Davit Karapetyan Steps Into National Ballet of Georgia's Giselle 6/12 & 13

Davit Karapetyan, an internationally acclaimed principal dancer with San Francisco Ballet, will travel to Charleston to dance the role of Albrecht in the National Ballet of Georgia's upcoming production of Giselle. The multi-award-winning danseur replaces National Ballet of Georgia principal dancer Irakli Bakhtadze, who injured his foot this week during rehearsals in Tbilisi. Karapetyan, who has won numerous international competitions and appeared on stages all over the world, will dance the lead role of Albrecht in the 2pm performances on June 12 & 13 at Gaillard Auditorium. As scheduled, Vasil Akhmeteli will portray Albrecht in the other two performances.

Born in Yerevan, Armenia, Karapetyan trained at the Armenian School of Ballet and Schweizerische Balletberufschule. After dancing with Zurich Ballet, he joined San Francisco Ballet as a principal dancer in 2005. He has danced lead roles including Siegfried in Swan Lake, Prince Desiré in The Sleeping Beauty, and Don Quixote. His repertory also includes leads in Tomasson's On a Theme of Paganini, 7 for Eight, and Chi-Lin; Balanchine's Divertimento No. 15, Symphony for C, and Diamonds; and Robbins' Other Dances, Fancy Free, and West Side Story Suite. A powerful and muscular dancer with remarkably graceful precision, Karapetyan has drawn comparisons to the great Russian dancers Mikhail Baryshnikov and Rudolf Nureyev.

The epitome of Romantic ballet, Giselle is a poignant tale of love, remorse, and forgiveness. The Tbilisi-based National Ballet of Georgia returns to Spoleto Festival USA in a sumptuous staging of Giselle, accompanied by the Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra. Performances are on June 11 at 7:00pm, June 12 at 2:00pm and 8:00pm, and June 13 at 2:00pm.

About Spoleto Festival USA
For 17 days and nights each spring, Spoleto Festival USA fills Charleston's historic theaters, churches and outdoor spaces with over 140 performances by world-renowned artists and emerging performers in opera, theater, music theater, dance, and chamber, symphonic, choral and jazz music. Spoleto Festival USA 2010 will take place May 28 through June 13 and information and tickets can be found online at spoletousa.org or by phone at 843.579.3100. Beginning April 19, tickets may be purchased in person at the Spoleto Festival USA box office at Gaillard Municipal Auditorium, 77 Calhoun Street.