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Fighting Evil

“The Sun, the Moon and the Wind”
Czech National Ballet
The Estates Theatre
Prague, Czech Republic
October 10, 2024 (matinee)

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2024 by Ilona Landgraf

1. P.Holeček (Triglav), “The Sun, the Moon and the Wind” by V.Konvalinka and Š.Benyovszký, Czech National Ballet 2024 © S.Gherciu “It has been written that the shrewdest thing Evil can do is to trick us into believing that it does not exist,” warned Štěpán Benyovszký who, together with Viktor Konvalinka, wrote the libretto and directed the Czech National Ballet’s new ballet, The Sun, the Moon and the Wind. It is based on a fairy tale that was first recorded in 1845 in the Czech Collection National Tales and Legends by Božena Němcová who later incorporated elements of Slavik versions. Although the ballet is meant to attract a young audience, it is entertaining for adults as well.

Benyovszký’s and Konvalinka’s adaption tells of the star of creation that illuminated primeval darkness. It split into four parts from which the sun, the moon, the wind, and Zora, the dawn princess, arose. Yet Zora’s part was stolen by Triglav, the vicious Dragon Lord of Time, who kidnapped and bewitched her. Determined to get ahold of the other three quarters of the star and thereby seize world power, Triglav regularly had to suck the souls of young men to stay young and strong. He singled out Prince Jan as a victim, but Jan’s three sisters, Rufflette, Sparkette, and Pallidette set off to rescue their brother.
3. C.Sudo (Rufflette), N.Nishiyama (Pallidette), and H.Iguchi (Sparkette), “The Sun, the Moon and the Wind” by V.Konvalinka and Š.Benyovszký, Czech National Ballet 2024 © S.Gherciu2. J.Rašek (Prince Jan), O.Bogoliubskaia (Sparkette), A.Nanu (Pallidette), and R. Contreras (Rufflette), “The Sun, the Moon and the Wind” by V.Konvalinka and Š.Benyovszký, Czech National Ballet 2024 © S.Gherciu During their separate travels, each encounters Triglav in disguise who, by evil force, escorts Rufflette to the Palace of the Wind, Sparkette to the Sun Palace, and Pallidette to the Moon. While Rufflette and Sparkette fall for and are distracted by the Wind Prince and Sun Prince, Triglav and his servant, Fearwing, snatch the coveted stars. Only the clever Pallidette outsmarts them. Thanks to the generous Moon Prince who presented her with his star, Pallidette is able to return to Earth and free her brother and Zora.
However, Triglav doesn’t give up and ultimately gets ahold of Pallidette’s star. But the Moon Prince intervenes and, in doing so, dies. As a result, the light of the star ceases, and Triglav loses his power. Meanwhile, Fearwing has changed sides and refuses to help his former master.
4. R.Contreras (Rufflette), “The Sun, the Moon and the Wind” by V.Konvalinka and Š.Benyovszký, Czech National Ballet 2024 © S.Gherciu5. C.Sudo (Rufflette) and J.Dolník (Wind Prince), “The Sun, the Moon and the Wind” by V.Konvalinka and Š.Benyovszký, Czech National Ballet 2024 © S.Gherciu When they reunite, the sisters and Jan introduce their sweethearts to their parents. While the couples (Rufflette and the Wind Prince, Sparkette and the Sun Prince, Pallidette and Fearwing, and Zora and Jan) celebrate, Triglav makes a last attempt to steal the star but burns his fingers (actually, his butt because he was kicked into the fireplace). All’s well that ends well. The parts of the star are returned to their owners, and Pallidette replaces the Prince of the Moon and is crowned as Luna.

