blog. Additional performances are to be held February 4-6, 8 and 9 in the National Center for the Performing Arts.

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