Russian ballet stars light up Beijing stage

Dancers from the Mariinsky Ballet and Moscow Classical Ballet perform Paquita. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

There were almost no empty seats in the Tianqiao Theater, in Beijing's Xuanwu district with more than 1,200 in all where top Russian performers from the most noted ballet troupes in Moscow shone the spotlight for three successive nights.

As one of the climaxes of the 2nd China International Ballet Season, 90 dancers, including 10 principals, or first soloists, from the Bolshoi Theater of Russia, Mariinsky Ballet and Kremlin Ballet Theatre were invited to treat Beijing fans with a brilliant gala. According to unnamed managerial staff in the theater, such a well-balanced lineup of dancers was rare in China.