7. M.Piraino (Sun Prince) and H.Iguchi (Sparkette), “The Sun, the Moon and the Wind” by V.Konvalinka and Š.Benyovszký, Czech National Ballet 2024 © S.Gherciu6. Ensemble, “The Sun, the Moon and the Wind” by V.Konvalinka and Š.Benyovszký, Czech National Ballet 2024 © S.GherciuSet designer Martin Černý and costume designer Bregje van Balen gave each fairy tale realm distinct features. Triglav’s secret hideout was a dark hall with archways leading into a blue nowhere. Faceless figures populated it, their black satin robes billowing like foaming slick. A sparkling starlit sky lit the palace hall where the three princesses and Jan squabbled and fooled around. Many shades of pink seemed to be the royal family’s preferred robe color. A monumental cogwheel wind machine stood center stage in the Wind Palace. Its court society whizzed around on kids’ scooters. The Sun Prince reigned over a beach-party court from a mega-sized deckchair while he sucked fancy drinks, swayed his hips, and generously distributed sun milk to his subjects. Not least because of their pink sunglasses, each and everyone (even Triglav and Fearwing) was in a splendid mood. While everyone grooved to Let the Sunshine In, Fearwing filled in as the bartender, mixing heaven knows what into the cocktails. The court of the Moon Prince was a cheerful bunch that communicated in a high-pitched, extraterrestrial language that conferred amazement and appreciation. Surprisingly, the lack of gravity that made them weightless and their movements in slow motion didn’t affect their sovereign’s high-tech golf cart.

8. A.Nanu (Pallidette), “The Sun, the Moon and the Wind” by V.Konvalinka and Š.Benyovszký, Czech National Ballet 2024 © S.Gherciu9. A.Nanu (Pallidette) and F.Scarpato (Wolf), “The Sun, the Moon and the Wind” by V.Konvalinka and Š.Benyovszký, Czech National Ballet 2024 © S.Gherciu Smooth transportation around the world and into the universe was provided by Karel Cettl and Erik Bartoš (Lunchmeat Studio) whose media designs included huge flashes, light tunnels, and an ultrastrong rope that was able to pull the moon close. Especially spooky was their huge, graphic-novel-like animation that illustrated how Triglav’s dark force overpowered Zora.

10. A.Nanu (Pallidette), M.Šust (Moon Prince), and ensemble; “The Sun, the Moon and the Wind” by V.Konvalinka and Š.Benyovszký, Czech National Ballet 2024 © S.GherciuAt times, The Sun, the Moon and the Wind was not for the faint of heart. Overall though, humor and fun outweighed darkness. Prince Jan (Jakub Rašek), well-equipped with blades of all sizes, was full of mischief. His sister, Rufflette (Romina Contreras), heroically fought off a swarm of Buzzquitos (Monika Hejduková, Giovanni Rotolo, and Matěj Šust), that Triglav sicced on her (though they attacked her long hair that she was so fond of). Sparkette (Olga Bogoliubskaia) was ambushed by a monstrous black spider (Nikola Márová), which, luckily, considered the Buzzquito the more savory prey. The maverick, Pallidette (Alina Nanu), used her booklore to tame the three-headed wolf (Francesco Scarpato) into which Triglav (Patrik Holeček) had transformed Fearwing (Mathias Deneux). From that moment on, Fearwing ate out of her palm and radiated irresistible cheerfulness, which, finally, also turned Triglav into an amicable guy.
11. P.T.Moldoveanu (Moon Prince), M.Svobodník (Triglav), and ensemble; “The Sun, the Moon and the Wind” by V.Konvalinka and Š.Benyovszký, Czech National Ballet 2024 © S.Gherciu 12. N.Nishiyama (Pallidette), “The Sun, the Moon and the Wind” by V.Konvalinka and Š.Benyovszký, Czech National Ballet 2024 © S.Gherciu Francesco Scarpato portrayed the Wind Prince whose entourage chased Fearwing vociferously through the theater aisles after he stole a key cogwheel from the wind machine. Giovanni Rotolo’s Sun Prince was an inborn golden boy who wasted no opportunity to flirt. The Moon Prince (Matěj Šust), always lighthearted and unperturbed by any danger, tapped Triglav’s forehead as if teasing a friend before dying. A bucket of cold water broke the spell on Zora (Monika Hejduková). The King (Marek Svobodník) and his Queen (Nikola Márová) missed most of their children’s adventures due to an extensive horseback ride.
The peppy and, at times, refreshingly unorthodox choreography (also provided by Konvalinka) included many lifts and play-acting. Ivan Acher’s score gave each realm a characteristic soundscape that stirred the imagination.
13. Ensemble, “The Sun, the Moon and the Wind” by V.Konvalinka and Š.Benyovszký, Czech National Ballet 2024 © S.Gherciu

