A mix of awe-inspiring finesse, poise, suppleness and confidence helped ballerina Alia Al-Neyadi perfectly pirouette, plié and arabesque her way through her biggest dancing challenge yet. Considered the “first” Emirati ballerina, Al-Neyadi performed the spine-tingling performance at the Emirates Palace with none other than the Bolshoi soloists Ivan Vasiliev and Maria Vinogradova. The dancers from the Donetsk Opera and Ballet Theatre, a historic Ukrainian troupe directed by the internationally acclaimed dancer Vadim Pisarev, and the 24-year-old regional ballet star commanded the stage on April 20 while performing “Le Corsaire” for the Abu Dhabi Classics’ season final show.
Al-Neyadi, who has been lighting up the stage from a young age, trained rigorously, for her role in the famed story based on Lord Byron’s poem, which mixes adventure and romance. According to “The National” newspaper, the brunette, who prefers to stay out of the limelight, trained for seven months, rehearsing over 20 hours a week for what was undoubtedly the highlight of her 20-year-career. This kind of gruelling practice schedule, necessary for her to perfect her act, which included a solo part from the “Danse des Forban” section, isn’t something Al-Neyadi shirks from. “That’s the backbone of who I am now. And in ballet, you push someone who has talent,” she told “Friday” magazine in an interview.
Spanning three gripping acts across a visual variety of locations and set-pieces, ranging from lively marketplaces to mysterious caves, the gripping narrative guided spellbound audiences through the tale of Conrad, chief of the pirates and his whirlwind romance with the beautiful Medora, a young Greek maiden. While the two married soloists from the renowned Bolshoi ballet played the lead parts, Al-Neyadi played one of Medora’s reassuring friends. “Not every girl gets to perform alongside primary soloists from the renowned Bolshoi theatre. I hope to be half the artists they are some day,” she told “The National.”
Le Corsaire Ballet with Alia Al Neyadi
Organised by the Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT) – Abu Dhabi and produced by FLASH Entertainment, the ballet was based on the version renowned Russian choreographer Yury Grigorovich first staged at Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre in 1994. However, this time, the theatrical re-imaginings took place around all the grandeur of the Emirates Palace.
A Patriotic Dedication to Making Ballet Accessible
Perhaps what made the performance even more special for Al-Neyadi was the fact she helped organise DCT’s first ballet event due to her role as the department’s cultural curator. After hanging her ballet shoes during a brief retirement in 2016, she focused on working with the government to help promote the performing arts in the nation. She has helped bring performers and organised educational exchanges with international academies. Her calling to bring ballet to the UAE and assist the cultural scene has seen her decline an offer from New York University and stops her from joining the international ballet companies she respects.
For The Love of Ballet
As a baby, Al-Neyadi would only fall asleep to the sound of ballet music, according to her mother, Svetlana. By seven, she knew she wanted to make dance a career, and she was only nine when she accomplished her first en pointe. Evidently, Al-Neyadi inherited a love of ballet from her grandmother and Svetlana, who happens to be the Founder of the UAE’s first ballet school, Abu Dhabi’s Fantasia Ballet Centre. The Ukranian Donetsk Ballet Academy and Moscow College of Arts-trained ballerina has had a big influence on Al-Neyadi as her ballet master and manager. Svetlana has been instrumental in helping the perfectionist surmount challenges, which include sticking to a strict diet and a demanding exercise regimen. However, essentially, it’s Al-Neyadi’s own resolve that has just led her to take part in a very well-known ballet, with celebrated dancers. “In general, I’m very confident in what I do, I’m always up for challenges and trying things people aren’t used to. If something’s difficult, I’m even more intrigued to do it. I think that helps carry this kind of thing,” she told “The National.”
