Sponsored Article by A Thousand Tales Press Office
Transporting audiences to a fantastical world filled with fairytale magic, A Thousand Tales ballet will make its much-awaited return for a third edition in the GCC region at the architectural marvel that is Dubai Opera on April 4 and 5, 2025. The enchanting ballet, beautifully written and directed by famous Italian choreographer Francesco Ventriglia to music by Alexey Shor, is all set to take viewers on a nostalgic journey through their childhood favourites. The production features an outstanding cast, with each world-class artist carefully selected from Alberta Ballet, one of Canada’s premier professional performing arts companies, ready to shine in Dubai.
An original production crafted for viewers of all ages, A Thousand Tales is based on a libretto written by Ventriglia and is inspired by multiple literary classics, including Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Puss in Boots, Aladdin, The Three Musketeers and many more, with noteworthy characters from each of these tales making appearances in the show.
Francesco Ventriglia, Italian choreographer
The dreamlike adventures will be led by the White Rabbit from Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland as he embarks on a fantastical quest through various enchanted realms to uncover the true owner of a golden shoe left behind by a mysterious woman who stole the Prince’s heart.
Speaking about the lengthy process of making the mystical ballet a reality, Ventriglia conveyed his insights into the creative process behind A Thousand Tales, saying, “Creating the ballet the first time was quite a long process that took around six months. It was a beautiful and monumental project that spanned three countries, with principal dancers from Rome, Naples, and Madrid, along with the corps de ballet from Uruguay. This time, however, the situation is quite different. The ballet has already been created, so we are focused on simply restaging it, which is much shorter than creating a show from scratch. This year is even more exciting because I am now the Artistic Director of the Alberta Ballet in Canada. I’ll be doing the entire production with my company, and having all my artists in the studio full-time certainly makes things much easier.”
Alexey Shor, A Thousand Tales Ballet Composer
He continued, “I will respect the original production as much as possible because, honestly, the audience loved it, and it was a huge success. Naturally, we made small adjustments to enhance the production as each artist brings a unique interpretation to the stage, so some changes are to be expected. For example, this year’s White Rabbit is exceptionally gifted and has outstanding technique, so we’ve narrowly changed the choreography to emphasise his strengths. But overall, there won’t be any major modifications.”
Memorably lending contemporaneous energy to the spellbinding production once again will be acclaimed composer Alexey Shor’s score, including his popular suites for piano and orchestra, From My Bookshelf, Childhood Memories, and Travel Notebook, accompanied by Roberta Guidi di Bagno’s grand costumes and set designs, paired with customised stage lighting from the masterful Valerio Tiberi.
“I must say, everything for A Thousand Tales started with the music. If you don’t have the right music, nothing happens as it is the beating heart of the production,” Ventriglia expressed. “It was the first step because even the libretto was written around it. I based everything around Alexey Shor’s compositions, and I remember listening to music for hours on end with my headphones when the idea for the ballet emerged. Choreographing to Alexey Shor’s music was so easy because his compositions are very organic and perfect for ballet. The structure of the entire ballet came out naturally, which was a real pleasure as his music is simply fantastic. It is very cantabile, and thankfully so, as it is crucial for a choreographer to have the right music score. It’s my fuel! It generates my ideas and inspires my movements on stage.”
Alberta Ballet Artists
The exceptional cast takes centre stage throughout the shows, of course, with each world-class ballet artist carefully selected from Alberta Ballet, one of Canada’s premier professional performing arts companies. The stellar lineup features Ma Lang (China) as the White Rabbit, Alexandra Hughes (United States) as Cinderella, Caleb Durbin (Australia) as Cinderella’s Prince, Luna Sasaki (Japan) as Snow White and Beauty, Aaron Anker (United States) as Snow White’s Prince and Beast, Mariko Kondo (Japan) as the White Swan and Jasmine, as well as Scotto Hamed-Ramos (United States) playing Rothbart and Aladdin.
“I’m incredibly proud to bring this production back to Dubai,” the virtuoso said. “The fact that I will be coming with the company I lead as Artistic Director – the Alberta Ballet – makes it so much more special. It’s an incredible opportunity for us to have an international tour like this, and we’re all very proud to represent Canada on the global stage.”
He added, “I truly hope audiences can fully relish in the charming journey of A Thousand Tales. The dramaturgy is lively and entertaining, and following the White Rabbit as he encounters characters from these beloved fairy tales is a wonderful experience. It’s a family-friendly show, but I believe it can resonate with everyone because, after all, even adults need an escape from reality sometimes. Theatre offers us that getaway, and I’m extremely proud that this production continues to grow.”
A Thousand Tales, organised by SAMIT Event Group, will return to Dubai on the 4th and 5th of April 2025. Tickets can be purchased at the official website of the Dubai Opera here.