Link: Website of the Czech National Theatre
Photos: The photos show different casts from earlier performances.
1. Patrik Holeček (Triglav), “The Sun, the Moon and the Wind” by Victor Konvalinka and Štěpán Benyovszký, Czech National Ballet 2024
2. Jakub Rašek (Prince Jan), Olga Bogoliubskaia (Sparkette), Alina Nanu (Pallidette), and Romina Contreras (Rufflette), The Sun, the Moon and the Wind” by Victor Konvalinka and Štěpán Benyovszký, Czech National Ballet 2024
3. Chihiro Sudo (Rufflette), Natsuki Nishiyama (Pallidette), and Haruka Iguchi (Sparkette), The Sun, the Moon and the Wind” by Victor Konvalinka and Štěpán Benyovszký, Czech National Ballet 2024
4. Romina Contreras (Rufflette), The Sun, the Moon and the Wind” by Victor Konvalinka and Štěpán Benyovszký, Czech National Ballet 2024
5. Chihiro Sudo (Rufflette) and Jonáš Dolník (Wind Prince), The Sun, the Moon and the Wind” by Victor Konvalinka and Štěpán Benyovszký, Czech National Ballet 2024
6. Ensemble, The Sun, the Moon and the Wind” by Victor Konvalinka and Štěpán Benyovszký, Czech National Ballet 2024
7. Marco Piraino (Sun Prince) and Haruka Iguchi (Sparkette), The Sun, the Moon and the Wind” by Victor Konvalinka and Štěpán Benyovszký, Czech National Ballet 2024
8. Alina Nanu (Pallidette), The Sun, the Moon and the Wind” by Victor Konvalinka and Štěpán Benyovszký, Czech National Ballet 2024
9. Alina Nanu (Pallidette) and Francesco Scarpato (Wolf), The Sun, the Moon and the Wind” by Victor Konvalinka and Štěpán Benyovszký, Czech National Ballet 2024
10. Alina Nanu (Pallidette), Matěj Šust (Moon Prince), and ensemble; The Sun, the Moon and the Wind” by Victor Konvalinka and Štěpán Benyovszký, Czech National Ballet 2024
11. Paul Tudor Moldoveanu (Moon Prince), Marek Svobodník (Triglav), and ensemble; The Sun, the Moon and the Wind” by Victor Konvalinka and Štěpán Benyovszký, Czech National Ballet 2024
12. Natsuki Nishiyama (Pallidette), The Sun, the Moon and the Wind” by Victor Konvalinka and Štěpán Benyovszký, Czech National Ballet 2024
13. Ensemble, The Sun, the Moon and the Wind” by Victor Konvalinka and Štěpán Benyovszký, Czech National Ballet 2024
all photos © Serghei Gherciu
Editing: Kayla Kauffman

Deeper than Thought

“Land of Body”
Laterna magika
The New Stage
Prague, Czech Republic
October 05, 2024

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2024 by Ilona Landgraf

1. J.Kotěšovský (Old Dancer), “Land of Body” by R.Vizváry, Laterna magika 2024 © V.BrtnickýThe sharp sound of wind and a blaze of Arctic white on eleven video screens of various sizes scattered across the stage opened Laterna magika’s 2022 production, Land of Body. Radim Vizváry, artistic director of Laterna magika, was in charge of the theme, choreography, and staging. As the title suggests, Land of Body considers the body as a metaphor for landscapes. Artists of three generations and different genres portrayed a body’s formations and cycles of nature and life.
Some dancers lay motionless on the twilit ground when a senior dancer (Josef Kotěšovský), with an elderly, insecure gait, flipped a mobile phone camera open. Perhaps the solemn voiceover, which seemed to convey a mystical message, belonged to the video he watched on the small camera screen. In any case, a fog of dry ice suddenly wafted across the video screens and seemed to spread onto stage. Drum rolls followed by atmospheric sounds (music by Robert Jíša, sound design by Jan Brambůrek) accompanied a gray-haired man (Matěj Petrák) who moved on old fours like a primordial human. Brawny and nimble, he carried the lifeless bodies of a man and a woman onto the stage. (more…)

