Preview: Miniatures 2012

Under the leadership of artistic director Petr Zuska, the National Theater Ballet not only presents the works of renowned choreographers but also regularly gives space to the company's dancers who want to try their hand at choreography.

Choreography workshops give young dancers the opportunity to prove they are not mere instruments in the hands of other choreographers, but artists who can develop their potential and create their own style. This gives dancers the chance to further develop their choreographic talents and actively experience the entire creative process.

Similar desirable choreographic workshops are very common abroad, so some years ago, Zuska, inspired by his international experience, decided to initiate such a project in Prague. The series of evenings dedicated to young choreographers continues in the 2011/12 season under the title Miniatures.

This time, the evening is composed of new choreographies created by six young artists: Jiří Waňka, Sylva Nečasová, Tomáš Červinka, Klára Hovorková, Viktor Konvalinka and Tomáš Rychetský. Participation in the project is open to all members of the ensemble, but as time goes on, one finds mostly the same choreographers have repeated in the program in recent years.

"To find time for one's own creation and rehearsals in the middle of a busy theater season requires a certain amount of enthusiasm from all who are involved. Not everybody can afford it - families, hobbies or other obligations sometimes make people so busy they simply don't have spare time for anything else," says Sylva Nečasová, a young demi-soloist of the company, who is participating in Miniatures for the fifth time, both as a choreographer and a performer.

"Each creator has to find interpreters who have the desire to develop physically and expressively among the members of the company. Dancers have to be ready for the other performances in the repertoire and that makes the time to work on Miniatures even tighter. But we like this project - every year it brings a pleasant variation into the ballet season for us."

Miniatures is always different, full of original and inventive ideas, youth, enthusiasm and emotion. According to Nečasová, Zuska previously chose a common theme, such as ethnic music or a favorite picture, and picked choreographies out of the troupe's pieces based on this. "However, lately we receive more and more freedom from him, both in terms of theme and its artistic treatment," she adds.

"I personally have more sources of inspiration; the most important for me is the selection of music that impresses me somehow, by its mood, rhythm or humor. I don't know whether my understanding of music always coincides with the intention of its author, but I dare say it is not so important. Everyone is different and perceives the music (as well as choreography) in relation to his own experiences," Nečasová says.

"For this year's edition of Miniatures, I am preparing a choreography titled Sunday Morning with music by Lionel Richie, Lou Reed and Johnny Cash. For the interpreters, I chose two talented colleagues from the company, Kristina Němečková and Tereza Kučerová. I have worked with both of them several times already, so we know what we can expect from each other, and therefore our work is simpler and more fun. We strive to rehearse anytime when our working and private programs allow us to do so, especially in the evenings after working hours or during weekends."

Miniatures is a great and distinctive idea that will hopefully stay in the repertoire for a long time to come. In this way, young choreographers get a chance to further develop their talents, and at the same time this project gives the audiences the opportunity to watch contemporary ballet created by debuting choreographers who may soon be stars.

Miniaturization is making something on a reduced scale while maintaining the functional properties of the master. Sometimes less is more, and when one adds the enthusiasm and youth of these artists, the short pieces from Miniatures can also be a maximal experience.

Johana Mücková can be reached at
features@praguepost.com