The Enchanted World of the Ballet with Orchestra

Jerusalem Ballet and the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra unite the muses

There’s something inherently beautiful about Jerusalem—especially when things come together. This time, the Jerusalem Ballet has decided to merge with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra to compose a single, unfolding score of wonders. Yes, it’s true: the gala evening is called The Enchanted World of the Ballet, choreographer Nadya Timofeyeva joins forces with conductor Mikhail Mering, and the dancers from the Jerusalem Ballet School and the Jerusalem Ballet company entwine with the musicians of the JSO.

                                  Photo by Leonid Khromchenko

As for the program—one can hardly contain the imagination. Already, you can see bodies weaving through orchestral lines, blending with the deepest currents of musical meaning. There’s precedent: the Jerusalem Ballet has danced alongside Chen Zimbalista’s orchestra and the Israel Symphony Orchestra Rishon LeZion, proving that the marriage of movement and live sound is always fertile. And now, the union of two “children” of the Bolshoi Theatre, Nadya Timofeyeva and Mikhail Mering (former Bolshoi conductor and now right hand to the artistic director of the Jerusalem Symphony, Julian Rachlin) takes center stage.

The DNA of classical ballet is woven from crowns, pointe shoes, gemstones, a touch of animal folklore (what is a ballet without the Big Bad Wolf and Puss in Boots?), and, of course, Tchaikovsky, embedded in each of us as a cultural reflex. The moment you hear him, you already want to balance like Aurora in the Rose Adagio, suspended between four cavaliers—and somewhere in that pause, between childhood and adulthood. Aurora opens the evening, but Sleeping Beauty will be interrupted by the gopak from Taras Bulba, followed by The Nutcracker, then back to Sleeping Beauty, and then Tango by Piazzolla, Bournonville’s Tarantella from Napoli, and much more.

Fairies, jewels, Red Riding Hood—all the characters we associate with childhood, but which we continue to test for authenticity as adults. The gopak springs from the memory of Ukraine, so swift that pointe shoes seem like flying machines. Piazzolla’s tango keeps passion alive, while Shostakovich ensures we remember everything. We travel to Argentina and Italy, only to return home, realizing that ballet in a new country is built from the same material as in the old—from dreams.

                                    Photo by Rebecca Kovalsky

                                Photo by Leonid Khromchenko

                              Photo by Leonid Khromchenko

"Ballet with orchestra is always a celebration," says Nadya Timofeyeva. "In many countries, a live orchestral performance is routine. For us, each evening like this is a true luxury and a special event. That’s why we created this gala with orchestra, designed especially for young audiences — though, of course, children come with adults. In this performance, you’ll enter the magical world of Sleeping Beauty, meet beloved fairy-tale characters, and embark on an exhilarating musical journey. Together with the Jerusalem Ballet dancers and the JSO, we travel to Argentina and Italy, returning finally to Israel. We are certain that this evening will captivate both young viewers and adults who want to share with children the joy of discovering ballet for the first time; adults who secretly long for that first thrill and remember that feeling: the curtain rises, and the world becomes just a little more beautiful."

Of course, why limit it to children? Adults will also find delight in familiar Petipa ballets seen from fresh angles, and in lesser-known works—for instance, He Walked Through the Fields choreographed by Egor Menshikov to Shostakovich (performed by Mering and the JSO exactly as it should be). If you haven’t yet attended a concert conducted by Mering, rest assured: his hands alone are enough to make a cello fall in love with a ballerina at first sight. Even more so in a country where classical ballet more often sounds from speakers than from the orchestra pit, these evenings are a rare luxury. It’s worth recalling how the 20th century began, when ballet and orchestra simply could not exist without each other.

                                  Photos by Leonid Khromchenko

Jerusalem Theatre, Henry Crown Hall | January 5 | 17:00
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