Tangled

“Tales of Perrault”
Ural Opera Ballet
Ekaterinburg State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre
Ekaterinburg, Russia
April/September 2024 (video)

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2024 by Ilona Landgraf

1. N.Shamshurina (Mushroom Fairy), “Tales of Perrault” by M.Petrov, K.Khlebnikov, and A.Merkushev; Ural Opera Ballet 2024 © Ural Opera BalletLast week, the Ural Opera Ballet’s joint production, Tales of Perrault, returned to the stage. It combines four fairy tales by Perrault—Puss in Boots, Little Red Riding Hood, Bluebeard, and Little Thumb—that are newly interpreted by three choreographers. Two of them, Konstantin Khlebnikov and Alexandr Merkushev, are junior choreographers from the company’s ranks of dancers; the third, Maksim Petrov, choreographed for the Mariinsky Ballet before succeeding the Ural Opera Ballet’s then-artistic director, Vyacheslav Samodurov, in August 2023.
Perrault’s fairy tales are often dark and scary (which is why Tales of Perrault is reserved for an adult audience and children aged twelve and older) but with a poetic note. From their wide range of meanings, the choreographers distilled a core message that combines all four fairy tales: regardless of one’s physicality, conduct, and wit, everyone deserves love and sympathy. (more…)

An Opening Salute

“The Sleeping Beauty”
Bolshoi Ballet
Bolshoi Theatre
Moscow, Russia
September 07, 2024 (live stream)

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2024 by Ilona Landgraf

 1. Y.Ostrovsky (Catalabutte) and ensemble, “The Sleeping Beauty” by Y.Grigorovich after M.Petipa, Bolshoi Ballet 2024 © Bolshoi Theatre/P.Rychkov The Bolshoi Ballet opened its 249th season with a revival of Yuri Grigorovich’s The Sleeping Beauty, which has been absent from the stage for four years. Because of the thorough change of décor, the production was announced as a premiere. It swapped the opulent (and often criticized) sets and costumes that Ezio Frigerio and Franca Squarciapino designed for the 2011 revival (celebrating the reopening of the theater’s Historic Stage after six years of refurbishment) for the restrained décor that Simon Virsaladze (1909–1989) created for Grigorovich’s second version of the ballet in 1973. The subdued hues and aquarelle-ish style of its courtly surroundings direct the gaze toward the colorful costumes (recalling French court fashion from King Louis XIII’s to the Sun King, Louis XIV’s, reign), beautiful flower garlands and bouquets at Aurora’s birthday party, and, most importantly, the dancers and their performances. Raising the curtain didn’t elicit oohs and aahs from the audience as, for example, Jürgen Rose’s décor for Marcia Haydée’s Sleeping Beauty regularly has done on Western stages. (more…)

Thank you.

George Jackson
Washington D.C., U.S.A.
August 2024

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2024 by Ilona Landgraf

George Jackson, photo by courtesy of Costas © Costas CacaroukasGeorge Jackson, Washington D.C.’s renowned dance reviewer, died on August 5th at the age of ninety-two. Born in Vienna in 1931, his parents put him on a train abroad when the Nazis invaded Austria in March 1938. The family later reunited and moved to Chicago. A microbiologist specializing in parasitology, George researched and taught at the University of Chicago and New York’s Rockefeller University and for many years worked for the FDA in Washington on food safety. “I enjoyed my work as a biologist in itself and also because it sent me traveling around the world so that I saw a lot of dance that otherwise I never would have,” he once wrote to me, but, as earning a living as a dance critic was not a practical option in the U.S.A. (except during the dance boom from the 1960s to 1980s), writing was his “moonlighting and weekend occupation.” His output was enormous, ranging from dance reviews to historical pieces for U.S. and international outlets, among them The Washington Post, The Washington Star, and The Times of London. Although George officially terminated his career as a dance critic in 2012, he continued to contribute reviews to danceviewtimes.com until 2022. Yet his writing focus shifted to fiction, which he published under his birth name, Hans Georg Jakobowicz. (more…)

