Ballerina Nina Ananiashvili brings her vision of Don Quixote to Hong Kong
Star dancer Nina Ananiashvili brings her vision to Hong Kong Ballet's Don Quixote, writes Natasha Rogai
A superstar is in town. Nina Ananiashvili, one of the greatest ballerinas of the 20th century and former star of the Bolshoi Ballet and American Ballet Theatre, is here to stage a production of Don Quixote for Hong Kong Ballet - and the dancers are dazzled.
For Yuh Egami, who grew up watching her videos, working with the star has been surreal.
"She is such a great inspiration and fantastic to work with. So funny and passionate and ... always laughing a lot," Egami says.
Ballet is about stagecraft and art, not just technique
Fellow dancer Jonathan Spigner agrees: "She's a great character. It's easy to fall in love with her."
People around the world have been falling in love with Ananiashvili since she burst onto the scene in the 1980s. Born in Georgia, where she was a national figure skating champion, she switched to ballet and moved to Moscow to study full time at the age of 13, accompanied by her grandmother.
Dancing lead roles with the Bolshoi during her teenage years, she is famous for her beauty, the virtuosity of her dancing and radiant stage presence. A national treasure in her homeland, she returned to Georgia in 2004 at the invitation of then president Mikheil Saakashvili to become artistic director of the State Ballet of Georgia.
In person Ananiashvili is youthful and lively - her sparkle and sense of humour make it easy to see why Kitri, Don Quixote's feisty heroine, was one of her signature roles. Packed with comedy and spectacular dancing, this is a ballet everybody loves. "It's exciting, there's no tragedy - even if you're in a bad mood you come out feeling good," she says. "Ballet is so easy to watch - you get music, dance and drama all in one."