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The stars come out in Prague

Dance luminaries gather for two evenings of classical repertoire

By Brooke Edge
For The Prague Post
April 11th, 2007 issue

Russian stars Zhanna Ayupova and Igor Kolb are at the State Opera.
Spring is the sweetest time of year for dance fans in Prague, with festivals blossoming like the orchards on Petřín hill. This week brings two headline events — ballet galas at both the National Theater and the State Opera. Each theater’s star-studded event will present a different facet of classical dance.
The State Opera is presenting its first ballet gala as part of the “Days of Russian Culture in the Czech Republic.” Last year, this cultural collaboration between Russia and the Czech Republic showcased a similar gala in Brno, south Moravia.
National Theater Ballet Gala

When: Saturday, April 14, at 8
Where: National Theater
Tickets: 30–800 Kč, available at the venue

State Opera Ballet Gala
When: Monday, April 16, at 7
Where: State Opera
Tickets: 300–850 Kč, available through Bohemia Ticket and at the venue

“The aim of the project is to introduce to Czech audiences the best current Russian artists from various fields: music, theater, dance, etc.,” says Alice Horáková, spokesperson for Days of Russian Culture. This year’s ballet gala at the State Opera offers a live-action study in the similarities and differences between Russian and Czech ballet, with stars from both countries’ stages performing their best classical and contemporary works.
The National Theater’s ballet gala, titled “A Rendezvous in Prague,” is a sort of “Where are they now?” for the Czech dance world. It showcases dancers working both domestically and abroad.
“The priority of this is to invite home Czech ballet dancers who are outside the Czech Republic,” explains Helena Bartlová, public relations manager for the National Theater Ballet. “We want to show Czech audiences the famous Czech dancers throughout the world. And it’s nice for the Czech dancers to come here on the country’s primary stage.”
Another highly anticipated feature of the National Theater’s gala, for dancers and fans alike, is the annual presentation of the Philip Morris Ballet Flower Award. Affectionately known as the “ballet Oscar,” according to National Theater Ballet Artistic Director Petr Zuzka, the award has been given in numerous countries around the world since 1977. This year marks its 14th presentation in the Czech Republic.
Given annually to one dancer for his or her significant contribution to classical dance over the past year, the award comes with a hefty cash prize of 250,000 Kč ($11,934). “It is a beautiful financial injection which is sorely needed within this profession in our country,” Zuzka says.
With their different approaches to presenting the best of international ballet, both galas are must-see events for dance aficionados. But there’s a special appeal for the dancers as well.
“A certain positive confrontation between artists takes place,” Zuzka says in a letter to National Theater patrons. “They exchange experiences and establish new contacts, all within the festive atmosphere of the evening they together create.”
“It’s a meeting of these people, making connections,” Bartlová adds. “They see the quality of other stars from throughout the world.”
The State Opera gala is also a boon for the performers, but even more so for the audience, says Horáková, who characterizes it as an opportunity to update any stodgy notions about the state of Russian ballet.
“Russian ballet has been perceived as old-school, old-fashioned, conserved in the 19th-century Tchaikovsky style,” Horáková says. “The ballet gala is a good chance to confront this cliché with reality, to see modern Russia ballet, to meet the best current Russian ballet dancers and see how they interpret the classic choreography.”
The format will be similar for both gala evenings, featuring a variety of excerpts from well-known ballets with a heavy emphasis on pas de deux from classic crowd-pleasers.
At the State Opera, the program includes numbers from ballet staples Giselle and Don Quixote, along with a focus on Swan Lake to correspond with the 130th anniversary of the famed ballet’s premiere, and the State Opera’s recent premiere of its new production of Swan Lake.
Another highlight is also Cygninae-related, as Ivanna Illyenko of Prague’s National Theater ballet company performs “The Dying Swan,” a haunting solo created by Russian choreographer Mikhail Fokine in 1907 for legendary ballerina Anna Pavlova.
At the National Theater, highlights include scenes from La Bayadere, Esmeralda and La Sylphide, plus contrasting interpretations of Romeo and Juliet. The two pieces will be presented back to back: a Latin-inspired ball scene from choreographer Youri Vamos’ new interpretation of the ballet, which premiered in Prague last fall; and a pas de deux from Derek Dean’s choreography danced by Jan-Erik Wickström of the Royal Swedish Ballet and Daria Klimentová, an acclaimed Czech dancer who is currently a principal ballerina with the English National Ballet in London.  
Held only two days apart, the events present a risk of dance overload. But keep in mind the advice of Horáková, who notes, “To check out the quality of dancers, this is the event to visit.”

Brooke Edge can be reached at features@praguepost.com


Other articles in Night & Day (11/04/2007):

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