One of the greatest ballerina of her generation and Bolshoi Ballet stars will perform the Russian ballet company’s classic repertoire under legendary choreographer Yury Grigorovich Magida El Roumi, one of the Arab World’s greatest female vocalists, will headline the Grand Finale of this year’s diverse program of classical and traditional music events DUBAI: Ukrainian-born prima ballerina Svetlana Zakharova and a star-studded cast of dancers from the world-renowned Bolshoi Ballet company will perform in the UAE as part of the ninth Abu Dhabi Classics festival. The event is set to take place over 11 days across various venues in the UAE capital between Jan. 28 and Feb. 7. Widely regarded as one of the greatest ballerinas of her generation, Zakharova gained international recognition as a prima ballerina performing the Russian ballet company’s classic repertoire under legendary choreographer Yury Grigorovich. During Abu Dhabi Classics 2020, Zakharova will star in “Modanse,” a brand-new double bill produced by Russian production company MuzArts. In the first act the ballerina will perform in “Come Un Respiro (Like a Breath),” which celebrates the German composer George Frideric Handel’s music. That will be followed by a performance by international choreographer Yuri Possokhov’s new ballet Gabrielle Chanel — a tribute to fashion icon and designer, Coco Chanel — with Zakharova in the title role. More than 80 costumes have been designed exclusively for the dance by Chanel Creative Studio. On Feb. 6, Abu Dhabi Classics will also host a concert by Egypt’s Sanaa Nabil, the great grandniece of the legendary Arabic singer Umm Kulthum, who shot to fame on “Arabs Got Talent” by winning the Golden Buzzer. She has carved a reputation for her contemporary interpretations of complex songs. Nabil will perform “Laylat Saltana” with members of Cordes Croisées, a group of Egyptian musicians, at the Cultural Foundation. Abu Dhabi Classics’ grand finale will see Magida El-Roumi wow audiences at du Arena on Feb. 7.