Tourists flock to Ballet Festival in Bodrum
MUĞLA
Organized by the General Directorate of State Opera and Ballet, the Bodrum Ballet Festival, Türkiye's first and only ballet festival, is meeting art lovers for the 21st time.
The event, held in Bodrum Castle, attracted great interest from both local and foreign tourists.
The event kicked off on Aug. 3 with Tchaikovsky’s famous “Swan Lake,” performed by the İzmir State Opera and Ballet with the Bolshoi Theater principal dancers, Denis Rodkin and Eleonora Sevenard.
At the opening of the festival, a short screening was also shown in memory of the deceased ballerina Almula Özlem.
Speaking at the opening of the event, State Opera and Ballet General Director Tan Sağtürk said: "In the festival, you will have the opportunity to watch world-famous artists who have achieved great success in their fields. The Bolshoi dancers and the famous Brazilian Basileu França Group are among these stars. We would like to dedicate this night to our dear friend Almula Özlem, our valuable ballet artist and chief choreographer whom we lost at a young age.”
The festival will feature 11 performances of six works until Aug. 22.
The “Carmen” ballet, which will be staged by Samsun State Opera and Ballet, can be seen on Aug. 7 and 8.
On Aug. 11 and 12, Mersin State Opera and Ballet will bring “The Great Gatsby” to the stage with its music, dances, sets and costumes that bring the spirit of that period to the present day.
"Güldestan,” a music and dance production from Türkiye and has been staged around the world for 25 years, will be staged by the Istanbul State Opera and Ballet with music by Mercan Dede and direction and choreography by Beyhan Murphy.
On Aug. 17 and 18, Basileu França Group will be on stage at the Bodrum Castle. The show, “Ballet Latino Tango,” which features three works named “Capricho,” “Ginga” and “A Fuego Lento,” will be staged with the choreography of Binho Pacheco and Ricardo Amarante, with Simone Malta as the Artistic Director.
The festival will end with the “Zorba the Greek” ballet to be staged by the Ankara State Opera and Ballet on Aug. 21-22. Inspired by the work of the same name by the famous Greek writer Nikos Kazantzakis, the ballet’s choreography and libretto belong to Lorca Massine.
