Royal National Ballet
“Fire of Georgia”
South American Tour: September 2024
North American Tour: Feb 10 - March 30 - 2025
Biography
Artistic Director
Gela Potskhishvili
Gela Potskhishvili, co-Artistic Director of the The Royal National Ballet is one of the best dancers of our time. He was born on November 18, 1978.
In 1984, he began dancing at Youth Palace Dance Studio "Merani", headed by Lauz (Rezo) Chanishvili, Professor, Doctor of Arts, and graduated from the Dance Studio in 1989. Between the years of 1989 and 1995, he studied at the Choreographic Studio of the Georgian National Ballet Theater "Metekhi". In 1995, he was enrolled at the Dance Theater "Metekhi" as an actor and dancer. It has been an ongoing relationship with the Theater ever since.
Gela Potskhishvili appeared on many stages around the world as a dancer as well as
a choreographer, and he’s been a recipient of many prestigious dance awards from around the world. In 2000, for his achievements in the Arts, Gela was acknowledged as the best dancer of the Year 2000 by the Art Council of Choreography in Georgia. A few years
later, based on the President’s decision, Gela Potskhishvili was awarded with the Order of Honor for his contributions to the development of the Georgian Choreography and Dance.
In 2006, Gela Potskhishvili founded a Dance Academy as a professional dance school, where he’s been the Director and Artistic Director of the Academy. In 2008, Gela founded the Royal National Ballet of Georgia, the company he has taken around the world. The company’s American tour in 2023 gave the American audience something to remember until their return tour in 2025: great energy, beautiful costumes, wonderful choreography, and impeccable virtuosity of various dance elements.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Maia Kiknadze
Co-Artistic Director
Maia Kiknadze, co-Artistic Director of the Royal National Ballet, was born in December 12, 1979. In 1997, she successfully graduated from Vakhtang Chabukiani Choreographic Dance School, majoring in ballet. In 1997, she was enrolled in Zakaria Paliashvili Opera and Ballet Academic Theater of Georgia as a ballet actress, under the supervision of the choreographer Gogi Aleksidze. In 1998, she was enrolled in Dance Theater "Metekhi" as actor-dancer, of the "Philharmonics of Georgia" (Presently Art Union of the Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia).
From 2000, she has been the leading sole dancer of the Dance Theater "Metekhi" and their choreographer. Maia Kiknadze has 17 years of experience of dancing on professional stage.
During this period, she danced all leading parts in every dance performance of the Dance Theater "Metekhi", mini plays and choreographic miniatures.
In 2001, she graduated from State University of Culture of Tbilisi (presently Theater and Film University), majoring in classic, world people, Georgian dance teacher - choreographer. Maia Kiknadze participated in every performance of the Royal National Ballet of Georgia since its inception.
Presently, she keeps her active dancing carrier, in parallel with teaching activities at Dance Academy, including classical and world people dance choreographer. Maia Kiknadze is the founder of Dance Academy and as well as art director in the direction of classic and feature dances.
From 2008, she became the co-Founder and a co-Artistic director of "Royal National Ballet" of Georgia. By the recent decision of the National Academy of Georgia, Maia Kiknadze was conferred the title of the honorable academician.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About The Artist
When we think of Georgian dance, we think of a celebration of life and the country’s rich and
diverse culture. Each dance portrays the characteristics of the region in which it originated. The mountain dances are different from valley or lowland dances. The costumes are different for every dance and resemble the clothing of the past in different regions of Georgia. The dances perfectly capture the natural gracefulness and beauty of the Georgian women and the courage, Created by Gela Potskhishvili, Knight of the Georgian Order of Honor, the company’s co-founder, and co-director, the Royal National Ballet has done much to promote Georgian folk traditional culture. It has performed in Germany, France, Great Britain, Holland, and New Zealand. Their highly anticipated return to the United States during the 2024-2025 season will be the show to follow coast to coast.
The performance, called the Fire of Georgia, combines Georgian folk dances with modern attitude towards the choreography and costumes. The performance of the Royal National Ballet of Georgia is different from any other. It is a complete novelty to the folk-dance loving audience. The company’s program illustrates the variety of the world’s folklore and classical dance elements, acrobatics, stunts, and temperament of the male dancers, as well as the graceful, charming, and gorgeous steps of the female dancers.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fire of Georgia Gallery
