A night of ballet and Pink Floyd at the Megaron Athens Concert Hall
Written by Arash Danesh   
Tuesday, 30 March 2010

Megaron Athens Concert HallOn April 12-14 the music of Pink Floyd will come alive on the Alexandra Trianti Stage through the famed dancers of the Teatro alla Scala Ballet at the Megaron Athens Concert Hall. Roland Petit will choreograph the set to the music of Pink Floyd complete with special scenery and lighting effects.

"It all began in the late '60s," explains Petit, the ballet's creator. "One day, my daughter, who must have been about 10 years old at the time, gave me an album by Pink Floyd and said, 'Dad, you have to make a ballet with this music. It's the best!' At first I was hesitant, but when I heard the music, I agreed with my daughter. So I went to England and met with Pink Floyd in person. I told them about my idea of making a ballet with their music and asked if they would agree. They were so enthusiastic about the idea that they even offered to play live at the world premiere!"

The premier performance took place in November 1972 with Pink Floyd themselves playing live before 32,000 spectators at the Palais des Sports in Marseilles. Since then, it has been presented around the globe, naturally with great success. Petit renders the power and energy of Pink Floyd's sound through a kaleidoscope of light, harmony and special effects. The work includes some of Pink Floyd's greatest hits, such as songs from their albums The Wall, Dark Side of the Moon, Meddle and Is There Anybody Out There.

Milan's Teatro alla Scala Ballet was founded in 1887 and is one of the most famous dance ensembles in the world. Some of the major dance figures to have worked with the company include Carla Fracci, Alessandra Ferri and Rudolf Nureyev, choreographers Michael Fokine and Leonide Massine, who introduced innovations of the Russian ballet to the Scalla company, and directors/stage designers such as Franco Zeffirelli.

For more information on the event you can visit the Megaron Athens Concert Hall website: www.megaron.gr, and more information on Teatro alla Scala can be found at www.teatroallascala.org.