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With Attila Egerházi about the World Premiere of the Ballet "The Magic Flute"

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Lucie Kocourková Author Lucie Kocourková
The world premiere of the ballet The Magic Flute takes place in the Estates Theatre on Sunday, 7 April. This work was prepared by Prague Dance Centre conservatory under the direction of Hungarian choreographer Attila Egerházi who has been active in the Czech Republic for a long time. We asked him about this new work. Who gave impetus to the creation of the ballet inspired by The Magic Flute, was it comissioned by Prague Dance Centre or was it your initiative?
I was interested in The Magic Flute for a long time, but I was always postponing it. The request came from the director of Ballet Prague Junior - Mr. Antonín Schneider - and his idea was to create a ballet based on The Magic Flute for the young dancers of BPJ.   At what audience is the ballet aimed? It is not strictly a fairy tale, but rather a mystical story, do you think it will be well understood even by children?
Yes, obviously I recommend the ballet to all generations. For children and for „adult children“.  What is the age range of peformers, will there be a place for children's roles?
The dancers of The Magic Flute are from Ballet Prague Junior. They are graduated students of Dance Center Prague. Of ages around 16-18.   The Magic Flute can have many layers, as a symbolic story, as a drama of relations ... as a director and choreographer which one do you prefer?
Each...  The opera of the same title is rich in plot: what is the dance solution so that the audience does not lose the thread? Did you have to resort to simplifying the story line?
First of all, there is the text of Schikaneder that singers sing. Last but not least I hope that you can also follow the story after the dramaturgic line of the ballet, as well as the expressive movements the characters make. I’d like the audience to feel and at the same time to understand the magical world of The Magic Flute. How will the dance and music parts be connected? Do you use recordings of the opera?
We don’t have the possibility to use live music at the moment. That’s why we play the music from a recording. Do you know the production of Laterna Magika Play of Magic Flute, which was choreographed in the early 90ies by Libor Vaculík?
Not, but it would be interesting to see it...  What is your relationship with Masonic symbolism? Will it have its place in the ballet?
I have lots of imagination about that symbolism, but in this ballet I don’t use it.  In one month you have opening nights of two (the number of works is actually three) premieres - from where do you get your inspiration?
Obviously I have more inspiration and ideas at times. But everything is a matter of planning and organization. I prepared and choreographed those two different premieres at different times.  South Bohemian Theatre presents a number of triple bills, where do you see the advantage of such productions? What will be the direction of the ballet dramaturgy in upcoming seasons?
As the artistic director I always try to find the balance of the dramaturgic line of a season between the triple bill evenings and the „grand ballets“ (full-lenght story ballets).
The „grand ballets“ are „dance novels“ or stories in our repertoire and our triple bill evenings are „dance poems“. I think that with a colorful repertoire we can satisfy our dancers and our audiences in a wider scale.   Is it for you as a creator a greater challenge to create a full-length ballet or short compact pieces?
Nothing is easy to create. Every creator knows it. The first matter is always quality and not quantity...  Some publicists see the influence of Jiří Kylián in the handwriting of your works. How do you explain this, is it really about inspiration or rather an inclination to the same artistic expression?
I feel honored and flattered by this remark. Jiři Kylián is one of the greatest choreographers and a dance theater figure of the world. He is a kind of a „living legend“. I think many choreographers should say many thanks to him, as I have to say thanks to him as well.
Without Bach the musical world would be developing differently... But on the other side, no one can use another person‘s hand to write. This is impossible.

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