Maria Semenyachenko, right, first soloist of the Bolshoi Theater of Russia, performs a classic part of La Sylphide with Alexander Volchkov, left, principal dancer. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

He also said it would be a good chance for the two countries to deepen mutual understanding through co-organizing such an important performance. He felt happy to participate in the event. "The gala will contribute to all-round cultural exchanges between China and Russia, to consolidate the traditional mutual friendship," he wrote.

"Russian ballet is a sign of the beauty of classical ballet to me for a long time. In the 1950s, I was lucky to watch Galina Ulanova's performance at the Tianqiao Theater. That was the best memory of my youth. Now, during the international ballet season, all the ballet fans in Beijing can enjoy another performance by the top Russian dancers. That's really great," one veteran fan said.