Tours en l'air organizes ballet-themed escorted holidays to see the best companies perform great ballets in beautiful places. You can join a trip from anywhere. A highly knowledgeable balletomane who has enjoyed 100s of performances in over 20 cities around the world,I speak English, French, and German, and am a Travel Industry Council of Ontario certified Travel Counsellor. I also teach ballet appreciation courses.
For a taste of what our trips are like, follow https://www.facebook.com/toursenlair/ on facebook.
Tours en l'air Ballet Holidays are offered in partnership with CWT Victor Travel, 101 - 8800 Dufferin Street, Concord, ON L4K 0C5, 416-736-6010, TICO # 1892647

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Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Bolshoi Ballet Cinema Broadcasts 2016-17

Broadcast dates and times will differ by country

The Golden Age 

The Golden Age


Time:
17:00
Duration:
2h20

Live from Moscow


SYNOPSIS

In a seaside town where business and mafia are flourishing, The Golden Age cabaret is the favorite nightly haunt of dancers, bandits and young revelers, where the young fisherman Boris falls in love with Rita, a beautiful dancer, but also the friend of a local gangster…

PRESENTATION

A satire of Europe during the Roaring 20s, The Golden Age makes for an original, colorful, and dazzling show with its jazzy score and music-hall atmosphere. This ballet that can only be seen at the Bolshoi has everything to it: mad rhythms, vigorous chase scenes, and decadent cabaret numbers. With its passionate love story featuring beautiful duets between Boris and Rita, the Bolshoi dancers plunge into every stylized step and gesture magnificently.
List of participating partners coming soon.

Music Dmitri Shostakovich
Choreography Yuri Grigorovich
 
The Bright Stream

The Bright Stream


Time:
16:00
Duration:
2h30


SYNOPSIS

During harvest festival at a collective farm, a visiting dance troupe reunites a ballerina with her childhood friend Zina. In order to teach her unfaithful husband a lesson, Zina, the ballerina and the ballerina’s husband decide to swap roles for the evening…

PRESENTATION

Alexei Ratmansky invokes the genius of Shostakovich’s score at the Bolshoi, creating a laugh-out-loud masterpiece with its bits of slapstick comedy, hilarious deceptions, false identities including Principal Dancer Ruslan Skvortsov dressed as a Sylph and its many colorful characters! The Bolshoi bursts with vivid life and bright spirits in Ratmansky’s brilliantly choreographed smash hit.
Captured live on Apr 29, 2012
List of participating partners coming soon
Music
Dmitri Shostakovich
Choreography
Alexei Ratmansky
Distribution
Svetlana Lunkina (Zina)
Mikhail Lobukhin (Pyotr)
Maria Alexandrova (the Ballerina)
Ruslan Skvortsov (the Ballet Dancer)
Denis Savin (the Accordionist)
Alexei Loparevich (the Old Dacha Dweller)
 
 
The Nutcracker

The Nutcracker

Time:
16:00
Duration:
2h15
1 intermissions

SYNOPSIS

On Christmas Eve, Marie’s wooden nutcracker doll transforms into a beautiful prince who takes her on a magical journey. Before they leave, they must confront the Mouse King whose army is threatening Marie…

PRESENTATION

Christmas would not be complete without the enchanting tale of young Marie and her Nutcracker prince! Danced by the Bolshoi’s principals, E.T.A. Hoffmann’s fairytale staged by Russian ballet master Yuri Grigorovich will transport children and adults alike to a world of magic and wonder for the holiday season.
Captured live on Dec 21, 2014
List of participating partners coming soon
Music
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Choreography
Yuri Grigorovich
Libretto
Yuri Grigorovich (after E.T.A. Hoffmann and Marius Petipa)
Distribution
Denis Rodkin (the Nutcracker Prince)
Anna Nikulina (Marie)
Andrei Merkuriev (Drosselmeyer)
Vitaly Biktimirov (the Mouse King)
The Bolshoi Corps de Ballet
 

The Sleeping Beauty


Time:
16:00
Duration:
2h50
1 intermissions

Live from Moscow

LIVE

SYNOPSIS

On her 16th birthday, a curse by the evil Carabosse causes the beautiful Princess Aurora to fall into a deep slumber for 100 years. Only the kiss of a prince could awaken her…

