The best of Russian ballet is coming to Dubai on stage and ice

Be enchanted by two shows featuring the best repertoire and music from the genre

The Ballet Icons Gala at Dubai Opera will pay tribute to Russian impresario Sergei Diaghilev. Photo: Marc Haegeman

The best of Russian ballet will be on show, both on stage and ice, in Dubai.

On January 20 and 21, 2022, Dubai Opera will host a lavish event in tribute to 20th-century impresario Sergei Diaghilev.

The Ballet Icons Gala will feature a repertoire developed by Diaghilev with Ballets Russes, the Paris dance company he founded and that, during its 20-year spell from 1909, revolutionised the art form.

Under Diaghilev, the company promoted groundbreaking choreographers such as Michel Fokine and Vaslav Nijinsky, in addition to commissioning pieces by star composers Igor Stravinsky and Claude Debussy.

The best of those stirring works, including selections from Petrushka, The Firebird and Swan Lake, will be performed in the UAE by an international ensemble of dancers from Russia, the UK and Europe.

Tickets start at Dh390 ($106) from dubaiopera.com, with both shows beginning at 8pm.

A ballet of champions

For those looking for a more acrobatic twist to ballet performances, check out Dubai's Coca-Cola Arena to see the Sleeping Beauty: Ice Show on Saturday and Sunday, December 4 and 5.

A fresh take on the classic late 19th-century production by composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky, the ballet – based on the French fairy tale – will be brought to life by director Tatiana Navka.

Navka is a 2006 Winter Olympics gold medallist and three-time winner at the European Figure Skating Championships for ice dancing.

Navka enlisted 2018 Winter Olympics champion Alina Zagitova in the starring role as the cursed princess.

Zagitova's Dubai appearance comes as the athlete reportedly took a break from all competitions for the 2021-2022 season.

Tickets for both concerts start at Dh150, from coca-cola-arena.com, with both shows beginning at 6.30pm.