Ballet Imperial by Shoko Nakamura and Wieslaw Dudek

Ballet Imperial by Shoko Nakamura, Wieslaw Dudek, Stephanie Greenwald, Kevin Pouzou, Marian Walter and Corps de Ballet, choreo by George Balanchine, music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Taken on 13.09.2013 at 2013/14 Season Opening Gala,  Staatsballett Berlin.

Shoko Nakamura is First Soloist with Staatsballett Berlin. She studied at Chikako Tanaka Ballettschule in Fukuoka (1986-1996) and later  John-Cranko-Schule in Stuttgart (1996-1998).

Wieslaw Dudek was born in Poland, Ostrow Wielkopolski. he studied in National School of Ballet, Lodz. He was enaged by Warsaw National Ballet, kater soloist and first soloist with Lodz Ballet, starting from 000 in Stuttgarter Ballett; 2004 as Soloist with Staatsballett Berlin and at  2006 as First Soloist.

Ballet Imperial (Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2) is a ballet made by New York City Ballet’s co-founder and founding choreographer George Balanchine on his earlier company, American Ballet Caravan to eponymous music from 1879–80. The premiere took place on May 29, 1941, at Teatro Municipal, Rio de Janeiro, under the title Concerto No. 2; it was renamed Ballet Imperial before receiving its final title.
Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2 was first staged for New York City Ballet by Frederic Franklin on October 15, 1964, at the New York State Theater, Lincoln Center, and was re-choreographed by Balanchine for a January 12, 1973, premiere under its current title. Traditional tutus and scenery in the grand Russian style were used through the 1964 NYCB revival; from Balanchine’s 1973 revision it has been danced with chiffon skirts designed by Karinska and without scenery. He said that the ballet is “a contemporary tribute to Petipa, ‘the father of the classical ballet,’ and to Tschaikovsky, his greatest composer.”

Photos by Jack Devant © with kind permission of the Staatsballett Berlin, special thanks to Vladimir Malakhov and Nadine Jäger.