PRESENTATION

In this resplendent and magical classic, the Bolshoi dancers take us on a dream-like journey through this classic fairytale complete with jewel fairies, a magical kingdom, a youthful princess and a handsome prince in this purest style of classical ballet. The Bolshoi’s sumptuous staging with its luxurious sets and costumes gives life to Perrault’s fairy tale unlike any other. A must-see!
List of participating partners coming soon
Music
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Choreography
Yuri Grigorovich
Libretto
Ivan Vsevolozhsky and Marius Petipa (after Charles Perrault)
 
 
Swan Lake

Swan Lake

Time:
16:00
Duration:
3h00
1 intermissions

SYNOPSIS

At moonlight on the banks of a mysterious lake, Prince Siegfried meets the bewitched swan-woman Odette. Completely spellbound by her beauty, he swears his faithfulness to her. However, the Prince realizes too late that Fate has another plan for him….

PRESENTATION

A ballet of ultimate beauty and a score of unparalleled perfection born at the Bolshoi in 1877. In the dual role of white swan Odette and her rival black swan Odile, prima ballerina Svetlana Zakharova exudes both vulnerability and cunning through superb technical mastery, alongside the powerful and emotional Siegfried, Denis Rodkin. Including breathtaking scenes with the Bolshoi’s corps de ballet, this is classical ballet at its finest.
Captured live on Jan 25, 2015
List of participating partners coming soon
Music
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Choreography
Yuri Grigorovich
Libretto
Yuri Grigorovich
Distribution
Svetlana Zakharova (Odette/Odile)
Denis Rodkin (Prince Siegfried)
Artemy Belyakov (the Evil Genius)
Igor Tsvirko (the Fool)
 
 A Contemporary Evening

A Contemporary Evening

New production

Time:
16:00
Duration:
2h40
2 intermissions

Live from Moscow

LIVE

SYNOPSIS

For one evening, the Bolshoi takes on a new challenge with audacity in The Cage by Jerome Robbins, Harald Lander’s Études and Alexei Ratmansky’s Russian Seasons.

PRESENTATION


A Hero of Our Time

A Hero of Our Time

New production

Time:
17:00
Duration:
2h45
2 intermissions

Live from Moscow

LIVE

SYNOPSIS

Pechorin, a young officer, embarks on a journey across the majestic mountains of the Caucasus, on a path set by his passionate encounters. Disillusioned and careless, he inflicts pain upon himself and the women around him…

PRESENTATION

“Give me everything, it is still not enough.” The story based on the larger-than-life hero Pechorin is adapted from Mikhail Lermontov’s literary masterpiece in three separate stories recounting his heartbreaking betrayals. Is Pechorin a real hero? Or is he a man like any other? This brand new production by choreographer Yuri Possokhov is a tragic poetic journey that can only be seen at the Bolshoi.
List of participating partners coming soon.
Music
Ilya Demutsky
Choreography
Yuri Possokhov
Libretto
Kirill Serebrennikov

If you love ballet, please check out my season of outstanding ballet trips by clicking here.


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Monday, April 25, 2016

50% off Giselle tickets at National Ballet of Canada



The National Ballet of Canada

Show Mom how much you love her with a night out with you at the Ballet! Save up to 50% on Premium seats for Giselle, only $99 (regularly up to $203). Use promo code ILOVEMOM>http://bit.ly/23WcNa1
Giselle, June 15—19. Offer valid for all performances, excluding June 19 at 2:00 pm.

https://youtu.be/rhfGxE7JzqA

  

If you love ballet, please check out my season of outstanding ballet trips by clicking here.

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NYC screening of Nureyev docudrama Tues. April 26



Artem Ovcharenko has just posted this on facebook:

Join us on Tuesday, 26th at Wythe Cinema, NYC for the BBC docudrama 'Rudolf Nureyev — Dance to Freedom' with Artem Ovcharenko in the role of Nureyev. Screening at 5:30PM and 8:00PM. Q&A session with special guests, Richard Curson Smith and Artem Ovcharenko!

80 Wythe Ave. at N. 11th Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY 11249



If you love ballet, please check out my season of outstanding ballet trips by clicking here.


