The Global Dance Overture united more than 45 countries of the world in Moscow.

A gala event dedicated to strengthening cultural and educational ties between the BRICS countries was held at Russkaya Pesnya theatre.

The festive evening was held as a closing show of the 20th anniversary season of Kostroma Russian National Ballet annual summer tour in Moscow, and marked an important stage in the implementation of the Global Dance Overture international cultural and educational project in the BRICS countries.

Among its guests there were high-ranking representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, the Office of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation, the State Duma of the Russian Federation, the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives, Rossotrudnichestvo, the Moscow City Duma, heads and representatives of diplomatic missions of more than 45 countries of the world, famous cultural figures and students of RUDN University.

– The project is aimed to expand and strengthen friendly ties between the BRICS countries, as well as unite people on the grounds of common cultural and humanitarian values.

– The innovative nature of the Project lies not only in introducing foreign audience to the uniqueness and diversity of Russian folk dance, but also in the a large-scale educational programme that provides an opportunity to study and better understand folk choreography of friendly countries, and most importantly, contributes to the establishment of a global choreographic community.

– The unique experience of Kostroma Russian National Ballet in Moscow was taken as foundation for the Global Dance Overture cultural and educational project in the BRICS countries.

Over 20 years, more than seven million viewers from 50 countries have visited the Ballet’s performances in Moscow. Today, the Ballet unites people of different nations, ages and political views, using the language of dance to introduce viewers to the history and culture of Russia, thus creating the foundation for a united international space intended for mutual understanding, cultural and educational exchange and friendship.

During the official part of the event, Alexander Pankin, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, addressed the guests with a welcoming speech. "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs holds presentation and information events for the diplomatic corps, which concern the achievements of Russian and world culture, such as dance, music, and cinema. Today, there are many Russian and foreign youth and students in the hall. It is gratifying that this generation will be able to enjoy the charm of the new project of Kostroma Russian Ballet ", he said.

In turn, Andrei Malyshev, the Deputy Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation, emphasized that the art of dance is a language accessible and comprehensible to every person on the planet. "This wonderful overture will definitely find a response in the hearts of every reasonable person in the world", he said.

"Culture is the language of love – a powerful creative force inherent in the unity of different peoples. By studying each other's culture, we learn more about each other, thereby creating the prerequisites to form a joint cultural code based on mutual understanding, respect, trust and friendship. Thus, our project unites the hearts of people from different countries of the world through national dance culture", Elena Tsarenko, the author and performer of the project, emphasized in her speech.

In the first part of the event, the guests were acquainted with the results of the project in the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, as well as its educational part, presented by a class concert on folk-stage dance and performed by students and graduates of the Governorate Ballet School choreographic college.

The central piece of the gala event was the main performance of the project – the Russian National Dance Show, the programme about the history of Russia and the cultural diversity of its peoples, during which the ceremony of announcing the countries participating in the Global Dance Overture project took place: in October it will be China, and in 2026 – India. On this occasion, the multinational palette of the performance, as a greeting from the hosts for the guests, was performed by artists of the Chinese Cultural Centre in Moscow and artists of the Jawaharlal Nehru Cultural Centre at the Embassy of India in Moscow. The event ended with the "Round Dance of Friendship" performed by the dancers of Kostroma Russian National Ballet and the Chinese Cultural Centre, as a symbol of the present and future cultural interaction, which will continue in October this year in Beijing.

About the project.

– The project was launched as part of the BRICS Summit in Kazan in 2024.

– In 2025, the project was held in the UAE (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah) and Egypt (Cairo).

– In October 2025, the project will be held in Beijing (PRC), in 2026 – in New Delhi (India).

– In 2026-2027, the project is to be carried out in Brazil, Ethiopia and South Africa.

The project is carried out with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, the Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives, Rossotrudnichestvo, the Ministries of Culture of participating countries.