Ring In the New Year With These Gorgeous Ballet-Meets-Ballroom Videos from Vienna
Vienna really knows how to ring in the New Year with its annual concert by the Vienna Philharmonic, filled with the waltzes of the Strauss family and other composers. The best part? Broadcasts of the event (shown in the U.S. on PBS) also include interludes of ballet. On January 1, catch dancing from the Vienna State Ballet on PBS’ Great Performances‘ “From Vienna: The New Year’s Celebration 2019” (check local TV listings). (Editors Note: You can now watch the full 2019 concert here!) In the meantime, here is a collection of gorgeous videos from New Years’ past.
Having a Ball
Five couples dance in and out of the breathtaking rooms of Vienna’s Liechtenstein Palace in this 2014 performance to Die Romantiker (The Romantics) by Austrian composer Joseph Lanner. If Disney had a theme park for bunheads, it just might look like this. (You could even check the line of your arabesque in the mirrors.)
Ballet State of Mind
https://youtube.com/watch?v=5PiSh8fyMfE
You know that feeling: you’re minding your own business when ballet daydreams suddenly take over. In this clip from 2013, Vienna State Ballet first soloist Olga Esina gets lost in such a reverie with fellow first soloist Roman Lazik to the iconic Blue Danube Waltz by Johann Strauss II.
Studio to Stage
It’s a great feeling when your final studio rehearsal flows seamlessly into your performance. In this 2011 concert, dancers transition from the marley floor straight into the rooms of the Vienna State Opera to the tune of Josef Strauss’ Aus der Ferne, Polka mazur. (Some quick costume changes really feel that fast, don’t they?)
Polina Semionova and Vladimir Malakhov Join the Fun
Polina Semionova and Vladimir Malakhov guest star in this 2005 performance, set to Johann Strauss II’s Ein Herz, ein Sinn, Polka mazur. Semionova, a current guest principal with Staatsballet Berlin, seems to channel Cinderalla as she gracefully ascends the opera house stairs. Malakhov, who got his career start at the Vienna State Ballet and guested frequently in these New Year’s concerts, is her perfect prince.