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Sunday, April 24, 2016

Berlin and Dresden: What the ballet lovers had to say

Meissen
I've just returned from an eight-day trip to Berlin and Dresden with 19 other ballet lovers. On the ballet schedule:
Staatsballett Berlin
Multiplicity, Forms of Silence and Emptiness (Duato)
Romeo and Juliet (Cranko)
Giselle
Dresden Semperoper Ballet
Sleeping Beauty

plus! a day watching class and rehearsals for Alexei Ratmansky's Tanzsuite
On the sightseeing front:
Daytrip to Potsdam to see Frederick the Great's Sanssouci Palace and Cecilienhof, where the Potsdam conference at the end of the Second World War was held
Guided bus tour of Berlin
Walking tour of Dresden, including the famous Frauenkirche, and guided tour of the spectacular Semperoper
Visit to the amazing Green Vault of the treasures of the Dukes of Saxony
Daytrip to Meissen with guided visit to the porcelain museum and porcelain demonstration workshops, and walking tour of the town
Plus some fabulous meals!

Here is what the participants had to say (see more in the comments):

Albrechtsburg, Meissen
"We want to thank you so much for a wonderful trip to Germany and ALL that that included, not just ballet. You sure know how to fill one’s eyes, ears and mind with sights , sounds, history and true beauty. It was and will remain a most memorable trip for the Macraes . I do sincerely hope there will be another in our future.

Again, we cannot thank you enough for opening our eyes to ballet from other perspectives and to a wonderful 10 days adventure of learning!!!!  For a first in group travel, you sure did it for us."

-- Bill and Mandy Macrae, Collingwood, Ontario

The Schloss, Dresden

Zwinger, Dresden

Dresden Semperoper
Berlin

Not just a ballet trip

Although Tours en l'air Ballet Trips provide a steady diet of ballet, even the most ardent balletomane cannot live on ballet alone. I myself like great food, so I always make sure we have scrumptions breakfasts, and fabulous meals, as well as opportunities for between-meal snacks. Here are some pics of the food we enjoyed on the last two Tours en l'air trips, first to Paris and Amsterdam and then to Berlin and Dresden.
Eating cake off genuine Meissen porcelain
at the Meissen Cafe
delicatessen window in Paris

patisserie window in Paris

amuse gueule: carrot macarons at
 Les Ombres in Paris

Main course at Les Ombres

Dessert at Les Ombres: comes with a
spectacular view of the Eiffel Tower

breakfast in Amsterdam:
chocolate flakes and sugar sprinkles


beer in Amsterdam

Holtkamp pastry shop Amsterdam

Holtkamp pastry shop Amsterdam

a little something for tea from Holtkamp 

superduper cranberry marzipan
cinnamon bun
in Zeit fur Brot, Berlin

with the regular cinnamon bun in
Zeit fur Brot, Berlin

dessert at Restaurant of the
Deutsche Oper Berlin:
creme brulee, chocolate brownie, mango sorbet

Pretzels at Deutsche Oper Berlin

Hallelujah! properly made tea for breakfast at
Arcotel John F Berlin; the next five pics
give only an inkling of the
 incredibly sumptuous spread










almond pear tarte and DIY hot chocolate
with Schlagsahne at Cafe Einstein, Berlin

they said it was only a 200 ml glass of wine
but I don't believe them

ein Glas Sekt at the Schiller Theater Berlin

dessert at the excellent Alte Meister restaurant,
Dresden

cake and hot chocolate in Dresden

rhubarb spritzer in Dresden



the house specialty cocktail at
Swissotel Dresden am Schloss:
Cranberry juice, lemon juice, angostura bitters,
lemon-verbena vodka, thyme, and nutmeg. Delish.

If you love food and ballet, please check out my season of outstanding ballet trips by clicking here.


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You can sign up to have my ballet updates delivered directly to your inbox here


Wednesday, April 20, 2016

One spot available for Prague Vienna Ballet trip next week

For a printer-friendly PDF of the brochure, please click here

ONE SPOT LEFT!

Please note all prices are in CANADIAN DOLLARS. For a currency converter that will give you the APPROXIMATE price in your currency (before credit card issuer charges), please click here.

CWT Victor Travel
101 - 8800 Dufferin Street, Concord, ON L4K 0C5

TICO Ontario registration #1892647

presents



Tours en l'air

Ballet Holidays



escorted by

Canada's Word Lady,

Katherine Barber



Prague and Vienna

(daytrip to Bratislava)

29 April - 10 May 2016

12 days, 11 nights

6 ballet performances:

Czech National Ballet

Vienna State Ballet

Hamburg Ballet
Slovak National Theatre Ballet



Visit two of Europe's

most beautiful historic capitals



GROUP SIZE LIMITED TO 20!




