LATVIA: The international Baltic Ballet Festival opens with a performance in the Latvian capital held at Riga central station

Record ID: 741611
Image displayed on video track at

0:00

/ 0:18

Live


  • Title: LATVIA: The international Baltic Ballet Festival opens with a performance in the Latvian capital held at Riga central station
  • Date: 13th April 2011
  • Summary: DANCERS PERFORMING PEOPLE WATCHING WOMAN WATCHING DANCERS PERFORMING
  • Embargoed: 28th April 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Latvia, Latvia
  • Country: Latvia
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz
  • Reuters ID: LVACIQ60RZFQCDB6789N4Y215BY3
  • Story Text: Organisers of the16th International Baltic Ballet Festival took a different track for this year's event, putting on the opening performance inside Riga's central train station.
    Commuters in the Latvian capital got more than they bargained for when they were greeted at the platform with an orchestra and dancers.
    "It is so nice! Closer to the people. Not everybody is able to go to the opera house, but here everyone can come and see the performance," said one arriving passenger, Ausma Klavina.
    Spectators took the novelty in their stride unperturbed by having to stand and the backdrop of the train departures board.
    "The main thing for me is the ballet artists and not the venue I see. I am going to watch the performance and not the people around," said Skaidrite Sila.
    It isn't the first time that the festival's opening performance has been held at the train station, with festival director Lita Beiris determined to bring ballet out of its usual elite setting and directly to the people.
    "It is my goal - to bring ballet to a wider audience instead of offering it to an exclusive public able to afford it. My wish is that everybody who likes ballet can afford to watch it. The setting here is so democratic and the acoustics are so wonderful - just like in a concert hall!" she said.
    Participants from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Ukraine, Spain, Turkey, Korea and China are taking part in this year's festival, which includes both modern and classical ballet shows.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: Audio restrictions: This clip's Audio includes copyrighted material. User is responsible for obtaining additional clearances before publishing the audio contained in this clip.
Register