National ballet star to perform in St. Petersburg

By Laman Ismayilova

Azerbaijan's Honored Artist Teymur Asgarov will perform in Léo Delibes's "Sylvia" ballet in the St. Petersburg State Academic Mariinsky Theater on December 15.

The ballet dancer will play the role of Aminta, a shepherd who is in love with a huntress nymph Sylvia. 

Asgarov has been working in the Mariinsky Theater since 2011. He is a winner of the "Spirit of Dance" award in the "Rising Star" category by "Ballet" magazine in 2012, prizewinner at the 11th International Ballet Dancers' and Choreographers' Competition in Moscow in 2013, and recipient of the Azerbaijan Presidential Youth Prize for Culture in 2013.

Teymur Asgarov is a graduate of the Baku School of Choreography. In 2008-2011, the ballet dancer performed at the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater, the Ukraine Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet named after T. Shevchenko.

Asgarov was recognized as the best male dancer in duet nomination of the International Ballet Competition and contest of choreographers that took place at Russia’s Bolshoi Theater in 2013.

The ballet dancer has successfully performed in such ballets as "Giselle", "The Sleeping Beauty", "Swan Lake", "Don Quixote", "The Nutcracker", "Carmen Suite", "The Legend of Love", "Le Corsaire", "Chopiniana", and other ballets.

With the Mariinsky Theater, Asgarov toured around Europe, Asia and America.

"Sylvia" is a wonderful journey, combining the stories of three superheroines in Ancient Greece.

A full-length ballet in two or three acts was first choreographed by Louis Mérante to music by Léo Delibes in 1876.

The ballet has many interesting features that make it unique. Sylvia is notable for its mythological Arcadian setting, creative choreographies, expansive sets and, above all, its remarkable score.

The ballet's origins are in Tasso's 1573 play Aminta, which provides the basic plot of Delibes' work. Jules Barbier and Baron de Reinach adapted this for the Paris Opera.

The piano arrangement was composed in 1876 and the orchestral suite was done in 1880.

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Laman Ismayilova  is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

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