Resurrecting the Romanovs

The State Opera ballet already has one timeless work by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in its repertoire, Swan Lake. The company has added a second with its recent premiere of Sleeping Beauty - The Czar's Last Daughter, with new and challenging choreography by the internationally acclaimed Hungarian choreographer Youri Vámos.

Tchaikovsky's genial work, composed to a libretto by Ivan Vsevolozhsky, the famous director of St. Petersburg's Mariinsky Theater, has been a fixed star in the ballet repertoire of many theaters since its world premiere in 1890. With original choreography by Marius Petipa, Sleeping Beauty is regarded as one of the most important epic ballets of czarist Russia.

But this is a very different work, as Vámos decided to completely reinterpret the piece. In his new version, which premiered in 1992 in Basel, Switzerland, the traditional fairy tale is gone, replaced by a totally new libretto and choreography.

The subject is the life and tragic end of the imperial family of Russia's last czar, Nicholas II. The ballet tells the story through Anna Anderson, the best-known of several impostors who claimed to be Anastasia, the youngest daughter of the czar. The real-life Anastasia was shot dead along with her parents and siblings during the Russian Revolution in 1918. Anderson's claim was finally settled in 1994, 10 years after her death, when genetic tests proved her DNA did not match the czar's family.

Working in close collaboration with stage designer Michael Scott, Vámos has captured the spirit and atmosphere of the period. The story begins in 1917 in Siberia, where soldiers threaten the imprisoned family of the czar. The next scene flashes back, portraying the imperial household and the celebration of Anastasia's 10th birthday. The idyll of a happy family is soon shattered by a scene in which the terrified Romanovs are soon to be assassinated.

A few years after the massacre of the royal family, a woman who believes she is the sole survivor of the slaughter appears in Berlin, haunted by memories of old times. Throughout the ballet, Anna fantasizes an innocent, trouble-free childhood spent in the midst of royal splendor in aristocratic scenes at the imperial palace.

Dancing the lead role of Anna/Anastasia at the Jan. 23 premiere, guest performer Andrea Kramešová was dazzling (she will alternate in future performances with State Opera soloist Rebecca King). Kramešová, formerly with the Prague National Theater, Tulsa Ballet in Oklahoma and the Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf, currently works with the Swedish Royal Ballet in Stockholm. She was offered the role in the Prague run of Sleeping Beauty by Vámos, whom she has known for a long time. As former artistic director of Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Vámos was Kramešová's boss during her time there.

Commenting on Sleeping Beauty in Prague, Kramešová says, "I like my new role a lot. It's very demanding in terms of dancing technique, and it also requires a lot of emotional and dramatic variety. The story of the royal Romanov family is fascinating, and I have to admit that to bring the production's message across to the audience through dance is a big and complicated but nice mission! The role of Anna/Anastasia is a major challenge for me."

Kramešová is great not only in her dance technique but also in expression. She is very convincing - her emotionally charged Anna really lives the story from the beginning. And she makes a good match with her dance partner, Filip Veverka in the role of Neznámý (a vaguely defined character who accompanies Anna throughout the ballet). Veverka is also currently with the Swedish Royal Ballet, and both dancers are attractive guests of this production.

Among the members of the Prague State Opera ballet company, Veaceslav Burlac shines as Tsarevich Alexei. The surprise of the premiere, this young Moldovan dancer makes a fresh, appealing impression with the role. The Prague State Opera orchestra, led by young Czech conductor Pavel Šnajdr, was also impressive.

The story of Anastasia has never lost its fascination. Despite the historical context and specific events this ballet deals with, in the end it's a universal story, with Anna/Anastasia personifying the eternal longing for the return of idealized, happy times. An untraditional production, Sleeping Beauty - The Czar's Last Daughter is a very special experience that will leave a lasting impression on all ballet lovers.

Johana Mücková can be reached at
features@praguepost.com