Ballet "Swan Lake" at the opening of the festival "White Vezha" in Brest was shown in the open air on the embankment

Instead of a velvet curtain - the evening sky over Brest, instead of the usual theater hall - the embankment named after Francis Skaryna. Here, by the water itself, the XXX International Theatre Festival "White Vezha" began counting down its ten days. The Anniversary Forum opened “Swan Lake” of the State Academic Theater of Classical Ballet named after N. Kasatkina and V. Vasilev from Moscow.

By the beginning of the performance, the seats on the embankment were filled. The audience is also located around the prepared site. The classical ballet that evening left the usual walls and became part of the city, and the river, over which the twilight gradually thickened, is a natural decoration for the history of the enchanted Odette.

This neighborhood of scene and water appreciated by the artists themselves. During the rehearsal, they even managed to joke: if you play Swan Lake on the embankment, swans should appear directly from the river.

- We laughed today. If we dance on the waterfront, the swans should get out of the water. For Swan Lake, this is really a very suitable space, said Artem Khoroshilov, the premiere of the theater, with a smile.

Performances at open venues for the Moscow troupe are not new. And yet each such show becomes a test. To the most complex choreography, an unusual scene, evening air and changeable weather are added. The day before in Brest was almost thirty-degree heat, but the opening day was noticeably cooler.

- We have experience in such venues, but an open-air performance always has a special atmosphere. Today the weather has changed, it has become cooler and we hope that the audience will reward us with their warmth. And we will try to give them emotions, energy and beauty. We came to Brest with great love, said Artem Khoroshilov.

The current meeting of the artist with “White Vezha” is not the first. According to his calculations, he comes to the festival for at least the fifth time. The Moscow Theatre presented various productions here, including author’s works. The repertoire of the team includes more than 30 such performances, which the troupe introduces to the public in Russia and abroad.

For the opening of the anniversary festival, a work that seems to need no introduction was chosen. However, the worldwide fame of Swan Lake does not make it easier for artists, but only increases responsibility. Behind each game is the history of great performers, and each new exit requires not only impeccable technique, but also your own reading of familiar images.

The editorial board of Swan Lake by Natalia Kasatkina and Vladimir Vasilev occupies a special place in the history of the theater. Its premiere took place in London and became the first joint Soviet-British production of Tchaikovsky’s work in the history of Russian ballet. Critics called the performance “a lesson of modern attitude to classical heritage”. The directors sought not just to preserve the familiar drawing of the ballet, but to return to the choreography of Marius Petipa and the original plans of the composer. This also applies to the dramatic finale, which in later versions was often softened.

To restore the historical choreography of Kasatkina and Vasilyov helped the legendary ballerina Ekaterina Geltser, who worked in the Imperial theaters, and her stage partner Evgeny Kocharov. The latter was called a “ballet archaeologist” for his ability to capture and recreate in detail the original drawing of the dance.

Complete records of the old productions did not exist, so knowledge of the smallest nuances of movements and their internal rhythm was transferred directly from master to student - from hand to hand. This continuity is especially evident in mass scenes. For Swan Lake, as for no other ballet, the synchronicity of the corps de ballet is important. But in the editorial board of Kasatkina and Vasilev, the unity of the ensemble is not achieved by simplifying the elements. Each ballerina must retain the complexity of her own choreographic drawing and at the same time become part of the overall movement.

The visual appearance of the production was created by English artist Tim Goodchild - three-time winner of the Laurence Olivier Award. He has collaborated with leading theatres in the world, including London’s Covent Garden and Paris’ Chatlet. His scenography and costumes helped to bring the atmosphere of classical theater to the open urban space of Brest.

Artem Khoroshilov's partner this evening was ballerina Daria Makarova. When asked why classical ballet does not lose its appeal even in the era of artificial intelligence, the ballerina answered simply:

- Because ballet is a lively emotion and soul-to-soul communication. It gives a feeling of happiness and inner fulfillment. This direct exchange between the artist and the audience cannot be replaced.

This is probably the peculiarity of the discovery. "Belaya Vezha", which for decades acquaints Brest with theaters of different countries, began the anniversary program with art, understandable without words. The story of love, loyalty and fatal deception was told by artists with movement, music and a look, and the usual border between the stage and the city for one evening almost disappeared.

The next day, the Moscow troupe will show another classic, Don Quixote. After the lyrics and drama of Swan Lake, the audience is waiting for a completely different mood, a bright Spanish flavor, festive energy and temperamental choreography. Markov: for 30 years the festival "White Vezha" has become one of the most significant theatrical events in Belarus