In Orel danced “blizzard”: plastic performance presented an innovative ballet theater from Kaluga

October 21 in Orel danced “Blizzard”: a plastic performance based on the novel of the same name by A.S. Pushkin presented an innovative ballet theater from Kaluga.

It's October, and there's a blizzard in the hall

“Blizzard” (12+) is a romantic comedy with reflections on the topic of fate. So announced the performance of the Kaluga innovative ballet theater, who came on tour to our city. The plot of Pushkin’s work from the cycle “Tales of Belkin” is known to every student. And the viewer will see a story similar to the classics.

The main character Masha (Irina Yakukhnova) decided to escape from home to secretly marry a poor warrant officer Vladimir (Vadim Lavrentsov). However, the elements change the plans of lovers: the groom, swirling with a strong blizzard, does not appear in the temple for the sacrament, and the girl is married to a stranger (Dmitry Danilov), who accidentally entered the church.

After learning about this, Vladimir goes to war, where he dies. And Masha for many years lost the opportunity to find family happiness. The fate of the daughter is experienced by the unsuspecting Mother (Violetta Savelyeva) and Father (Artem Samoilov), as well as friends and relatives (artists of the corps de ballet Ekaterina Afanasyeva, Sofia Kartashova, Daria Kamenskaya, Polina Kaverina, Artem Savin, Anton Kuznetsov, Alexey Solovyov, Alexey Troshkin, Egor Kolesnikov, Maria Shmykova and Kristina Ivanova)...

Sounds like Pushkin. The main idea of the work is the same - the uncontrollability of fate to a person. It is she who first breaks the plans of lovers, and years later brings the heroes together.

What can impress the Orel audience performance of the Kaluga theater?

Between Angel and Bes

The idea to show Pushkin’s story in ballet was very bold. The actors had a difficult task - to tell a story without words, in the language of modern dance.

Actions on the stage to the viewer explained only the titles, which from time to time appeared on the screen. And these were not dry sentences, but funny, sometimes humorous phrases.

There were no more words in the play, except Masha’s cry: “Not the one (fiancé)!” and songs of characters that were not provided for in the classic’s work. In the play, two new heroes - Angel (Vadim Anurin) and Bes (Artur Mikoyan) - play the main roles. Fateful changes for Pushkin's characters, tragic and happy coincidences of circumstances - their "work".

The first hero, as befits the Angel, calm, kind. The devil is impetuous, restless and suddenly... unusually charming, artistic and plastic. In general, a real demon... attraction.

What is unusual, in the production, the Bess and the Angel do not oppose each other - oddly enough, they do a common cause, act together. "Colleagues" amusingly "blown" into cards, tease each other or, singing a song, sweep the floor. Just as harmoniously, they do not allow the main character to turn out of the way, push her to happiness.

The production team OR and the playwright Clava Ilyin, introducing these characters, gave the production a new meaning: now it is not just an illustration of classics, not an ordinary romantic comedy, but a philosophical story, reflections on the lack of power of a person over his fate, his powerlessness before the action of higher forces, about the will of rock.

A fresh look at the classics

Choreographer: Alexandra Ivanova began to tell this mystical story in the language of dance. And Pushkin’s story in a new plastic form suddenly revealed in a new way.

Innovative was not only the dance genre of production, but also costumes. Actors do not wear the usual packs and pointe, wide crinoline in the style of the XIX century. The production designer Anastasia Ryazanova made a "stylistic homage to a bygone era" - and in the era of balls and secret dates theatergoers now carry other means.

Not only was this finding unexpected. Composer Julia Kolchenskaya specially for the performance was written diverse music. This is a secret wedding (spiritual motifs, church choir and bell beats), and the voices of the mystical element (scenes of a blizzard, which are almost immersed in trance), and the sounds of the ball and orchestra.

I want to note the work of the lighting artist Oleg Strashkin. Lighting is a very important part of the production, especially plastic. Light directs the viewer’s gaze, highlights the most important thing that happens on stage.

The result of the joint work of the production team was long, well-deserved applause from the audience. Oryol theatergoers appreciated a fresh look at the classics, bold modern dance, non-standard directorial decisions and, of course, the acting.

Takeaway

Our performance is the first plastic one, no one has done a ballet on this story before us. Despite the fact that many people think that ballet is an incomprehensible very boring and aesthetic genre, we will try to destroy this stereotype. Our choreography is boring and understandable even for those who have not read the story and did not go to ballets. Everyone will take something for themselves, hidden and important, because at the heart of the rich and intelligent text of the great writer. There will be a reason to think about fate, the story of courage and, of course, love, the creators of the play assure.