Now Georgia is on the Ballet map – Nina Ananiashvili, artistic director of the State Ballet of Georgia, proudly claimed during her exclusive interview with GEORGIA TODAY. Indeed, that global recognition of Georgian ballet, and the lengths Georgia has come in the art, has been achieved, without any doubt, thanks to Nina Ananiashvili and her team within the Tbilisi Zakaria Paliashvili Opera and Ballet State Theater over the past 20 years.
2023 was a very successful year for Tbilisi’s Ballet, and while the season is already coming to an end, you do not have to worry, as you can expect a lot more surprises ahead for 2024!
GEORGIA TODAY went to speak to Nina and her team about the busy year we are soon to say farewell to, but first, let’s start by reviewing the origins of the State Ballet of Georgia to understand its current role in Georgia’s artistic tradition.
Tbilisi Zakaria Paliashvili Opera and Ballet State Theater: A tumultuous past but an undeniable role in the creation of Georgian Ballet
The Opera and Ballet Theater of Tbilisi was first opened in 1851, and the first ballet performance took place in 1852, with a staging of the second act of Filippo Taglioni’s La Sylphide and Polka-Vengerka by the St. Petersburg Ballet Company. The first official premiere and first full-length ballet performance took place two years after, with La Gitana. It was a major event for Georgia during the 19th century.
Unfortunately, the building that French novelist Alexandre Dumas defined as Georgian’s “jewel,” unmatched with the multiple theaters he had seen, burned down first in 1874 and then again a hundred years later in 1973. The Opera House was renovated between 2010 and 2015 to increase the quality of work for dancers and employees alike, in its redesign, remaining loyal to its first look while introducing new technologies.
The Opera and Ballet Theater of Tbilisi had to go through a tough period linked to the geopolitical context of Georgia at the end of the 20th century and in the early 2000s, as, while Russia had brought a broad audience to Georgia’s stages during the Soviet period, the collapse changed everything. Nina Ananiashvili, a prima ballerina, remembers the call begging her to take charge of the Tbilisi Ballet. The decision to take on this great responsibility meant she had to say goodbye to her illustrious career as a ballerina, marked by international acclaim, prestigious awards, and a plethora of unique solos. As a star ballerina, she left not only an indelible mark on the global stage, but also contributed significantly to the cultural heritage of Georgia when she decided to move back and “tie her name with” the country’s Ballet. In 2024, it will be 20 years since she first took on that artistic directorship; 20 years seeing her always busy making sure everything turns out perfect, or at least the very best it can be.
2023: A successful year with a full agenda
In 2023, the Ballet of Tbilisi claimed a very successful year, keeping up with a tradition of excellence.
The year started in the traditional way of the Opera and Ballet Theater of Tbilisi, with the festive Nutcracker ballet ,closely followed by Pinocchio. Then, in February, the Ballet went more international, welcoming Kazakh dancers from the Astana Opera, Shugila Adepkhan and Armanur Azov, as the soloists in Don Quixote. Razmik Marukyan, the leading soloist of the Armenian National Theater of Opera and Ballet, was also invited to perform in Don Quixote. The ballet also added to the Georgians’ success story with the debut of Nino Khahutashvili.
In spring, a successful tour was conducted in several cities of the United States of America. Two ballets by George Balanchine were presented: Serenade, and Concerto Barocco. As is customary, Yuri Possokhov’s Sagalobeli, a signature piece of the Tbilisi Ballet, was included on this international tour to promote Georgia’s Ballet art.
At the beginning of May, the Tbilisi Ballet expanded its performance of Don Quixote to Bologna, Italy. With Giselle presented to the public at the end of the month, Mariam Eloshvili and Masaaki Goto made an outstanding debut.
Summer 2023 was very busy, with the reintroduction of an almost-lost tradition: The Tbilisi Ballet Festival, which aims to promote Georgian Ballet by presenting the most celebrated repertoires, including Othello, Don Quixote, Le Corsaire, La Sylphide Adagio, Giselle and even Carmina Burana. The 4th edition of this festival was held from June to July, and welcomed conductors and dancers from across the world to meet their eager ballet fans in Georgia. Some masterclasses were successfully held within the frames of the festival with Angel Corella and Elena Glurijdze, both world-famous ballet dancers.
In September, the unique and immortal Swan Lake was performed, and Julio Bocca visited Tbilisi for a special masterclass. In October, Don Quixote was again presented at the Opera and Ballet Theater of Tbilisi.
Olivier Patey visited Tbilisi Ballet in November and, with the support of the French Institute, held classes on the occasion of the premiere of Bayadère on the 14th. The Bayadère premiere was highlighted as a true success.
As the end of the year is coming, Nutcracker is back, for the pleasure of all the lovers of this traditional Christmas ballet. This season’s Nutcracker will see the debut of Sesili Guguchia and will feature international dancers like Maria Kochetkova and Efe Burak, the latter appointed leading soloist of Tbilisi Ballet this year.
But we cannot talk about the top dancers without mentioning the vibrant pupils following in their footsteps; the next generation of Georgian stars wishing to become like the idols they see dancing on the main stages of the world. These are the pupils of the Vakhtang Chabukiani Tbilisi Ballet School. The school has also done a lot this year for its students: between masterclasses, cultural visits and participation in ballets such as Pinocchio, Don Quixote, Swan Lake and Bayadère, they also participated successfully in international competitions and were awarded, for sure giving hope for numerous future ballet dancers in Georgia. This could not have been possible without the involvement of the Friends of the Georgian Ballet, a non-profit organization founded in 2006 with the aim of supporting the initiatives of the State Ballet of Georgia, and contributing to the development of the Georgian Ballet. During the 2022/2023 school year, the organization funded full-year scholarships for 10 students, and supported selected students’ participation in the Domenico Modugno International Ballet Competition, as well as other projects related to the State Ballet of Georgia.
What to expect in 2024
2024 will start as 2023 ends, with the Nutcracker. Then, Nina Ananiashvili tells us, we can except a return of Bayadère, which was so successful that the public keep demanding it be brought back. Sleeping Beauty is also to be expected on the stage in 2024, while the Tbilisi Ballet Festival is already getting set for its 5Th edition next summer, with new guests to connect Georgia even more tightly to the global world of Ballet.
Nina emphasizes the importance of tours to promote what is done here in Tbilisi, noting that she is hopping for more tours next year: in Japan, Italy, the UK. Indeed, the spirit seems to be that if people cannot come to Georgia to see the Ballet, then the Ballet will come to them, and Nina confides that there is no bigger compliment than someone telling her they want to come to Georgia to see more of the company.
She is indeed admirably sticking to her goal to promote the country that raised her, a country that clearly and deservedly makes her proud. And where 2023 set high standards with many successful projects and outcomes, 2024 will undoubtedly be full of equally worthy surprises that will put stars in anyone’s eyes.
By Léa Montagne
