Kings of the Sun

During the summer months, Prague is packed with visitors seeking to explore the city, but the capital doesn't offer much in the way of serious culture at this time of year, especially on the dance scene. But dance lovers will soon have an opportunity to see a world-class ballet show, when an extraordinary event titled "Kings of the Sun" will be staged at the National Theater.

After having successfully performed in Moscow, Sofia, Bratislava and Budapest, Nikita Dmitrievsky, a Russian choreographer and the creative director of the project, brings this international ballet night to Prague. It is a very authentic and original dance show in which traditional classical dance is combined with modern ballet steps. It is composed of brilliant choreographic pieces all united by the main theme: the life of French King Louis XIV, the Sun King, and his devotion and passion for dance.

Louis XIV showed a strong interest in dance from childhood. The court ballet reached its peak during his reign (1643-1715), and his title, the Sun King, was derived from a role he danced in a ballet. Many of the ballets presented at his court were created by the Italian-French composer Jean Baptiste Lully and the French choreographer Pierre Beauchamp, who is said to have defined the five ballet positions of the feet. Louis XIV also established the Academie Royale de Danse, a professional organization for dancing masters.

In a famous, fascinating Baroque carnival titled "Ballet Theatre Palais Royal" that Louis XIV often organized at his court, performers lived in a reversed world for several hours. A king could become a jester, and a buffoon could bear a title of "His Majesty." Kings of the Sun will represent how the world's top dancers may become "jesters" and "kings," performing the most astonishing acts and leaving the audiences in awe.

"I accepted the invitation for the guest performance in Prague with great pleasure, responsibility and a special sensitivity, as this city is the birthplace of Jiří Kylian, the scene where this choreographic legend was born. For me personally, Kylian is a very important man. He helped me to find my personal freedom. It is an honor to perform in the National Theater," Dmitrievsky said.

All choreographies in Kings of the Sun are performed by dance masters and ballerinas of the best Russian theaters like the Bolshoi, the Mikhailovsky and the Stanislavsky or the Eifman Ballet Theater. Furthermore, leading ballet dancers of Staatsballett Berlin and Stuttgart Ballet (Germany), Compania Nacional de Danza and Dance Company "La Mov" (Spain), Nederlands Dans Theatre (Netherlands) and Opera de Paris (France) will take part in this event.

The visiting dancers will display a level of skill and precision rarely seen on Czech stages. As this unusual project is coming to Prague for one night only, it is expected to sell out quickly. If you don't already have tickets, get them now.

Johana Mücková can be reached at
features@praguepost.com