Strictly Bolshoi To be aired on channel 4 December 25th 3.30pm 2007
One of the highlight’s of Channel 4’s Christmas programming is this intimate and thrilling one-off film following the world’s most sought after ballet choreographer, Christopher Wheeldon, as he becomes the first Englishman to be invited to create a new work for the prestigious Bolshoi Ballet.
Strictly Bolshoi is conceived and shot by the infamous Ballet Boyz (former Royal Ballet stars, Michael Nunn & William Trevitt). These two champions of accessible dance have raised public awareness of dance and helped demystify it through their innovative film and television work and critically acclaimed stage shows.
Born in England and a product of the Royal Ballet system, Christopher now lives and works in New York. He has created more than 40 original works on some of the finest ballet companies and was the first person to hold the prestigious title of ‘Resident Choreographer’ with the New York City Ballet, since its founder George Balanchine.
The Bolshoi Ballet is undoubtedly one of the ballet companies and is closely associated with the beginnings of ballet. Its unrivalled virtuosity and technical brilliance is the envy of every company the world over. Housed in the beautiful new Bolshoi Theatre in the heart of Moscow, the film gains unprecedented access to its studios, artists and traditions, capturing the pressures and demands that Christopher faces as he strives to create a ballet worthy of its dancers and the strict traditions they must observe daily, as artists and as a company.
Estonian composer Arvo Pärt, whose music is featured in the performance of the ballet is one of the true masters of contemporary classical music. ‘Third Symphony’ is a deliciously rich piece, with simple singular notes layered over one another to create a rich musical tapestry which Wheeldon has skilfully echoed through his choreography.
The film features some of the world’s finest classical ballet dancers including the Bolshoi’s own Nicolai Tsiskaridze and Maria Alexandrova, as well as Darcey Bussell in rare rehearsal footage of Wheeldon’s most recent creation for The Royal Ballet, DGV.
Blending fly-on-the-wall footage of the creative process in Moscow as well as diary-cam confessions and interviews from some of the ballet world’s most illustrious figures, this film conceived and executed by The Ballet Boyz, Michael Nunn and William Trevitt enables the viewer to witness first hand the trials and tribulations involved in creating a ballet for one of the world’s most notorious artistic establishments. The documentary culminates in the broadcast of the ballet that Christopher choreographed for the Bolshoi, which the company performed in Moscow at its world premiere earlier this year before bringing it to London to great acclaim.
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