“Seven Beauties” ballet of Azerbaijan screened in Los Angeles

Azerbaijan’s Consulate General in Los Angeles hosted on November 4, 2016 a screening of the Azerbaijani ballet “Seven Beauties”. Screened was the version of the ballet, which had been performed to great acclaim in October 2014 by San Diego Ballet in San Diego – California’s second largest city - to a crowd of 3,000. This 2014 premiere of the ballet took place with the support of Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and the Consulate General of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles.

The screening on November 4 was attended by members of the “Save a Heart” Foundation of the world-famous Cedars-Sinai Hospital, including the 2013 Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry Dr Arieh Warshel, as well as other lovers of classical music.

Highlighting the history of Azerbaijan’s rich culture, Consul General Nasimi Aghayev noted that the “Seven Beauties” ballet had been composed by famous Azerbaijani composer Gara Garayev, based on the motives of the great Azerbaijani poet Nizami Ganjavi’s same-name poem (1197), and staged on November 6, 1952 in Baku, Azerbaijan. Speaking of the composer’s life and immortal works, the Consul General mentioned that Garayev travelled to the U.S. in 1961 to attend the Los Angeles Music Festival, where his other ballet “Path of Thunder” was performed by the Festival’s symphonic orchestra, conducted by two-time Oscar-winning composer and musician Franz Waxman.

The president of the “Save a Heart” Foundation Dr Yzhar Charuzi thanked the Consulate General for the opportunity to get to know the whole richness of the Azerbaijani music and culture more and more though joint events.

Then the “Seven Beauties” ballet was screened. The ballet was received by the audience with much applause and admiration.