One Minute World Arts- The Nutcracker in Cairo, Egypt

Every December, The Nutcracker, Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece, would be performed at the Cairo Opera House in Egypt. This tradition can be traced back to the 1960s, the time when the Khedivial Opera House (Old Opera House) was still the center of arts in Egypt. It was presented there for over 2 decades, and then moved to the new Opera in Zamalek and staged by the Cairo Opera Ballet Company. In fact, in October 1971, the ballet company and many other artists lost their home with the burning of the Khedivial Opera House. It was only when Abdel Moenim Kamel, often referred to as “the spiritual father of ballet”, returned to Egypt from his years of glory in Moscow and Milan that the ballet company began to be restored under his leadership.

Today, The Nutcracker is one of the staples of the Cairo Opera Ballet Company’s repertoire, eagerly participated by audiences that often fill the opera’s hall to the brim. Its magical charm has in no doubt helped to pave the way for ballet to continue to grow and prosper in Egypt.

 

埃及的《胡桃鉗》饗宴

每年12月，開羅歌劇院芭蕾舞團(Cairo Opera Ballet Company)皆依循傳統，在開羅歌劇院中上演柴可夫斯基的經典芭蕾舞劇《胡桃鉗》。此舞劇由埃及芭蕾舞者搬演的歷史，可以追溯到1960年代開羅總督歌劇院(Khedivial Opera House)時期；此劇在總督歌劇院搬演了20幾年後，才移師至新建於札馬雷克區(Zamalek)的開羅歌劇院，並由開羅歌劇院芭蕾舞團出演。事實上，開羅的芭蕾舞團與其他許多藝術工作者，都曾因1971年10月總督歌劇院的一場大火，頓失如家一般的歸屬；直到埃及的「芭蕾精神之父」阿卜戴爾．莫涅姆．卡梅爾(Abdel Moneim Kamel)接手重整舞團，才又開啟了埃及的芭蕾舞之路。

如今，《胡桃鉗》成為了開羅歌劇院的定目劇；這齣充滿魔幻感的舞劇，每次上演都是座無虛席，為芭蕾舞奠定了在埃及藝術圈中的一席之地。

 

Photo Credit: Cairo Opera Ballet Company

Source: https://npacntt.tw/n16YeMQ