International Star as a Surprise Guest in the Gala

 5.6.2009

Helsinki International Ballet Festival ends with a Gala Performance on Thursday, June 11 with a Guest Star on international level. The worldfamous principal dancer Denis Matvienko, born 1979 in Ukraine, will be performing with the winners in the Gala.

He has been the principal dancer at the National Ballet of Ukraine in Kiev 1997-2001 and 2003-2007. He has been at Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg 2001-2003. Since 2007 Matvienko has been the principal dancer at Mikhailovsky Theatre in St. Petersburg. Denis Matvienko has earlier visited also at Savcor Ballet Festivals in Mikkeli.

In the Gala Denis Matvienko will perform with Salla Eerola, a ballerina at the Finnish National Ballet. They'll dance pas de deux, Le Corsaire. Salla Eerola, who has been with the Finnish National Ballet since 1996, is well known for many leading roles in classical ballet and contemporary dance. She was a finalist in Helsinki International Ballet Competition in junior category 1995.

We will see in the Gala also another Top Pair, Yao Wei and Marcin Kupinski from the Royal Ballet of Denmark. China born Yao Wei has been with the Danish Ballet since 2002 and  a premier dancer since 2008.  She has won the Grand Prix Award at the Helsinki International Ballet Competition   in 2001. Polish born Marcin Kupinski has been with the Royal Ballet of Denmark since 2002. He has been awarded at the Varna International Ballet Competition in 2002 and and at the Eurovision  Young Dancers' competition in 2001.