Vienna: a New York Times “top place to travel in 2014”



Friday April 29 PRAGUE

Arrive Prague. Check in to 4-star Falkensteiner Maria Prag hotel, 4 minutes walk from the Opera House.

Saturday April 30 PRAGUE

Morning at leisure. 2 pm: Czech National Ballet performance: La Bayadere. 7 pm: Czech National Ballet performance in the historic Estates Theatre, where Mozart's Don Giovanni premiered: Valmont (based on the novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses).

Sunday May 1 PRAGUE

Morning: Private guided walking tour of picturesque Mala Strana (Prague's “Little Quarter”). Afternoon at leisure. Evening: 3-course welcome dinner in the spectacular Art Nouveau Sarah Bernhardt Restaurant.

Monday May 2 PRAGUE

Morning: Private guided walking tour of Prague Old Town (2 hrs). Afternoon at leisure.

Tuesday May 3 PRAGUE

Morning at leisure. Afternoon: private guided walking tour of Prague Castle and Cathedral.

Wednesday May 4 PRAGUE - VIENNA

Morning: Check out of hotel. Transfer by private luxury washroom-equipped coach to Vienna (approx. 5 hours from Prague), with midway stop to watch rehearsals of the Brno National Theatre ballet company and for lunch (included). Arrive Vienna. Check into the 4-star Das Opernring hotel on Vienna's famous Ring boulevard, opposite the Vienna State Opera House. Evening: dinner before Vienna State Ballet performance: Mayerling (MacMillan)

Thursday May 5 VIENNA

Exploring the world of Mayerling. Day trip to the Vienna Woods and the site of the events depicted in the ballet. Our private luxury coach takes you first to Schönbrunn Palace, the seat of the Hapsburgs, for a private guided tour. Then we proceed to the Cistercian Abbey of Heiligenkreuz, built in 1133, where Mary Vetsera is buried. Lunch in the abbey guest house, then visit the site of the hunting lodge at Mayerling where Prince Rudolf and Mary Vetsera met their end. Evening: 3-course typically Viennese welcome dinner in the exquisite Art Nouveau Palmenhaus (conservatory).


Friday May 6 VIENNA

Morning: 2-hour private guided walking tour of central Vienna. 7pm: performance of Vienna State Ballet Marie-Antoinette (de Bana).

http://www.holidayguru.ie/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/bratislava.jpg

Bratislava

Saturday May 7 VIENNA

Morning at leisure. Afternoon: daytrip by private luxury minibus to Bratislava, Slovakia,1.5 hours from Vienna. Private walking tour of central Bratislava (1.5 hours). 2-course dinner before evening Slovak National Theatre Ballet performance: The Sleeping Beauty. Return by private coach directly to Vienna hotel.

Sunday May 8 VIENNA

Day at leisure. Suggested activities: For history buffs: Visit the Hofburg Imperial palace or have coffee and cake at the world famous Demel café nearby, both 10 minutes walk from hotel. Attend the daily training or a performance of the world-famous Lippizaner stallions of the Spanish Riding School (this is fascinating in its similarities to ballet). Music lovers: Attend high mass in the Imperial Palace Chapel, sung by the Vienna Choir Boys, then visit Mozart's house and the golden hall of the Musikverein, home of the Vienna Philharmonic. Art lovers: the Belvedere Museum (home to Klimt's The Kiss), the Kunsthistorisches Museum, the Museum of Applied Arts, and the Museumsquartier (contemporary art). Architecture aficionados: stroll past Vienna's many Art Nouveau buildings or visit the spectacular baroque Karlskirche. Cake lovers: a Viennese café crawl!

Monday May 9 VIENNA

Morning: 2-hour private guided visit to the Albertina museum permanent Monet to Picasso exhibition and sumptuous State Rooms. Afternoon: Private guided tour of Vienna State Opera house. Rest of day at leisure. Evening: farewell dinner before Hamburg Ballet performance: Shakespeare Dances (Neumeier).

Tuesday May 10

Check out of hotel and depart Vienna.

