Bolshoi Ballet a hit

The Bolshoi Ballet season, transmitted direct from the Moscow stage, is a huge hit at Palace Cineplex in St Andrew.

Hot on the heels of sold-out repeat performances of The Nutcracker, another favourite, Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, was enjoyed by capacity audiences in both Palace Cineplex auditoriums on Sunday.

The Bolshoi Ballet is an internationally renowned classical ballet company based at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Russia.

Founded in 1776, the Bolshoi is among the world's oldest ballet companies. It achieved worldwide acclaim during the early 20th century when Moscow became the capital of Soviet Russia. The Bolshoi is recognised as one of the foremost ballet companies in the world.

Russian ambassador to Jamaica, His Excellency Vladimir Polenov, is an aficionado of the arts who supports Palace Amusement content offerings of Metropolitan Operas, National Theatre plays and the Bolshoi Ballets. He shared his thoughts on the enthusiasm for the ballets at the recent staging of Swan Lake.

Q: Ambassador, this is your second time with us here at Palace Cineplex, firstly for 'The Nutcracker' and again for 'Swan Lak'e. Both times, we sold out. Who would have thought that the Bolshoi Ballet would be so popular with Jamaicans?

VP: I was sure that the Bolshoi Theatre would find a wide audience here in Jamaica because it is world-renowned, in name, for quality in dance, music, opera and stage performance. In Jamaica, a country which is so highly connected with music and the arts, it is absolutely natural that Jamaicans are enjoying the Bolshoi Theatre, brought to Jamaica by Palace Amusement, through these cinema performances.

Q: Obviously, you've been to the Bolshoi Ballet live in Russia. Tell us about it.

VP: You have to go to Moscow, you have to be in the Bolshoi Theatre to feel the atmosphere of this wonderful theatre, which was renovated some years ago and is now really a new pride of Russian culture. I can say that the team of the Bolshoi Theatre now offers a lot of performances of old and new classics, which are very available to be seen, heard and enjoyed as a complex event of (superb) quality.

Q:Certainly, we are very happy that you have joined us a second time and also that your embassy has been spreading word about Bolshoi Ballet performances on screens in Jamaica.

VP: Thank you very much. We will continue our friendly connection, and we think it's in favour of both sides - Russia and Jamaica. And we would like to restore the cultural bridge between Russia and Jamaica also, using this form of connection, which now we can see and where we can also see the interest and I am very.

The next encore performance will be Romeo and Juliet on Sunday, April 5. Tickets are on sale at participating cinema box offices and via the web at www.palaceamusement.com, with a Palace Card.