International ballet stars Belinda Wright and Jelko Yuresha have chosen Bermuda for the premiere of their latest production.

Later this month, the grounds of Government House will be transformed into "a magic garden'' when the Bermuda Civic Ballet presents their revival of a famous classical ballet.

"La Peri'', first created in 1843 and one of the most popular ballets of the Romantic era, has been specially re-choreographed by them for the Civic Ballet's latest open-air production.

"This will be a big, glamorous spectacle, which I think Bermuda will love -- Cecile De Mille without the camels! Government House will be the perfect setting for the `magic garden' in which the ballet takes place, with fairy lights and a big surprise effect at the end,'' says Mr. Yuresha. "We are very excited about the cast! It is difficult to find an adequate number of people on such a small island, but we have some superb dancers who are taking part.

Altogether, there will be a cast of about 50 taking part in this production.'' The leading roles will be danced by three of Bermuda's best known dancers: Alexandra Duzevic, a gifted young dancer who is still a pupil of the School of Russian Ballet, and Sophie Cannonier, formerly of the Dance Theatre of Harlem who is returning home for the event. Having hung up her ballet shoes a year ago, Alison Masters has also been persuaded out of retirement for this production.

The leading male dancer will be guest artist Richard Marsden, described in The New York Times as the "wonder kid'' of the New York City Ballet, who dazzled audiences with his performance in the Civic Ballet's "Giselle'' five years ago.

Also appearing as a guest artist is Jeffrey Watson, now with Annapolis Ballet, who danced the Peasant Pas De Deux with Stephanie Cannonier in "Giselle''.

David Drummond, formerly of the Boston Ballet and now director of the Ana Roje School in Boston is performing what the ballet's director, Coral Waddell, calls "a comic pas de deux''. Leo Mills will take on the role of the Emperor, with Patricia Gray as his Empress.

Wright and Yuresha, who staged "La Sylphide'' here three years ago, say they find Bermuda challenging. More accustomed to working with professional companies -- recent productions include "Giselle'' in China for a company of 300 dancers, and "Pas de Sylphs'' for the Royal New Zealand Ballet -- they feel their intensive coaching gives local dancers style and confidence.

"Dancers here have nothing to copy -- unless they sit and watch videos!'' Miss Wright says she tries to explain that dance is a method of speaking, not with words, but with the body: "They aren't professionals but they are beginning to understand this aspect. We explain the effect we want, and involve them in attaining that effect, and that encourages them to express their feelings.'' Pointing out that there are elements of "free'' dancing in this ballet, she adds, "We are not just looking for technique, but for people who know how to move!'' As with most ballets of the early 19th century Romantic era, "La Peri's'' proliferation of dancing sylphs and fairies serves to underline a more serious theme of the universal search for spiritual perfection and everlasting love.

As Belinda Wright points out, Romantic ballerina Marie Taglioni, who was the first dancer to rise on her pointes did so originally to express spiritual release.

Choreographed by Coralli in 1843 from an idea by Gautier (also responsible for "Giselle''), a version of "La Peri'' was also mounted for Margot Fonteyn by the late Sir Frederick Ashton for Britain's Royal Ballet in 1956.

Mr. Yuresha has simplified the highly complicated story which he has now placed in a magic garden where all wishes come true. The Prince dances with the apparition of the gentle La Peri (Masters), and wishes that this idealised love could assume human form. His favourite wife, Leila (Duzevic) longs to be first in his affections, but Nahum (Cannonier), another wife, stabs her in a fit of jealousy. La Peri enters Leila's body and as the amazed Prince dances with Leila, apparently restored to life, he realises that a new spirituality in Leila reminds him of La Peri.

The ballet is set to the very danceable music of Burgmuller, who had written the famous "Peasant Pas De Deux'' as an addition to Adam's score for "Giselle'' just two years earlier.

