Sukhishvili Georgian National Ballet

{{Short description|Professional state dance company in Georgia}}

File:The Sukhishvili Georgian National Ballet - Khorumi.jpg dance performed by the Sukhishvili Georgian National Ballet]]

The Georgian National Ballet ({{lang-ka|ქართული ეროვნული ბალეტი|tr}}) is the first professional state dance company in Georgia. Founded by husband and wife Iliko Sukhishvili and Nino Ramishvili in 1945, it was initially named as the Georgian State Dance Company.{{Cite web |title=About us – Сухишвили |url=https://sukhishvili.net/#about |access-date=2022-05-21 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2021-06-03 |title=Georgian National Ballet sees future in constant transformation |url=https://www.thetribune.com/georgian-national-ballet-sees-future-in-constant-transformation/ |access-date=2022-05-21 |website=The Tribune |language=en-GB}}

The Georgian National Ballet has performed at the Albert Hall, The Colosseum, The Metropolitan Opera and Madison Square Garden, among others. In 1967, the dance company performed at La Scala, reportedly the first and the only time a folklore group was given a chance to perform on its stage.{{Cite web |title=History |url=http://sukhishvili.com/history.php |access-date=2022-05-21 |website=sukhishvili.com}}

File:Sukhishvili-gdynia-nnastazja-IMG7086.jpg

The costumes were designed by Simon (Soliko) Virsaladze from 1908–1989. Currently, the founders' son Tengiz Sukhishvili is the artistic director and general manager of the Georgian National Ballet. His spouse, Inga Tevzadze, is also a former dancer, now a ballet master. Iliko Sukhishvili Jr. is a chief choreographer of the Georgian National Ballet today. Nino Sukhishvili (the granddaughter of Iliko and Nino) is a deputy-manager and costume designer.

The Georgian National Ballet has seventy dancers and a small orchestra. The dance company also owns a school, which provides dance lessons to children and adolescents. In 2020, the School of the Georgian National Ballet began offering online lessons in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite web |date=2020-04-22 |title=Dance at home: Georgian national ballet moves lessons online |url=https://www.egypttoday.com/Article/4/84980/Dance-at-home-Georgian-national-ballet-moves-lessons-online |access-date=2022-05-21 |website=EgyptToday}}

A performance by the Georgian National Ballet's dancers in which the female dancers, wearing long skirts, appeared to glide across the floor was an inspiration for writer Terry Nation in creating the Daleks for the television series Doctor Who.{{cite book |title=Doctor Who — The Legend: 40 Years of Time Travel |last=Richards |first=Justin |authorlink=Justin Richards |year=2003 |publisher=BBC Books |location=London |isbn=0-563-48602-3 |page=26}}