Teatro alla Scala Ballet to present Giselle in Shanghai

Teatro alla Scala Ballet from Milan, Italy, will present four shows of Giselle at Shanghai Grand Theatre from March 21 to 24.

The renowned company just completed four successful performances of Le Corsaire at the Hong Kong Arts Festival, and will perform in Shanghai only for this tour in the Chinese mainland.

Teatro alla Scala Ballet made its first China visit in 2006, when it performed at the grand theatre one of its most celebrated repertoire , A Midsummer Night's Dream. In 2018, it staged again at the grand theatre, dancing Don Quixote.

La Scala Ballet was founded in 1778 and is widely recognized as the finest representative of Italian ballet style, said Zhang Xiaoding, general manager of the grand theatre. The frequent shows by internationally acclaimed companies reflect the theater's strong vision for art resources all over the world, while sustaining high level for top quality productions, she said.

French dancer-turned choreographer Manuel Legris took the job as its artistic director in 2020. Legris recalled Shanghai audiences' passionate love for ballet from his previous two visits at the grand theatre in 2014 and 2016, respectively, performing at the ballet gala nights.

The star dancers for the leading roles, Nicoletta Manni and Timofej Andrijashenko, said on March 20 that the two of them began to dance together in Giselle, and the production accompanied their growth. The couple will be dancing Giselle together for the first time in Shanghai, after they got married last August.