One of the world's top ballet troupes, led by leading ballet choreographer Maurice Bejart, will perform in Beijing on February 25 and 26 at Amphitheatre of BEC.

Bejart Ballet Lausanne is scheduled to perform the "Dance of the Seven Greeks", "Adagietto", "Firebird" and "Bolero", which have enchanted audiences worldwide for more than three decades.

Bejart Ballet Lausanne, originally named the 20^th Century Ballet, became world-renowned after its "Rite of Spring" was performed at the Monnaie Royal Theatre in 1959. "Bolero", "Present Mass" and "Firebird" made 20^th Century Ballet and its founder, Bejart, world-famous. Featuring excellence in dance, rich cultural backgrounds and connotations, creative choreography and colourful music, Bejart Ballet Lausanne took root as a stalwart of the ballet world. The 20^th Century Ballet was renamed Bejart Ballet Lausanne in 1987 and trimmed down to 35 dancers. As the world's greatest living ballet choreographer, Bejart chose this core group of dancers, mostly the most talented ballet dancers in France, to express the great glamour and extreme physical prowess that is ballet. It is said that each dancer is also required to have a broad knowledge and understanding of literature, history and the arts. Even though the trip will be the first for ballet-master Bejart, it will be the second for the troupe.

After the troupe's successful premier in China in 2001, Beijing New Music Entertainment Company invited Bejart Ballet Lausanne to return to China.

As the son of philosopher Gaston Berger, who learned Chinese because of the great European interest in Chinese culture and art, Maurice Bejart has long dreamed of visiting China.

Maurice Bejart said, "It is an important thing to visit China in my last years."

Gil Roman, assistant director of the Chinese tour, was a student of Monte Carlo's Princess Grace Academy and joined the 20^th Century Ballet in 1979. Roman first attracted attention in the central role Hanan in "Messe pour le Temps Présent", and later shocked the world with ballets such as "Hamlet", "Pyramide", "Ring um den Ring", "La Tour", "Mr. C or Le Mandarin Merveilleux" and "A propos de Shéhérazade."