Reassuring

Sochi Olympics 2014
Sochi, Russia
August 2024

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2024 by Ilona Landgraf

Given the nauseating freak show at the opening of the Paris Olympics last week, re-watching the ceremony held ten years ago at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi helps to restore belief in culture. It included the mini-ballet Natasha Rostov’s First Ball (choreographed by Radu Poklitaru, Andriy Musorin, and Oleksandr Leshchenko), which was based on Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace. Russia’s finest dancers were featured next to the two hundred couples waltzing to Eugen Doga’s film music for A Hunting Accident (Russian title: Мой ласковый и нежный зверь, meaning, My Sweet and Tender Beast). The Bolshoi Ballet’s Svetlana Zakharova danced the young, romantic beauty, Natasha Rostova; ballet legend Vladimir Vasiliev played her father, Count Rostov.

The Mariinsky Ballet’s Danila Korsuntsev performed the role of Prince Andrei Bolkonsky; Alexander Petukhov portrayed Pierre Bezukhov; as the dashing hussar, Anatoly Kuragin, Ivan Vasiliev delivered breathtaking jumps that made the audience cheer. The ball came to an abrupt end when Alfred Schnittke’s Concerto Grosso No. 1 ushered in the dark times that subsequently swept over Russia. (more…)

Present-day Perspectives

“Snow Maiden. Myth and Reality” (“Another Light”/“Refraction”)
Ballet of the Krasnoyarsk State Opera and Ballet Theatre
Hvorostovsky Krasnoyarsk State Opera and Ballet Theatre
Krasnoyarsk, Russia
July 2024 (video)

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2024 by Ilona Landgraf

1. Portrait of Alexander Ostrovsky by Vasily Perov, 18712. Book cover of Alexander Ostrovsky’s “The Snow Maiden”In March last year, the Russian playwright Alexander Ostrovsky (1823-1886) would have celebrated his bicentenary. Around one hundred and fifty years ago, in September 1873, he published The Snow Maiden, a work of narrative poetry about a fairy-tale, fantasy tsardom in prehistoric times for which Tchaikovsky wrote the music. A few years later, it was adapted into an opera by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. The Snow Maiden deals with the opposition between eternal forces of nature (represented by the mythological characters of Grandfather Frost, Spring Beauty, the Sun God Yarilo, and a wood sprite), humans (a merchant and citizens), and those in-between (half-real, half-mythological characters, like Snow Maiden and the shepherd boy, Lel). The title character, daughter of Grandfather Frost and Spring Beauty, decides to live among the people, whom her beauty enchants. She is, however, unable to feel love, which complicates her interactions with humans. After her mother grants her the ability to love, Snow Maiden’s passion for the merchant, Mizgir, is ignited. As her hearts warms and she declares her love, a bright ray of sunlight hits her and she melts. Her demise conciliates the Sun God, Yarilo, who, angered by her sheer existence, had withheld sun and warmth. Consequently, the forces of nature become rebalanced. (more…)

Tempestuous

“Le Corsaire”
Ballet of the Krasnoyarsk State Opera and Ballet Theatre
Hvorostovsky Krasnoyarsk State Opera and Ballet Theatre
Krasnoyarsk, Russia
July 2024 (video)

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2024 by Ilona Landgraf

1. K.Litvinenko (Seyd Pasha) and ensemble, “Le Corsaire” by Y.Malkhasyants, Krasnoyarsk State Opera and Ballet Theatre 2024 © Krasnoyarsk State Opera and Ballet Theatre2. E.Mikheecheva, R.Abolmasov (Pas d’Esclave), and ensemble, “Le Corsaire” by Y.Malkhasyants, Krasnoyarsk State Opera and Ballet Theatre 2024 © Krasnoyarsk State Opera and Ballet TheatreThis July, the Ballet of the Krasnoyarsk State Opera and Ballet Theatre traveled 2.400 miles eastward to tour their Catharsis Dante at the Helikon Theatre in Moscow. I wasn’t able to fly to Moscow but, by chance, I had the opportunity to watch videos of two of their recent premieres. One of them was a new Le Corsaire by Yuliana Malkhasyants, which premiered on May 19th. It’s based on Petipa’s 1858 version for the Mariinsky Theatre from which Malkhasyants kept seven of the most famous fragments, such as the Pas d’Esclave and the Le Corsaire Pas de Deux for Medora and Conrad. The Jardin animé was refashioned, and the libretto was pruned for better understanding. Malkhasyants dropped the figure of Conrad’s young, faithful slave, Ali, and streamlined Medora’s and Conrad’s escape from Seyd Pasha’s harem. (more…)

