Birmingham Royal Ballet's Tour to China

18 December 2008

Birmingham Royal Ballet’s international touring continues to China in January 2009 with performances of two full-length narrative ballets; Company Director David Bintley’s Beauty and the Beast and Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet. The Company performs in Guangzhou, a sister city of Birmingham, Beijing and Shanghai. The Royal Ballet Sinfonia, the Orchestra of the Birmingham Royal Ballet, will also delight audiences with concerts in Beijing and Shanghai.

Birmingham Royal Ballet is pleased to announce the 2009 tour is sponsored by Amway Artistry, Birmingham City Council, IMI, The University of Birmingham, Bournville College, Advantage West Midlands and the British Council.

The tour to China is the largest undertaking of the Company in recent years and is designed to showcase the work of the Company and the region to audiences of over 25,000 people. It is also hoped that the tour will further enhance the Company’s international reputation as an ambitious and creative young Company.

Christopher Barron, Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Chief Executive, said "Over recent years, David Bintley’s choreography has been very well received in Japan and Hong Kong and the tour to China is a fantastic opportunity to profile the Company at an international level."

David Bintley’s Beauty and the Beast premiered at the Birmingham Hippodrome in December 2003 and charmed audiences throughout the UK and during the Company’s tour to Japan in 2008. The ballet tells the classic fairytale story of passion and prejudice as Belle journeys to meet her beastly captor and discovers the meaning of true love. Exquisite sets are by designer Phillip Prowse, music by Canadian composer Glenn Buhr and lighting by Mark Jonathan.

Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet was first performed by Birmingham Royal Ballet in 1992 and is the greatest love story ever told. When young Romeo Montague tricks his way into the lavish Capulet’s masked ball and sees the young Juliet Capulet it is love at first dance. Boldly forgoing the approval of their families, the young lovers play by their own rules and soon their dangerous seduction is filled with secrets, as the star-crossed pair hatch a perilous plot. Can Romeo and Juliet play tricks with life and death – or will death play a final trick on them? With a sweeping score by Sergei Prokofiev and soaring choreography from a legendary master of modern ballet, Romeo and Juliet continues to be the all-time classic love story. Designs are by Paul Andrews.

Birmingham Royal Ballet is proud to be based in the City of Birmingham and the international tour to China helps to promote the wealth of Arts and Businesses in Birmingham to an audience in China as well as build on the relationships that already exist in Asia.

Performance schedule:

Guangzhou – Baiyun International Convention Centre
Romeo and Juliet
Friday 9 January
Saturday 10 January

Beijing – National Centre for the Performing Arts
Beauty and the Beast
Tuesday 13 January
Wednesday 14 January
Thursday 15 January

Royal Ballet Sinfonia Concert
Friday 16 January

Romeo and Juliet
Saturday 17 January
Sunday 18 January

Shanghai – Grand Theatre
Beauty and the Beast
Wednesday 21 January

Shanghai – Concert Hall
Royal Ballet Sinfonia Concert
Thursday 22 January

Shanghai – Grand Theatre
Romeo and Juliet
Friday 23 January
Saturday 24 January


ENDS

For further press information please contact:
Simon Harper, Media and PR Manager, on 0121 245 3562; Email: SimonHarper@brb.org.uk
or Claire Lishman, Media and PR Officer, on 0121 245 3549 Email: ClaireLishman@brb.org.uk

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