Cairo Opera Ballet Company
Cairo Opera Ballet Company
The Cairo Opera Ballet Company was established in 1966 and was affiliated to the Higher Institute of Ballet (Academy of Arts). During that time, the members of the Company were coached by Soviet experts. The first production was “The Fountain of Bakhchisaray” directed by Leonid Lavrovsky, former director of the Bolshoi Theater.
The Ballet Company added other great classical ballets to its repertoire, among them “Giselle”, “The Nutcracker”, “Pakhita”, “The Swan Lake” and “Don Quixote”, later it also took up contemporary ballets created by Egyptian composers and choreographers such as “Osiris” featuring the legend of Isis and Osiris, “Hassan and Naïma”, “Egyptian Night” and “El Nil” ballet. Since 1972, the Company has been performing outside Egypt starting in Moscow, Leningrad, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Germany, France, Italy, United States of America, Tunisia, Korea and China.
In 1991, the Cairo Opera Ballet Company was integrated into the National Cultural Center directed by Dr. Abdel Moneim Kamel who added to the repertoire of the Company his own version of “Romeo and Juliet”, “The Swan Lake”, “The Nutcracker”, “Cinderella”, “Le Corsaire”, “Carmina Burana” and “Boléro”. He also introduced different productions created by famous international choreographer such as “Lorkiana”, “Dream Tango”, “Hamlet”, “Malgré Tout”, “Zorba”, “One Thousand and One Nights”, “Danses qu’on Croise”, “Odysseus”, “Spartacus”, “The Rites of Spring”, “Pinocchio” and “Jeu d’Échecs”.
In 1998-1999, the Company participated in the production of Opera “Aida” at the Pyramids directed by Abdel Moneim Kamel. In 2001, “El Leila El Kebira” was produced. Since 2004, Erminia Gambarelli Kamel was appointed artistic director of the Cairo Opera Ballet Company. The Cairo Opera Ballet Company regularly performs abroad in Mexico, France, England, Ireland, Korea, Austria, USA, China, Czech Republic, Italy, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Canada, Russia and Mauritius Island.
Artistic Director
Erminia Kamel
Artistic Director
Erminia graduated from La Scala of Milano Ballet School then joined La Scala Ballet Company as a soloist. She danced the leading role in the “Taming of the Shrew” by John Cranko, “Symphony in C” by Jiri Kilian, soloist in “Romeo and Juliet”, “The Swan Lake” by Rudolph Nureyev and others.
In 1975, she graduated as Professional Ballet Teacher at La Scala of Milano. In 1982, Erminia joined the Cairo Opera Ballet Company as first dancer, choreographer and trainer.
In the course of the Ballet’s Company integration, she came to the Cairo Opera House where she danced several distinguished roles: the White Swan (Odeth) in “The Swan Lake”, Juliet in “Romeo and Juliet”, Medora in “Le Corsaire”, Clara in “The Nutcracker”, Marina and Madame Hortense in “Zorba”, and Kitry in “Don Quixote”.
She also appeared in the leading role in “Giselle”, “Bolero”, “Carmina Burana”, “Cinderella”, “The Nile Bride”, and “Malgré Tout”. Erminia Kamel cooperated with Abdel Moneim Kamel in choreographing several ballets like “El Nil”, “Osiris”, “Oriental Steps” and she choreographed “Hassan and Naïma” Ballet. She participated as choreographer in “Aida” at the Pyramids area and “Aida” in Beijing in 2008.
In 2004, Erminia was appointed Artistic Director of the Cairo Opera Ballet Company and in the same year, she received “Ordine di Cavaliere” of the Italian Republic. In 2007, she received the Order of “Commendatore” from Italy.
In 2016, Erminia received the “Career Achievement Award” at the Ballet Festival of Arenzano in Italy. In October 2017, she received a prize from the Song Festival in Alexandria for her career contributions. Erminia Kamel was honored for her artistic accomplishments in ballet at the Celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the Cairo Opera House.
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