Ambivalent

“Manon”
Ballet Company of Teatro alla Scala
Teatro alla Scala
Milan, Italy
July 08, 2024 (live stream)

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2024 by Ilona Landgraf

 1. N.Manni (Manon) and R.Clarke (Des Grieux), “Manon” by K.MacMillan, Teatro alla Scala 2024, photo by Brescia and Amisano © Teatro alla Scala Given the mind-boggling speed with which Western culture is changing, La Scala’s live stream of Kenneth MacMillan’s Manon felt like a relic from the good old days of ballet. Unlike other staples of the classical repertory—Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, or The Nutcracker, for example—with a spiritual dimension that serves as a source of inspiration in difficult times, Manon has the opposite effect. Based on Abbé Prévost’s novel Manon Lescaut (1731), it dives deeply into the social swamp of early-18th-century France and in the real swamps near the then-French colony of Louisiana. Rabble and the poor crowd the streets and the upper class’s silk and satin façade barely hides their rotten morals. Sex, money, and power reign in everyday life, and, for women, alluring men is the only way to secure an existence. Not a single soul remains untainted in the sex-and-crime-ridden love tragedy of Manon. (more…)

Prix Benois Laureates 2024

Prix Benois de la Danse
Bolshoi Theatre (Historic Stage)
Moscow, Russia
June 25, 2024

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2024 by Ilona Landgraf

1. Jurors, S.Zakharova, nominees, and laureates, Prix Benois 2024 © Benois Center On Tuesday evening, this year’s Prix Benois laureates were announced on the Historic Stage of the Bolshoi Theatre.
The Mariinsky Ballet’s Olesya Novikova won the prize for best female dancer for her performance as Aspiccia in La Fille du Pharaon (Marius Petipa’s version as reconstructed by Toni Candeloro). Gergő Ármin Balázsi (Hungarian National Ballet) and Artemy Belyakov (Bolshoi Ballet) shared the prize for best male dancer. Balázsi was nominated for his performance as Leon in Boris Eifman’s The Pygmalion Effect and Belyakov for his performance as Ivan IV in Yuri Grigorovich’s Ivan the Terrible. Marco Goecke was awarded the prize for best choreography in absentia for In the Dutch Mountains, a creation for the Nederlands Dans Theater. (more…)

Dancer Nominees for the Prix Benois 2024

Prix Benois de la Danse
Bolshoi Theatre (Historic Stage)
Moscow, Russia
June 2024

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2024 by Ilona Landgraf

1. Bolshoi Theatre © D.Yusupov/Bolshoi Theatre 2. Statuette of the Prix Benois de la Danse, design by Igor Ustinov © Benois Center Thirteen dancers from eight companies are nominated for this year’s Prix Benois. Of the seven women and six men, two dance in China, Hungary, and Italy; one dances in Japan, and six in Russia. Next week, the laureates will be announced in an award ceremony at the Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow.

Here’s a short overview of the nominees in alphabetical order by company names:
(more…)

Choreographer Nominees for the Prix Benois 2024

Prix Benois de la Danse
Martin Chaix, Marco Goecke, Jo Kanamori, Yuri Possokhov, and Maxim Sevagin
Bolshoi Theatre (Historic Stage)
Moscow, Russia
June 2024

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2024 by Ilona Landgraf

1. Bolshoi Theatre © Damir Yusupov/Bolshoi Theatre2. Statuette of the Prix Benois de la Danse, design by Igor Ustinov © Benois Center On June 25th, the Bolshoi Theatre will host the annual Prix Benois charity gala and awards ceremony. It will be followed by a gala concert on June 26th during which laureates of previous years will perform. Prizes will be awarded to the best choreographer and the best female and male dancers. Below is an overview of the five nominated choreographers in alphabetical order. A report on the nominated dancers will follow. (more…)

