An ode to French ballet masters at Siri Fort Auditorium

Ballet dancers from Europe wowed the audiences in Delhi on Wednesday evening with a mesmerizing performance. The two-hour ballet opera featured some of the best-known French ballet pieces at the Siri Fort Auditorium. Organised by Institut Français India under its flagship Indo-French cultural collaboration called Bonjour India, the eight-part performance was a tribute to the French masters of ballet like Edith Piaf, George Bizet, and Marius Petipa, with all the pieces inspired by Paris.
Agnés Letestu and Audric Bezard in Les Enfants du Paradis (BCCL/ Ranjit Kumar)
Named Paris Ballet Legends, the troupe performed to a packed house amidst loud applause and standing ovation from the audience. The troupe included dancers from the famed Paris Opera Ballet as well as several other leading ballet companies from Europe, such as the Rome Opera Ballet and the CND Madrid. The performance was directed by the troupe’s choreographer and artistic director Frederic Fontan, while the opera itself was written by Dr Bertrand de Hartingh, Counsellor for Cooperation and Cultural Affairs, Director - Institut Français India.
Veronique Ziegler and Alexandre Ziegler, the French ambassador (BCCL/ Ranjit Kumar)
Muriel Zusperreguy and Benjamin Pech in La Bayadére(BCCL/ Ranjit Kumar)
The eight pieces dealt with subjects ranging from love conquering death (Giselle) to the triumph of evil over love (La Sylphide), and even an adaptation of Miguel de Cervantes' famous literary work Don Quixote. Maylis Le Pomellec, a French national, who had come to watch the ballet with her husband and kids, said, "The pieces were very well selected and equally well choreographed. It reminded me a lot of the performances I have seen back home."
(L) Hemant Sagar and Dr Bertrand de Hartingh, Counsellor for Cooperation and Cultural Affairs, Director - Institut Français India (BCCL/ Ranjit Kumar)
Aman Nath and Madhu Trehan (BCCL/ Ranjit Kumar)
Sébastien Bertaud and Roxane Stojanov perform the La Sylphide (BCCL/ Ranjit Kumar)
(BCCL/ Ranjit Kumar)
Milan Hovorka, ambassador of Czech Republic to India(BCCL/ Ranjit Kumar)
(BCCL/ Ranjit Kumar)
In the audience were the who’s who of Delhi's art, culture, and diplomatic circle. Alexandre Ziegler, the French ambassador, was the guest of honour for the evening, which was also attended by Milan Hovorka, the Czech ambassador, apart from several notable diplomats and socialites. "It was a wonderful evening. I was so excited to be here and the performances were truly breathtaking. All credits to our French colleagues for bringing the best of French culture to the heart of Delhi," said the Czech ambassador.