XVI Dance Open International Ballet Festival

April 13 - 24, 2017

April 13

April 15

April 17

April 19

April 20-24

April 21, 22

April 24

April 14-23

The 16th Season of Dance Open Ballet Festival was extensive and versatile. Those who wanted to introduce their children to the magical art of ballet enjoyed The Snow Queen by Ekaterinburg Ballet. Striking scenography, inventive directing, breathtaking music and, most importantly, Vyacheslav Samodurov’s choreography, a kind of «digest of the world ballet» with dance style from Petipa to Riverdance that still remains solid and original. Fans of classical ballet with gorgeous music, abundance of costumes and great choreography had a chance to watch Prokofyev’s Cinderella in the original interpretation of talented Alexey Miroshnichenko performed by one of the best ballet companies in Russia, Perm Ballet. Those who follow the choreography trends of the turn of the 20th-21st centuries had a pleasure to see the extraordinary performance by NDT-1. It was a real ballet happiness to see Lightfoot-León´s Shoot The Moon performed by the most iconic European troupe and have Lightfoot himself among the festival guests. Another stunning show was a delight for those interested in new dimensions of a semantic space and understanding of the esoteric nature of things. Ohad Naharin and his theater Batsheva from Israel in their performance Virus showed the ballet in its nontraditional sense. The words of the philosophical text were carefully written not by the bodies of the dances but by the whole organism of the dance company let the audience delve deep into the very DNA of the dance movement — the emotional reflections of the soul. The Tempest by the Polish National Ballet, a fairy-tale and philosophical variation of Shakespeare’s play with the directing absolutely worth its literature heritage, was a real gem of the world season. Among the numerous reasons to visit the show were: choreography by Krzysztof Pastor — the quintessence of the modern rethinking of the classical canons, performance by the top academic dance company, exquisite scenography that combined expected theatricality with unexpected use of modern technologies. As for the traditional Star Gala — nothing changed. Only the best of the best performed by the best.

Nederlands Dans Theater 1

SHOOT THE MOON SILENT SCREEN THIN SKIN

Choreography: Paul Lightfoot and Sol León, Marko GoeckeMusic: Philip Glass, Patti Smith, Keith Jarrett

Alexandrinsky Theatre 12+

April 21-22, 2017 19:00

SHOOT THE MOON

Choreography: Paul Lightfoot and Sol LeónMusic: Philip Glass

TShoot the Moon revolves around a higher level of expression in relationships. It is about the one thing that can create or change it: the emotions hidden inside. Revolving walls with striking black-and-white wallpaper create three separate rooms, each containing its own love story. The door to the other room always seems to be open and through the window a new world beckons. TShoot the Moon earned León and Lightfoot the Swan Award, the most important Dutch dance prize, for best dance production 2005/2006. “Lightfoot León demonstrate how powerfully and subtly a good choreography and good dance can communicate”. VSCD Dance Jury. World Premiere: 27 Аpril 2006, Lucent Danstheater, Den Haag

Lightfoot and León use their ingredients for success as of old: beautiful lyrical movements alternated with spasmodic slapstick tics as an expression of internal madness, and black-and-white film on which the stories are doubled, mirrored and complemented. In Shoot the Moon you can immerse yourself magnificently and be amazed time and again about these unearthly good dancers.

There is an overwhelming sense of sadness in the company’s final piece Shoot the Moon which uses video screens, walls, a window and doors from which dancers emerge, exit and perform.

SILENT SCREEN

Choreography: Paul Lightfoot and Sol LeónMusic: Philip Glass

Silent Screen by NDT house choreographers Sol León and Paul Lightfoot can be seen as the epitome of a transdisciplinary performance where dance, theatre, film and music effortlessly come together to melt into a painterly Gesamtkunstwerk. Large screens offer a lively background of images that flow into each other as if in a dream. For 45 breathtaking minutes, Silent Screen shuttles between pure stillness and utter panic, reinforced by Philip Glass’ familiar cinematic music Glassworks. World Premiere: 28 Аpril 2005, Lucent Danstheater, Den Haag

…Silent Screen is a rare compelling ballet in which all characteristic León & Lightfoot ingredients are combined into...well, call it an “insurmountable piece of art”… This masterpiece will inevitably touch your soul.

Silent screen is by far the longest work by the duo, and probably the most beautiful and captivating the two have created in their already richly stocked oeuvre.

This opening scene contains all the ingredients which make the entire ballet so gripping. Besides the ingenious melting together of dance with a film screen image is the mysterious mood which is implicitly summoned up.

Beautiful people, dressed in beautiful costumes, dance in such a beautiful and moving way that the dances become purposeful and revealing, open to whatever interpretation one desires. …an eclectic blend of dance, image and music where it’s you who tells the story.

