The performance of the National Ballet of Uzbekistan will open the International Opera and Ballet Festival with the performance "Lazgi. The dance of soul and love"

On February 24 and 25, 2024, the ballet performance "Lazgi" will be shown on the stage of the Alisher Navoi State Academic Bolshoi Theater with the support of the Foundation for the Development of Culture and Art of Uzbekistan. The Dance of Soul and Love", dedicated to the opening of the International Opera and Ballet Festival.

The spectacular production by the famous German choreographer and choreographer Raul Raimondo Rebeca is dedicated to the ancient folk dance of lazgi (clangs), which was included by UNESCO in the list of the intangible cultural heritage of mankind. The history of Khorezm dance, which embodies folk wisdom and is shrouded in many mysteries and riddles, dates back three thousand years. Exciting energy, incendiary movements, a unique style based on a complex dance pattern — all this makes lazgi an outstanding cultural phenomenon.

The performance of the National Ballet of Uzbekistan was first presented to the public in Tashkent in 2021 and immediately became a sensation, winning rave reviews from the audience. The first international premiere of the ballet production "Lazgi. The Dance of Soul and Love" took place on the stage of the Dubai Opera, later the performance was shown in Istanbul and Bursa (Turkey), Dortmund (Germany), Paris (France), St. Petersburg (Russia), Moscow (Russia). This year, the premiere of the play took place on the stage of the Chinese National Opera House in Beijing on January 22 as part of the Days of Culture of Uzbekistan in China.

The ballet is based on a story about the love of dance and life itself. The plot begins thousands of years ago, in the great era of caravans traveling through Central Asia along the Great Silk Road. In the sultry desert, Love awakens to the songs of shamans and the immortal Soul begins its eternal dance. A fantastic journey from the past to the future is the story of a Soul embodying centuries—old traditions and folk temperament, and Love following it through all epochs. The history of the people, the memory of the ancestors, the voices of the spirits — in each act of the ballet, the connection of the times becomes stronger, so that in the finale the Soul and Love become an indivisible whole.

An international team consisting of outstanding artists of our time worked on the ballet. The music was composed by composer Davidson Giaconello, stunning scenery and lighting effects were created by the world-famous Japanese multimedia artist Yoko Seyama. The author of the libretto and the choreographer is Raul Raimondo Rebeck, a famous German dancer, choreographer of the Dortmund Ballet and artistic director of NRW Junior Ballet. In 1987-2008, he was the leading soloist of the Berlin State Opera, the German Opera and Ballet Aalto Theater in Essen, and was awarded prestigious international awards, including the Prix de Lausanne. He has worked with many stars of the world stage, from William Forsyth and Jiri Kilian to Maurice Bejard, Rudolf Nureyev and Roland Petit. As a choreographer and choreographer, he has collaborated with ensembles from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Monaco, the USA, Canada, Japan and Hong Kong. Thus, his productions have graced the repertoires of theaters in Dortmund, Munich, Stuttgart, Berlin, Karlsruhe, New York, Seoul and Astana.

The stunning choreography of Raimondo Rebeca, combining traditional ancient dance with elements of classical ballet, will present to the audience all the luxury of the East and the magic of the Great Silk Road. The combination of colorfulness and sensuality, tradition and modernity, blazing energy and deep symbolism has already become a sensation in the world of choreography. The charm of the unique dance and the mesmerizing sound of folk musical instruments, the incredible light score and the latest stage technologies, as well as, of course, the brilliant performance of the troupe of the National Ballet of Uzbekistan will not leave anyone indifferent! 

The author of the idea is Saida Mirziyoyeva

Project Manager – Gayane Umerova

Libretto and choreography by Raimondo Rebeck

Set design by Yoko Seyama

Costume designer – Frol Burimsky

Musical arrangement and composition – Davidson Jaconello

Lighting Designer – Tim Vaclavek

Consultants – Gulnora Musayeva and Gavkhar Matyakubova

The Foundation for the Development of Culture and Art of Uzbekistan in 2017 by decree of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The Foundation's mission is to integrate the culture of Uzbekistan into the world cultural space, develop opportunities within the country by creating an inclusive and accessible environment in cultural institutions, renovate museums, develop patronage and build the human resources of museums, theaters and other cultural institutions. The Foundation's projects cover several areas: art, literature, theater, music, architecture, choreography, cinema. Applying an interdisciplinary approach and bringing together specialists from different countries, the Foundation promotes the development of cultural diplomacy between the CIS, Europe and Asia.

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