For more information:


phone: 416.693.4496



Total Package Price:

Double occupancy: CA$4795 per person

Single supplement: CA$950 per person



All prices valid till 27 October 2015



You may use RBC reward points or RBC certificates towards the purchase of any or all components of these travel arrangements



TO BOOK: 416.736.6010 x. 234



SIGNUP DEADLINE 27 OCTOBER 2015



LAND-ONLY PACKAGE 
allows you the flexibility of arranging travel from your most convenient departure point,

on the dates and times you prefer,

and to extend your stay if you wish.

Victor Travel's experienced agents

will be happy to help you with

flight arrangements.



This program must be sold as a package. Extra hotel nights can be added on at extra cost (subject to availability). We cannot offer individual components separately, break the package into shorter installments, or offer an accommodation only” option.

Mobility issues should be discussed with the travel agent before registering.

Travellers wishing to share will be put in touch with one another.



Package includes:

11 nights double-share 4* accommodation

Daily buffet breakfast

Premium seats for 6 ballets

Transfer by private luxury washroom- equipped coach Prague to Vienna

Day excursion by private luxury coach to Bratislava

Day excursion with guide by private luxury coach to Schonbrunn, Heiligenkreuz, and Mayerling.

Admission to and private guided tours of Schönbrunn, Heiligenkreuz Abbey and Mayerling

5 private guided walking tours:

Vienna, Bratislava, Prague Old Town, Prague Castle and Cathedral, Prague Mala Strana.

Admission to and private guided tour of Albertina Museum permanent and temporary exhibition and state rooms

Admission to Prague Castle sights:

Old Royal Palace, St. George Basilica, Golden Lane with Daliborka Tower, and Cathedral

Three 3-course dinners, two 2-course dinners, two 2-course lunches

Beverages with group meals (mineral water, tea or coffee, and 1 glass wine or beer or soft drink)

Free wifi in hotels

Ballet enrichment program: ballet notes and informal pre-performance talks and post-performance reviews with tour leader

All taxes, tips for group activities, service fees, and surcharges




Not included:

Airfare

Meals and transfers not specifically mentioned in this itinerary

Items of a personal nature, e.g. phone calls

Cancellation insurance

and hospital/medical insurance

All items and activities listed as “optional” or “suggested” in this brochure



Terms and Conditions:

Non-refundable deposit of CA$1750 per person is required at time of registration, no later than 27 October 2015, to secure your space for this package**.

Single supplement, optional airfare (price available on request) and optional cancellation and hospital/medical insurance also payable at this time.

Final payment due 8 March 2016, and total package price is fully non-refundable.

Added hotel nights are fully non-refundable

All cancellations must be received in writing at CWT Victor Travel to the attention of Lucy Nati(lucy@cwtvictortravel.ca)

Manulife out-of-province health insurance (for Ontario residents holding an OHIP card) and trip cancellation insurance are available through Victor Travel and STRONGLY RECOMMENDED. Price will vary according to birthdate. Premium must accompany the deposit and is non-refundable.



**Deposit is fully refundable in the event of cancellation of the trip by the travel agent



Disclaimer
Victor Travel acts only as agents for the traveller and accepts no responsibility for the services of any aircraft, bus, hotel, concert agencies, etc. used in this tour, nor any delays, loss or accident to travellers or baggage occasioned by such services. While the organizers will do everything possible to assist travellers, they similarly disclaim any such responsibility. 

The right is reserved to cancel or modify the tour. 


for more fabulous

ballet-themed escorted vacations,

ballet appreciation courses, and more
 

Thursday, April 7, 2016

Royal Ballet Giselle live broadcast

On Wednesday, April 6, the Royal Ballet will broadcast Peter Wright's production of Giselle, with Marianela Nuñez as Giselle, Vadim Muntagirov as Albrecht and Itziar Mendizabal as Myrtha.

Participating cinemas in Europe will broadcast the ballet live, except in Finland (April 17) and Bulgaria (May 11).
It will be screened in Canada on Sunday, April 17 at Cineplex and Landmark cinemas.
U.S. screenings will begin on Sunday, May 1, notably at Showcase, Frank and iPic theaters. Screenings will continue at various cinemas through the middle of May.
Mexican showings will take place on May 21 and 22.
Use the screening search on the ROH site to find the one closest to you, but please double check the listings locally.
http://www.roh.org.u...selle-live-2016

https://youtu.be/mNOouRKt_BI

If you love ballet, please check out my season of outstanding ballet trips by clicking here.

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