THIN SKIN

Choreography: Marko GoeckeDramatist: Nadja KadelMusic: Patti Smith and Keith Jarrett

Thin Skin is a homage to the punk rock icon and poet Patti Smith. The singer’s rhythmically elaborate, sometimes breathless-sounding lyrics form a visually and acoustically powerful synthesis with Goecke’s very particular frenetic language of movement. “Mind is a picture. And there in the corner is the hint of a spiral. Perhaps it is a virus; perhaps it is a spirit tatoo”, writes Smith, and Goecke’s dancers, whose skin is covered in countless tatoos, create dream worlds that are permanently changing. The dance remains elusive, but it gets under the skin, the skin of the thin-skinned. World Premiere: 28 Januari 2015, Lucent Danstheater, Den Haag

Original, dynamic and stunningly his own.

Subcutaneous doomsday is never far away in Smith’s music. The hectic, angular movements in the jargon of Goecke, which are characterized by particularly abrupt changes, fill that ominous atmosphere remarkably well.

Goeckes force is going against force.

The world premiere ‘Thin Skin’ initially makes you itch; dancers are like praying mantis, moving fast in thousands of variations. But it's also dance that comes close to all the intangibility that defines humanity.

The beautifully performed duet by Jorge Nozal and Meng-Ke Wu, is the final duet for good reason. As in the songs by Smith there are no answers, however there doubt and life 'like a boomerang, keep comin' back.

Total duration: 2 hours 25 minutes with two intermissions

Here comes the time of changes

MASTER CLASSES& YOUNG STARS GALA

Yacobson Ballet Theatre

April 20 – 24, 2017

One of the distinctive features of the Dance Open is its educational programme. For over 10 years the Festival has been giving young dancers a unique chance to participate in master classes held by the leading teachers from the Vaganova Academy and then perform at the Gala and show their skills and abilities. At this Gala ballet professionals and admirers can figure out who of those “small birds” would grow up into “swans” and who of them would be a reason for the world theatres to fight for.

…Rehearsal room. It is cold and there is an echo. Thin fingers, straight backs, stretched out toes… Excel to excellence… … Endless. Endless ballet class. Or not a class. Rather a duel. With yourself, with your fear, with the clumsiness of your body, with the shyness of spirit, with the weakness of faith… And what if you can’t do that? If you don’t excel? If you don’t transform? And here comes… step, jump, lift off, flight. The space melts away in the mirrors and they reflect for just a moment elven wings, so transparent and light that they don’t seem to exist behind the shoulders of a tiny fluttering, floating and swirling figure. But they do exist for… if there are no wings how could it be possible to dance this way? This dream, so vivid, bright and real, that repeats over and over again, comes to your mind at the moments of fatigue, when you have no strength to work and move forward… It fills you with a new, fresh energy. This dream comes when it is the time to change, get rid of all the doubts, torments and a huge number of questions to yourself and to the world. When it is hard because you need to make the decision. When quality should again come through quality and your fate waits for you behind the corner and you need to really believe in yourself, grow up and reach out… Not many people see this dream. Her name was either Matilda, or Anna, or Isidora… He was either Vaclav, or Vakhtang, or Rudolf… Or, maybe this name is yet to be called — in St. Petersburg this spring? And what if it is your name? And when this magical dream will become yours too. In between your take-offs and landings, at the next crossroads, before you open a new door, at the most important moments of your life, in the minutes of choice and growing up it will return and reinforce your self-belief. Your dreams will come true and you will become yourself. One evening, after you finish performing the most complicated role and drown in the flowers and applauses, you will remember about the Rotunda Hall, April master classes and St. Petersburg… And you will experience the same anxiety and joy, hear the hardly audible sound of elven wings, jump and flight… The magic and power of free movement, victory over gravity and the moment of limitless power over your body with the reins of fate in your hands… It means that it is now the time. Your time to change has come. Don’t loose it. And dance, dance, dance…

Polish National Ballet

THE TEMPEST

Ballet in 2 acts after William ShakespearePremiere in Russia

Choreography: Krzysztof PastorMusic: Henry Purcell, Thomas Tallis, Robert Johnson, Matthew Locke, Michel van der Aa and traditional Iranian musicMusic recording: the Orchestra of the Teatr Wielki – Polish National Opera in Warsaw

Alexandrinsky Theatre 12+

April 19, 2017 19:00

The house bill of this production looks as if a magician aimed to gather a dream team. The play which is considered the Shakespeare’s poetical bequeathal and his reflection about the world order. The choreography by Krzysztof Pastor, arguably the most outstanding of Polish ballet masters ever. Video by a poignant lyrical Iranian artist Shirin Neshat, who got the Artist of the Decade title in 2010, and her partner Shoja Azari. Costumes by an “exquisitely intelligent”, “highly theatrical” Tatyana van Walsum. The music, not only threading the time, but forming a mental equlibrium of European culture from Shakespeare’s coeval Tallis to young and revolting Michael van der Aa, covered by a blanket of Iranian folk melodies. All is a harmony here. All is a universum. And all is a struggle for the equilibrium. “It has no unequivocal ending, or conclusion”, Pastor says. “Perhaps Shakespeare deliberately left a lot for us to interpret for ourselves. In this sense the play is very contemporary, it does not limit the audience to passive participation — it requires involvement, it is an intellectual challenge”.

