A scene from the ballet La Dame Aux Camélias (The Lady of the Camellias), staged by the Moscow-based Bolshoi Theatre in 2015. — Photo from www.bolshoirussia.com

The three-act ballet, based on the novel of the same name by French novelist Alexandre Dumas, features music by Chopin and choreography by John Neumier.

The film screening commemorates the 170th anniversary of Chopin's death.

The ballet tells the tragic story of Marguerite Gautier, a gorgeous courtesan in Parisian high society who has an affair with Armand Duval, a young man from a good family. After a visit from Armand's father, Marguerite sacrifices her one true love for the benefit of Armand’s reputation and his future. Soon afterward, she dies of tuberculosis at the age of 23, alone and impoverished.

The Bolshoi Theatre’s production featured prima ballerina Svetlana Zakharova as Marguerite and Edvin Revazov as Armand.

The screening is part of the Saigon Classical Music Group’s project “From Alpha to Opera” which aims to introduce the world’s classical operas and ballets.

The screening will take place from 6:30pm-9pm at 126 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street in District 3. Entry is free, but a donation of VND50,000 is suggested.

VNS