A fairy-tale performance of classical ballet is coming to Greece for the first time!

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Classical Ballet for the whole family!

Ukrainian CHID National Opera and Ballet Theatre

FRIDAY, SATURDAY, AND SUNDAY

17th, 18th, and 19th of May 2024

Love can change everything!

Follow the brave Beauty in her journey towards true love and the exciting life she always dreamed of, in a unique choreography by the famous French choreographer Johann Noz which even includes an impressive flight of the dancers above the stage!

This wonderful fairy tale, coming to Greece for the first time in a classical ballet performance, reveals the great power of love – the ability to see true, inner beauty even beneath the mask of external ugliness, to fight for victory over death, to promote moral rebirth, to inspire heroism and self-sacrifice – such moral lessons were, are, and will always be relevant.

A popular fairy tale-artwork takes shape this spring at the “Theatron” of the “Hellenic Cosmos” Cultural Centre by the National Opera and Ballet Theatre of CHID (Syd) of Ukraine with top soloists and a corps de ballet consisting of 60 members!



When a very poor girl, in order to save her father from trouble, is forced to stay for months with a seemingly hideous beast, she realizes how trapped she was in her beliefs and how what she saw was distancing her from the truth she sought in her life. All of the above and many more have made Beauty and the Beast one of the most instructive fairy tales of all time.

The performance is dedicated to both young and old and comes to Athens from the prestigious CHID ballet, which consists of top dancers trained at one of the oldest classical ballet schools in Ukraine. With impressive sets and costumes, they will take the audience on a journey filled with the art of the international language understood by both young and old, that of ballet.

This ballet is based on an ancient story that has come to us from the depths of time. For the first time, one of its versions was published in 1553, in the collection of the Italian author Giovanni Francesco Straparola, and in the 18th century, this plot appeared in the works of two French authors, Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont and Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve. Since then, it began its journey throughout Europe. And with the advent of cinema and animated films, the fairy tale of Beauty and the Beast has become one of the most successful bestsellers in the world.

In this performance, a magical love story is combined with the wonderful music of great composers from different eras – masters of the strict and refined baroque, sensual romanticism, and revolutionary 20th-century music. It includes compositions by Johann Strauss, Johann Sebastian Bach, Léo Delibes, Jacques Offenbach, Johann Pachelbel, Erik Satie, and Gustav Holst. Along with the unique sets and costumes, the set design of the performance uses modern multimedia technologies and shadow theater elements. The ballet choreography combines both classical and contemporary techniques.

The performance, created with the participation of experienced teachers from the National Opera of Chid Ukraine, is one of the best productions in the repertoire of Ballet for the whole family. The goal is over time for young viewers to join the ranks of adult fans of classical ballet.

“Beauty and the Beast is a wonderful, instructive story and at the same time a bright, exciting performance for children of all ages. There is a lot of interesting music in the ballet, both popular and rarely performed, which will interest an adult audience as well. The French choreographer Johann Noz created a very different choreography: there are both classical and contemporary elements – from simple dances to complex duet steps, from simple jumps to virtuoso tricks. Moreover, many surprises await the audience, such as shadow theater and a real flight on stage! The directors managed to create bright, unforgettable images that perfectly match the music and will leave no one indifferent.

The performance has been enriched with a completely original set design that does not replicate any of the existing staged versions. Stunning transformations take place on stage: in the world of dreams and miraculous transformations, everything is possible: every beautiful person can turn out to be a beast and vice versa. In the performance, objects will come to life, reflections in mirrors where you can see the starry sky, images of Beauty and the Beast, or a warm French village. The curtains will be a complex intertwining of branches, roots – a kind of magical tree or, if you will, a tree of knowledge, from the branches of which a magical frame is woven, crafted in the style of the great architect Antoni Gaudí.

The choreographer of the performance Johann Noz

He began studying classical dance at the age of five. After graduating from the School of Economic Sciences of the University of Nancy, he returned to the creative professions of dancer and director. He works in both classical and modern styles. As a choreographer, Johann Noz embodies various musical projects on stage: The Little Mermaid at the Palais des Congrès (Paris), The Magic Christmas at the Palais des Congrès (Paris), Asterix's Musical Run in Gaul at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées (Paris), Little Match Girl at the Palais-Royal (Paris), Peter Pan at the Théâtre Bobinot (Paris).

He received the Public Award for his production of the work "Frida" in memory and respect for the artist Frida Kahlo. He was an advisor in the choreography of the parade in honor of the 20th anniversary of Disneyland Paris, as well as a coach and choreographer on the programs "The Incredible Talent of France" (on channel M6), "Arabian Talent" (on channel MBC4), "New Star" (on channel D8), "The Famous Dance" (on E! Entertainment), "Searching" (on W9), "XFactor" (on Rustavi 2), and "Arabian Idol" (on MBC1).

Recently, he has staged productions at the Reims and Toulon operas, Fiddler on the Roof at the Théâtre d'Avignon and at the Opera in the Paris suburb of Massy, Aladdin and Madiba at the Théâtre de la Comédie. He is a member of the musical group "Ménilmontant" and collaborates with the Sony Classic production center. Johann has choreographed Twisted Vegas, Westgate Theater, and Magic Dream at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, among others.

In 2016, he staged the musical Timéo at the Casino de Paris. He choreographed the ballet "The Little Prince" at the National Opera and Ballet Theatre of Kharkiv named after M. Lysenko. In 2018, he staged The Umbrellas of Cherbourg for PBA, The Wonderful Town for the Toulon Opera, Tom Sawyer at Teatro Magador, and C'était quand la dernière fois at Théâtre Tristan Bernard. That same year, he was nominated for Best Choreographer at the Trophée de la Comédie music competition.

In the near future, Johann is preparing to bring to life an international version of the work about Nelson Mandela "Madiba" in Australia, as well as "Into the Woods" for Clé des Chants. As a member of the vocal group Menilmontant, Johann Noz has signed a contract with Sony Production Center and directs the dance department of the International Academy of Musical Comedy in Paris, while participating in many prestigious events in France and other European countries.

National Opera and Ballet of CHID (Syd) - Kharkiv, Ukraine

The Chid Opera and Ballet is one of the most historic operas in Eastern Europe, based in Kharkiv, Ukraine.

It has been touring across Europe for years and has created a repertoire with famous ballets choreographed by renowned choreographers from France, England, Germany, and Ukraine.

The top soloists of the ballet come from the Academic Choreographic School of Kyiv, which has produced great ballet stars such as Svetlana Zakharova, Sergei Polunin, and others.