A sensational premiere of a bold and sensual ballet at Astana Opera
The outstanding European choreographer will subtly and delicately show the sensual side of love in a ballet with high standards of classical movement, Kazinform cites the Astana Opera’s official website.
Jiří Kylián is called none other than a genius of choreography. It is a well-known fact that showing his productions is an honor for any opera house, and for ballet companies it is also recognition of high skill. The choreographic canvas will be added to the repertoire of the capital’s opera house on the initiative of the world ballet star, artistic director of the ballet company Altynai Asylmuratova.
«I would like to show at Astana Opera the best works created in the entire history of ballet, from classical to neoclassical. Undoubtedly, the most brilliant modern choreographer is Jiří Kylián, who founded a new style in ballet. It was with him that a new modern plethora of ballet masters began. Certainly, I dreamed that Jiří Kylián’s productions would also be staged at our opera house. He has many brilliant ballets, but still the most famous are Sechs Tänze and Petite Mort, which are part of the series of black and white ballets, because these performances do not have colored costumes or sets,» Altynai Asylmuratova says.
As a reminder, in March last year, the Czech choreographer’s ballet Sechs Tänze has premiered at Astana Opera with great success. A rare kind of comic ballet with humor based not on plot conflicts, but on pure choreography, was warmly received by the capital’s audience.
«Since at first the company mastered the production of Sechs Tänze and, probably, showed itself well, now we are taking the next step and we were allowed to stage Petite Mort at our opera house. It is known that not all ballet companies receive permission to perform Kylián’s productions, since the dancers must have good skills. This ballet was created to Mozart’s incredible music and has wonderful duets, each of which has its own characteristics. The very name Petite Mort means the pinnacle of love, without implying any vulgarity. This is the genius of Kylián – he «walks the tightrope», creating a simply bewitching spectacle. The ballet was staged in 1991 for the Salzburg Festival. So much time has already passed, but it is still relevant, not outdated and «not worn out», like an expensive piece of jewelry that only becomes more valuable over the years,» the artistic director adds.
The ballet company has already begun the rehearsal process. The dancers are faced with the fact that behind the seeming ease of dancing lies a difficult job.
«There is no tragedy in this ballet, but there is sensuality. There is an incredible beginning, where male dancers perform with rapiers. All of them must demonstrate the utmost synchronicity. This is especially true of the moment when the dancers hold the rapier suspended at the tip of their fingers. All six people at the same time, no one should be left behind. Step – turn – throw and the saber returns to the performer, rolling in a circle. These are certainly not circus moments, but they require great skill. After that a black canvas covers the dancers, changing the focus of events. In my opinion, this is a very interesting idea. The ballet is really complex, bright, and I am very glad that it will be added to our repertoire. I hope that we will handle the task well,» Altynai Asylmuratova concluded.
Jiří Kylián’s assistant will be ballet master Stefan Żeromski, who was a principal dancer of the Nederlands Dans Theater. The head of the design and production will be Joost Biegelaar, who will be doing the nuanced work with lighting, sets and costumes. The main thing in this ballet is to achieve clarity and purity of stage lighting. As for the set design ideas, the production uses black soft scenery and mobile pannier dresses on wheels. Everything is designed in a minimalist style, in black and white.
Tickets are already on sale, and interest in the premiere is growing, as everyone wants to see the masterpiece of world modern choreography!