Yesterday, at National Art Centre was a
wonderful performance National Ballet of Ukraine. The event, of
course, was political, and this
interfered with the perception of the ballet itself, but the
performance that we saw was VICTORY over all the horror that is
unfolding in the world. The program:
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Act 1
Grand pas from “Don Quixote”
music by Ludwig Minkus
Pas de deux from “Esmeralda”
music by Cesare Pugni
Melody in A Minor
music by Myroslav Sloryk
Pas de deux from “Harlequinade”
music by Riccardo Drigo
Pas d’esclave from “Le Corsair”
music by Adolphe Adam
Pas de deux from “Giselle“
music by Adolphe Adam
Voices of Spring
music by Johann Strauss
Prayer for the Fallen
music Lacrimosa by W.A Mozart |
Act 2
Adagio from “Forest Song”
music by Mikhailo Skorulsky*
Pas de deux from “Le Corsaire”
music by Adolphe Adam
Pas de deux from “La Sylphide”
music by Herman Severin von Levenshold
“The Night Before Christmas”
music
by Yevhen Stankovych*
“Kozachok”
Traditional Ukrainian folk dance
"Hopak" from "Taras Bulba"
Music by Mykola Lysenko
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As I understood, this wonderful program was choreographed mainly
by
Alexei Ratmansky. Here are a
few articles about it, and many – at his Facebook page.
https://unitedukrainianballet.com/giselle/
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/10/24/alexei-ratmanskys-dance-for-the-war-in-ukraine
https://www.danceaustralia.com.au/reviews/review-grand-kyiv-ballet-of-ukraine
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/30/arts/alexei-ratmansky-ukrainian-ballet-dancers.html
It is absolutely incredible and
unexpected how such a level could be achieved in a very short
time. I'm not an expert, but I've seen a lot of ballets. Now I
want to share my personal impressions. I saw several this
program videos shown a year ago in Florida. The quality of
performance has grown so much over the year, that it’s simply
hard to believe. The full hall (despite the expensive, even for
Canadians, tickets) gave a standing ovation several times and
shouted “Bravo!”. The impression is indelible, and the printed
program will be included in my collection of unforgettable
performances, which I have been collecting since I was 18 years
old. Bravo! |