The Cairo Opera Ballet Company is presenting the world-class classical ballet Coppelia, accompanied by Cairo Opera Orchestra conducted by Maestro Mohamed Saad Pasha, in five performances across this week.
The performances will begin at 9:00 pm on Thursday, Friday, Sunday, and Monday, May 8, 11, and 12, in addition to a gala performance at 2:00 pm on Friday, May 9, on the Grand Theater.
Directed by Artistic Director Armenia Kamel, the ballet Coppelia is choreographed by Valentin Barty, with set design by Mohamed al-Gharbawy, lighting by Yasser Shalaan, costumes by Gianluca Saito, and music by French composer Léo Delibes.
The Coppelia is a ballet inspired by the story of the famous German writer Ernst Hoffmann. The events take place in three acts in a village located between Hungary and Poland.
It revolves around the beautiful wooden puppet Coppelia, created by the genius inventor Dr. Coppelius. The young Frans falls in love with her, believing her to be a real person. However, his lively fiancee, Solinda, carries out a clever trick with the help of the villagers to rid him of his illusions.
Coppelia is a world-class ballet, first performed at the Paris Opera in 1870. It is a fantasy show characterized by dazzling visuals and the integration of artistic elements, including lighting, set design, and costumes. It has been performed on various stages worldwide and has been adapted in several artistic forms.
This ballet aims to convey to the audience a dreamy, imaginative atmosphere sometimes characterized by joy and humor, and at other times by sadness, jealousy, and defiance.
The Cairo Opera Ballet Company was founded in 1966 and was affiliated with the Higher Institute of Ballet. It presented its first performances in the same year, and it also presented its performances in many countries around the world, including Russia, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Germany, France and Tunisia.
It became one of the troupes affiliated with the Opera House in 1991. Its repertoire includes several renowed international classical performances, including Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Giselle, Don Quixote, The Rite of Spring, Hamlet, Lorcan, Carmina Burana, Bolero, Cinderella, Dances We Meet, and In Spite of Everything.