Krzysztof Pastor has extracted elements from Shakespeare’s complex last play and woven them into a heady mix of sounds and visuals to create a piece of dance theatre that glows with originality.

Shirin Neshat and Krzysztof Pastor’s work is a collection of emotions and meanings difficult to sum up in one article. A whirlwind bringing in a new force of spiritual change and renewal, bringing us to a future in which key words just have to be respect, lenity and inclusion.

One of Shakespeare’s most unpredictable works is The Tempest — it has numerous layers and also supports a wide range of interpretations. In this manner, it is an unlimited wellspring of motivation, as well as a major test for choreographers.

Music recorded — by the Orchestra of the Teatr Wielki — Polish National Opera in Warsaw Conductor — Matthew Rowe Сostumes — Tatyana van Walsum Video projections — Shirin Neshat, Shoja Azari Set and Lighting Designer — Jean Kalman Libretto — Willem Bruls Musical Consultan — Jan Pieter Koch Co-produced by Dutch National Ballet Performed by: Prospero, outcast from Milan — Vladimir YaroshenkoMiranda, his daughter — Yuka EbiharaFerdinand, shipwrecked person in love with Miranda — Maksim WoitiulAriel, protective spirit at Prospero’s service — Patryk WalczakCaliban, native fascinated by Miranda — Paweł KoncewojStephano, shipwrecked person — Vadzim KezikTrinculo, shipwrecked person — Adam MyślińskiOld Prospero — Abbas BakhtiariInstrumental solos — Abbas Bakhtiari (frame drum daf), Krzysztof Szmańda (percussion) World Premiere: 18 June 2014, the Dutch National Opera & Ballet, Amsterdam Polish Premiere: 9 April 2016, Teatr Wielki – Polish National Opera in Warsaw Duration: 2 hours 10 minutes with one intermission

Prologue Old Prospero sits on his island, reflecting on the things that happened in the past. He once was the Duke of Milan, but he was expelled by his brutal rivals, together with his daughter Miranda. The island was not uninhabited when he arrived. Sycorax, her son Caliban and their people already lived there for a long time. Although Sycorax died some time ago, the indigenous Caliban and his people still consider the island theirs. Scene 1 By conjuring up a storm with the help of the magical air spirit Ariel, old Prospero’s memories are awakened. He remembers he arrived in a similar storm on the island after a shipwreck. Carried by the waves the young Prospero was thrown on the shore with Miranda and they were saved by Ariel and Caliban. After his arrival on the island, the young Prospero immediately takes possession of it, with the aid of Ariel. Caliban and Miranda get to know each other, but Prospero takes care of his daughter and protects her vehemently. Nevertheless, Caliban and Miranda seem to be attracted to each other, which angers Prospero even more. Miranda is torn between the two men. Caliban feels rejected and upset about losing not only the power over the island. Scene 2 With the help of Ariel old Prospero conjures up a storm to revive his memories again. After some years another shipwreck brought his two rivals to the island, Stephano and Trinculo, together with Ferdinand, a young prince from Naples. Ferdinand is rescued from the waves by Ariel. Ferdinand is sad that he lost everything in the storm, but Ariel tries to console him. When young Prospero and Miranda find Ferdinand on the shore, Miranda is touched by the tragic fate of the prince. Unknowingly she is now entangled between her father, who is indecisive to let her go or not, and Ferdinand, who would anyhow be a more suitable partner for her, as far as Prospero is concerned. The closer Ferdinand and Miranda get together, the more upset Prospero becomes, and even Ariel cannot calm him down. For old Prospero the memories become very lively now. Interval Scene 3 With the help of Ariel old Prospero conjures up a storm to revive his memories again. He remembers that the same shipwreck that brought Ferdinand to the island, also brought his brutal rivals Stephano and Trinculo. Caliban discovers them on the shore. In the beginning the two men are afraid of Caliban, which they consider as primitive, but gradually they overcome their fear and they even try to beat him up. The people of Caliban arrive to set him free. After a failed attempt to civilize Caliban and his followers, Caliban suddenly realizes that he could use these men for his plot against Prospero. Directed by Caliban, Stephano and Trinculo attack their old enemy Prospero with the help of Caliban’s men. But with his magic Ariel freezes everyone on the spot in order to save Prospero and then he sends dangerous dogs in to chase the attackers. Prospero wants to punish and even kill Caliban now. Scene 4 In a final attempt to revive his memory old Prospero conjures up another storm. He envisages Miranda and Ferdinand in their attempt to lift a big tree, an obstacle he has once put there to keep them apart. But in their act of love they manage to lift the tree and to push aside Prospero’s power over them. Epilogue Now old Prospero can fully confront his past and meet his young counterpart. In a final reconciliation they all come together: Prospero, Stephano, Trinculo, Miranda and Ferdinand. But by fully realizing what has happened during his lifetime, Prospero now understands that he lost his most precious possessions: daughter, youth, faith in humanity. And he realizes how unfair Caliban was treated by him.