At a Gallop

“The Pygmalion Effect”
Hungarian National Ballet
Hungarian State Opera
Budapest, Hungary
June 01, 2024 (matinee)

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2024 by Ilona Landgraf

1. A.Szegő (Holmes) and ensemble, “The Pygmalion Effect” by B.Eifman, Hungarian National Ballet 2024 © V.Berecz/Hungarian State Opera Boris Eifman’s The Pygmalion Effect took my breath away. The dancers of the Hungarian National Ballet whizzed through two, at times terrifically fast, acts and then appeared at the curtain call as if they had merely finished warming up. Hats off! Budapest’s audience has loved the ballet, which was created for Eifman’s home company in St. Petersburg in 2019 and has been in the Hungarian National Ballet’s repertory since June 2023. At Saturday’s matinee, the house was packed to the roof.

Greek mythology has two Pygmalions; one was the son of King Belus of Tyros, and the other is from Ovid’s Metamorphoses and was a sculptor who fell in love with his creation. This creation—a statue of a woman who was later called Galatea—subsequently came to life. Eifman took inspiration from Ovid’s Pygmalion and the so-called Pygmalion Effect, a psychological phenomenon that was observed in classrooms showing that a teacher’s anticipated judgments about students will cause them to become true. (more…)

Exemplary

“Little Corsaire”
Hungarian National Ballet Institute and Hungarian National Ballet
Eiffel Art Studios
Budapest, Hungary
May 31, 2024

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2024 by Ilona Landgraf

1. L.Berki, Z.E.Albert, and J.É.Pollák (Odalisques), “Little Corsaire” by O.Chernakova et al., Hungarian National Ballet Institute & Hungarian National Ballet 2024 © A.Nagy/Hungarian State Opera The best way to nurture young talent and groom a new generation of dance enthusiasts is a concern for many ballet companies. The Hungarian National Ballet and its affiliated Ballet Institute have pursued an impressive strategy to address this issue. Last weekend, they premiered the third children’s production in a row, Little Corsaire, at Eiffel Art Studios. The first series of four performances gave students of various ages ample opportunities to present their skills to the public, which at this premiere consisted of family, friends, and many young children with their parents. The scenes that I observed in the atrium during the break proved that the project has yielded the desired results. Toddlers copied dance steps, and girls—already wearing tutus upon arrival—bounced about excitedly. In a corner behind the old steam locomotive (reminiscent of the venue’s historic role as Northern Railway Maintenance and Engineering Works), the young artists posed for photos with even younger admirers. Some children’s eyes were shining, and hopefully, some of those youngsters will be drawn to the ballet barre too. (more…)

Plainly, Art

“La Strada”
Prague Chamber Ballet
Vinohrady Theatre
Prague, Czech Republic
May 26, 2024

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2024 by Ilona Landgraf

 1. B.Müllerová (Gelsomina), O.Neumannová and L.Muzajeva (Sisters), and M.Dorková (Mother); “La Strada” by J.Bubeníček, Prague Chamber Ballet 2024 © S.Gherciu 2. E.Zappalà (Zampano), “La Strada” by J.Bubeníček, Prague Chamber Ballet 2024 © S.GherciuIt was only a matter of time until Otto and Jiří Bubeníček were drawn back to their family legacy—the circus. Perhaps because they are identical twins, they both chose to tackle Federico Fellini’s film La Strada which, by the way, premiered seventy years ago. Yet, they didn’t work together. While Otto designed sets and costumes for Natália Horečná’s ballet La Strada (starring Alina Cojocaru, Johan Kobborg, and Mick Zeni) at Sadler’s Wells, Jiří choreographed La Strada for the Prague Chamber Ballet. I wasn’t able to watch Horečná’s version in London (I also missed Marco Goecke’s La Strada for Munich’s Gärtnerplatz Theatre in 2018) but had the chance to see Jiří’s work in Prague. He collaborated with, among others, his wife, Nadina Cojocaru, on the libretto and dramaturgy. Cojocaru was also in charge of set and costume design. (more…)