Within the framework of the Program of Cultural Cooperation between Russia and Mexico,
The legendary Mexican dancer, choreographer, actress and musician SONIA AMELIO appeared in St. Petersburg and Moscow In September 2012. Her appearances took place with support from the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and participation of the Embassy of Mexico in Russia, and were part of a world tour which took her to Great Britain, Germany, Cuba and a number of other countries.
Sonia Amelio is recognized as one of the leading exponents of performance with castanets and has conquered the world with her unusual arrangements, employing castanets, of classical works by such composers as Beethoven, Paganini, Tchaikovsky and Chopin. In addition, she simultaneously performs her own original dance numbers. She has achieved worldwide recognition for her specially devised dance technique, impeccable command of her body and unique combination of rhythm and movement.
“I chose a very difficult career,” says Sonia of herself. “It combines being a pianist, conductor, prima ballerina, choreographer and actress.”
By her own admission, Sonia Amelio, in her international tours, strives, in addition to achieving purely artistic goals, to bring a message of unity, peace, brotherhood and love. Beginning her career in helping to pacify a conflict in her native Mexico in 1994, she has continued to pursue her “crusade of art for peace” and for many years has taken up the appeal for mutual understanding between various peoples of the earth. She describes herself as “a ballerina of peace and love.”
In 2011, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev awarded Sonia Amelio the Pushkin Medal for her contributions to the study and preservation of cultural heritage and the development of international cultural relations.
In the program of her concerts, titled “Sonia Amelio: 17 Years of Dance in the Name of Peace”, which took place at the Raykin Variety Theater in St. Petersburg and the Theater Hall of the Moscow International House of Music, she performed the best of her own dances with castanets to music of Rimsky-Korsakov, Tchaikovsky and Liszt, as well as to fiery Mexican and Latin American compositions. The concerts included a video presentation of her artistic life and her tours and appearances on various continents of the world.