"I have always wanted to do this ballet,'' explains Mr. Yuresha. "This is the fourth ballet we have done together, but I think I was inspired by the romantic quality of Belinda. She and Margot Fonteyn were my two muses,'' he adds.

Yuresha, who was trained by Ana Roje, left his native Yugoslavia on a scholarship to study with Legat in England.

"My first big break was an invitation to partner Fonteyn,'' he recalls, "and the first time I danced with Belinda was at a Royal Command Gala in front of the Queen Mother -it's hard to beat that for a debut!'' The professional partnership between the young Croatian dancer and Belinda Wright, already one of England's leading ballerinas and star of the London's Festival Ballet (now the English National Ballet), became a more personal one when they married.

"We believe we are now the longest-married couple in the business! We have a daughter who's 33, an actress in Switzerland,'' says Mr. Yuresha.

Asked about the recipe for the success of their marriage, they both answer in one word: "Respect!'' Says Miss Wright, "Unless one of us is working abroad, we are together 24 hours a day -- and we tend to think, eat and talk ballet! We complement each other and although we may have differences of opinion, our ultimate vision is the same.'' Mr. Yuresha believes that, especially in the world of theatre, faith and trust are essential. "Not many people really trust each other, but if you don't, that relationship begins to erode.'' Asked how they met, Belinda Wright recalls that she was looking for a new dancing partner -- "And she chose me!'' interrupts her husband. "Years later, I asked her why she had chosen me and she told me it was became I looked so thin and hungry-looking!'' And was it love at first sight? They both laugh, but Mr. Yuresha answers, "I think it was a gentleness that grew out of our partnership. I was overwhelmed that this famous English ballerina had chosen me and she was so gentle in the way that she taught me.'' "I hadn't been dancing for a while,'' remembers Miss Wright, "but when we danced together, everything seemed miraculously right, `taken by the flood', as Shakespeare said.'' In any case, they both agree, the physical and emotional exhaustion of dancing a ballet like "Giselle'' or "Romeo or Juliet'' left them too "played out'' and tired for any arguments once they got home.

Both dancers were with Festival Ballet and then guest principals with the Royal Ballet, before they used their successful partnership to undertake world-wide tours, often taking ballet to places it had never been seen before.

Today, they mount major productions for some of the world's leading companies.

Although their home base is in Zurich, much of their time recently has been spent in Panama.

"Margot Fonteyn had begun to develop ballet in Panama and invited us to go and direct the ballet company for her. Since she died there two years ago, we felt we had a debt to Margot to continue what she had started. We have to go all over the world to make money in order to do this, but we feel it is worthwhile, especially as Panama has potential -- and a fabulous opera house.'' Co-choreographer Jelko Yuresha, who has also designed the sumptuous costumes, believes that "La Peri'' (which translates as "The Persian Fairy'') exposes the full dramatic impact of the theatre through its spiritual quality as well as through its spectacular visual effect.

"We are both so sick of war and aggression and this is a kind of antidote.

Beauty is not old-fashioned -- we all need beauty in our lives,'' he comments.

He believes it was the horror of the Second World War that first steered him in the direction of ballet: "I was brought up in the war and it was so terrible, I think I've been running away from that kind of terror ever since.

I remember, as a child, seeing lines and lines of people hanging from trees -- terrible visions that seem to become clearer as I get older. That's probably partly because of the tragedy that is unfolding there now.'' Mr. Yuresha reveals that he was recently invited to become director of the Belgrade National Ballet. "Because I love my art, I would have gone. But I have many friends who are Serbs who advised me not to go, because I was born a Croatian and it was felt I could be used as a hostage.'' The Bermuda Civic Ballet's production of "La Peri'' will take place in the grounds of Government House from August 23 through 26, commencing at 8.30 p.m.

Tickets ($30 for chairs, $25 for bleachers and $10 for children). Pre-booking opens today (telephone 295-1822) and from August 16 onwards, from the Visitors' Service Bureau.