Russia’s Mariinsky teams up with James Cameron for worldwide 3D broadcast of ‘Swan Lake’
Russia’s Mariinsky Theater plans project one of its most famous ballets, Tchaikovsky’s ‘Swan Lake,’ in 3D to cinema audiences in 50 countries worldwide. Those working on the project included the director of ‘Avatar,’ James Cameron.
To transfer the magic of
ballet into cinemas eight 3D cameras will be filming the moves of
the troupe in multiple close-ups. Their pirouettes will then be
transmitted into cinemas in 1200 screens in different countries
in quality comparable with that of Hollywood blockbusters.
Few can match Cameron’s eye for 3D production – he directed
‘Avatar,’ the highest-grossing 3D film in history. The US-based
Cameron Pace Group, the company of James Cameron and Vince Pace,
will produce the 3D Mariinsky event using the same Oscar-winning
technology as in ‘Avatar.’
“We all know if you team up with Cameron [Pace] something
exciting will happen. All your experience helps you, so
Live will not lose any part of this promised magic. When people
know this is happening now it adds so much to the feeling,”
Mariinsky Theater Artistic Director Valery Gergiev said.
The project is also being managed by British group Glass Slipper
Live Events, who worked with the late pop star Michael Jackson.
One of the project’s organizers is former Royal Ballet dancer
Ross MacGibbon, who danced in ‘Swan Lake’ himself and once
performed with legendary Soviet dancer Rudolph Nureev. He also
recently worked on a 3D version of the latest ‘Bourne’
blockbuster.
MacGibbon described the 3D version of the quintessential Russian
ballet as an “exciting adventure, a great honor and even a
challenge.”
“Having already filmed a ballet in 3D, I feel up to this
challenge. The shapes made in classical ballet can only be fully
appreciated on screen in three dimensions, as dance is all about
movement through space. The 3D will transform the cinema
experience. I feel, it’s especially thrilling when allied with
great dance,” MacGibbon explained.
The Mariinsky Theater, built in the 18th Century, is at the
forefront of using state-of-the-art technology in its shows. The
theater’s first-in-history live Internet broadcast of a
performance took place in 1999. The Mariinsky was also the first
Russian theater to experiment with Live 3D, with its
closed-circuit experimental live broadcast to an audience in
Paris and its 3D versions of ‘Giselle’ and ‘The Nutcracker.’
“Mariinsky Live 3D format is something totally new not only
for us but also for the whole world. Looking at this opportunity
it’s to both display the qualities of the company but to do it
with the newest possible technology,” Gergiev said.
And for those who can’t make the trip to St. Petersburg, watching
‘Swan Lake’ in 3D at a cinema near you is also a way to save
money and time while still getting a chance to appreciate the
show. The performance will be conducted by Maestro Gergiev – who
is also the London Symphony Orchestra’s Principal Conductor – in
St Petersburg on Thursday, at 9:30pm local time (17:30 GMT).
This article originally appeared on: RT
Source: http://rinf.com/alt-news/breaking-news/russias-mariinsky-teams-up-with-james-cameron-for-worldwide-3d-broadcast-of-swan-lake/39643/
