The New Premiere of Brno Ballet: Black and White
On Friday, March 20 it will be the second dance premiere of the National Theatre Brno this season that will take place in the Mahel Theatre. The production Black and White bears the subtitle Swan Lake for the 21st century and it comes from the choreographic workshop of Mário Radačovský, the boss of the ensemble. The world premiere took place on May 4, 2012 in the Grand Rapids Ballet in Michigan, USA. Black and White should be a modernised adaptation of the flagship of the classical ballet repertoire – Swan Lake. The fact that a classical ballet is transformed into a current form might be indigestible and inacceptable for some people. It is perhaps a little controversial, certainly daring, for some it might be even blasphemy, although there are several unusual adaptations that are more or less experimental (a male version of Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake, Alexandr Ekman´s version in a pool full of water or Frederik Rydman´s Swan Lake Reloaded in a hip-hop tune, which were showed in the last two seasons of the Golden Prague Festival). This work belongs to the most frequently performed ballets in the world, and together with Giselle, Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty it is the backbone of the repertoire of major ballet companies. "However, our version, which was a great success in the USA, represents the present. It is an attempt to introduce this work to the younger generation through a different angle, through the negation of all traditions and the visual transformation of Swan Lake as such. In the classic version of this ballet the dominant figures are ballerinas (the main dual-role Odette – Odile), it is mainly about the testimony of the female element. In our version, we offer a view of Swan Lake by the main character Prince Siegfried, who goes through difficult life situations associated with the treatment of his severe disease. Life often changes due to a mere trifle; sometimes one second is enough and everything can flip upside down.”Is white really such an innocent colour or is it far more dangerous than black...? Some cultures consider black much more readable and predictable than white... It's about how we see things and whether we perceive everything in life as black and white... But paradoxically, maybe it is the black colour that helps us realize our direction...” The programme indicates this all and it will probably be clear to many spectators what stage of Mário Radačovský´s life and personal experience this work is related to: "The inspiration arose from my long stay in hospital in Holland, where I was diagnosed and treated for cancer. From the window I had a direct view of a small pond in the hospital complex, where swans floated. That's when I realized how relative our freedom is and how my reality is vastly different from the freedom of beautiful swans. That was the moment when I knew I wanted to create my own version of Swan Lake. Sometimes a mere second or a piece of bad news is enough – and your life flips upside down. Siegfried searches for himself in the beauty of a gentle and almost perfect creature, which is a Swan. He faces a choice like the prince in the classic version of the story. Black and white…”Musically the ballet is based on Tchaikovsky's score, which is reduced only by the cuts in the first and third act; ”white acts” remain complete. Marek Hollý´s scene is simple, using mirrors and subtle neon lighting. The choreographer resigned to use top ballet shoes just because of the opportunities that such choice would give him; according to him these shoes sometimes may be onerous and limiting for contemporary choreography and their application then determines the physical aesthetics.The costumes were designed by Patricie Barker. It was her who was present at the birth of the ballet Black and White. She is the artistic director of the Grand Rapids Ballet, where this ballet was premiered. "When I became the artistic director of the Grand Rapids Ballet, I invited Mário to create a modern production of Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet for our ensemble. It was a huge success, after which we started to plan Black and White. I like the depth with which Mário transforms stories, his sense of music and working with dancers.” In Grand Rapids Black and White was definitely a great success and Patricia Barker has a clear opinion on the matter: “The natural values of classic works remain the same, whether the adaptations are based on classic or new versions, and it is not disrespectful to retell the story in a modern context. I think that it would be a shame not to enliven some ballets with a new interpretation and look, even though they are brilliant in their classic versions.”
Source: NdB
Josef Bartos
Thank you for your thoughts. One got stuck in my mind – that passion makes us different from AI. Just yesterday I read…I am a dance critic. I am a member of an endangered species