Cairo Opera Ballet

ARTISTIC director Abdel Monem Kamel and the dancers of the Cairo Opera Ballet deserve great praise for the high standards they maintained at last night's one-off, performance at the Edmund Burke Theatre in Trinity College, held as part of Egyptian Cultural Week. To dance the Adagio from Asaf Messerer's Spring Waters -, with its series of spectacular lifts, jumps and whirling turns - on the shallow split-level stage was an act of courage, but Edward Griniok took the step in his stride as he ran with the graceful Oksana suspended above his head on one hand, to justified applause.

Indeed the acrobatic techniques of the Bolshoi were apparent in all the classical pieces, such as the pas de deux from Le Corsaire and Lavrovsky's Romeo and Juliet, with fine performances from Magdy Saber, partnering Shora in the former and, in the latter, Armenia Kamel, who also shone in the dances from Aida, as the Princess in a dance from Aziz Ei Shawan's opera, Anas Ei Wogood, and, splendidly partnered once more by Saber, in the Adagio from Cleopatra.

An attractive version by the artistic director of the Oriental Dance from The Nutcracker and his delightful Takasim Lil Aoud, both well danced by Sahar Helmy, partnered in the latter by Mohamed Mostafa, completed the classical part of the programme, the remainder consisting of colourful Egyptian dances like the Stick Dance from Upper Egypt, to the music of Ali Ismail, and the traditional ritual El Zar Dance, with the men in white djellabas playing tambourines and the women in gold kaftans. A delightful evening, well lit and smoothly produced by The Event Works.