Published on: 2026-10-31
Source: People’s Republic of China — Translation
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
October 17, 2026, concert as part of the 25th Shanghai International Arts Festival in Shanghai, eastern China. /Photo: Xinhua/
Shanghai, October 27 /Xinhua/ — Recently, to the final notes of the musical accompaniment, the last performance of the Bolshoi Theatre ballet troupe concluded as part of the 25th Shanghai International Arts Festival on the stage of the cultural and theatrical complex “Shanghai Cultural Square.” Performing classical pieces with perfect pirouettes on their toes and refined jumps, this world-renowned troupe with more than two centuries of history completed nearly three weeks of touring in China.
This year, the Shanghai International Arts Festival and the “Shanghai Cultural Square” jointly presented the dance season “Presence Turned Into a Dream” for the first time, with the Bolshoi Theatre ballet troupe performing in the closing segment that crowned the season’s program. In 2026, the Bolshoi Theatre will celebrate its 250th anniversary, so the troupe specially brought two landmark performances for the Shanghai stage: from October 21 to 23, the classic ballet “Don Quixote” was shown, and from October 24 to 25, it presented the dance suite “Divertissement,” which encompasses the artistic achievements of the troupe throughout its entire existence.
The tours of the Bolshoi Theatre ballet troupe in China began in Beijing on October 7. After performances in the city of Nanjing, Jiangsu Province /Eastern China/, Shanghai became the final point of the trip. According to the organizers, all tickets for the Shanghai stage performances were completely sold out. A Shanghai resident surnamed Wang, who attended the performance on October 21, did not hide his delight after watching it: “Each spin on the toes is strikingly stable; you simply cannot resist applauding in time with the music.”
The artistic director of the Bolshoi Theatre ballet company, Makhari Vaziev, stated in an interview that “Don Quixote” is one of the main performances of the Bolshoi Theatre, which was staged at the beginning of the 20th century by Alexander Gorsky at the theatre. “This performance has, in principle, incorporated all the generations that created and participated in it. It is one of the best and most important performances in the Bolshoi Theatre repertoire, which is why we chose it,” he said.
“I love Shanghai very much,” said M. Vaziev, who had visited this city several times before. According to him, the Shanghai audience understands and loves ballet very well, so every time the troupe takes the stage, it requires even greater efforts to confirm their high status and the quality of their performance.
M. Vaziev reported that during this trip, a meeting with Chinese choreographers is planned to discuss a future joint project. “I sincerely hope that in the future the friendship between the two countries will strengthen, and we will visit each other more often. All of this is only for the benefit of our two countries,” he noted.
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