A new look at La Traviata
For the 20th anniversary of the “Kyiv Modern Ballet” Academic Theatre, the artists are preparing a grand premiere.
The other day, for representatives of the media, the creative team of «Kyiv Modern Ballet» presented the artistic concept of Radu Poklitaru’s production and, for the first time, showed the official teaser of the forthcoming premiere.
Performances of the ballet «La Traviata» set to the music of Giuseppe Verdi will take place for audiences on 16 and 17 October on the stage of the ICAC. The project was created with the support of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation and the budget of the city of Kyiv as part of the programme of repayable financial assistance to cultural institutions.
The creators of the ballet «La Traviata»: Radu Poklitaru – principal choreographer of the Academic Theatre «Kyiv Modern Ballet», Honoured Artist of Ukraine – libretto, choreography, staging; Olha Nikitina – author of the video projection; Dmytro Kuriata – costume designer.
«La Traviata» as staged by Radu Poklitaru is a choreographic drama about love and the devastating power of self-renunciation, in which tenderness and passion collide with the condemnation of society, and self-sacrifice becomes a sign of eternal devotion…
«All plots are divided into balletic and non-balletic»
– This year our theatre turns 20, – recalled Radu Poklitaru, principal choreographer of the Academic Theatre «Kyiv Modern Ballet». – You know, when the company was being created, I never even imagined that it would live to see such mature years… Thinking about what to stage for the 20th anniversary, it seemed entirely logical to me to add an «arch» reaching back to the theatre’s very first production (the ballet «Carmen. TV», which this year is already 20!). It became our first «swallow of spring», and this year’s new addition to the repertoire is «La Traviata». They are somewhat alike and at the same time utterly different. And so this kind of «great arch» arose between two great operas in a ballet version, 20 years apart!
Why «La Traviata»? Probably because it is one of the most frequently performed works in the world set to the music of Giuseppe Verdi, and it is striking. I come from a ballet family, I practically grew up in the wings of a theatre (Radu Poklitaru’s parents were ballet soloists at the Moldovan Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet. – T. P.), and the enchanting sounds of the opera «La Traviata» won my heart from childhood…
Time passed. I grew up a little and thought it was time for me to «repay my debt» to «La Traviata» and Giuseppe Verdi. And, of course, first and foremost this is an hommage (in art — a gesture of respect. – T. P.) to a great opera, to great music.
You know, for me all plots are divided into balletic and non-balletic. For example, Shakespeare’s «Romeo and Juliet». The story translates beautifully into the language of dance, because the work is very emotional — it is about great love… I believe that, of the many operas of world classics, it is precisely «Carmen» by Georges Bizet and «La Traviata» by Giuseppe Verdi that are very vivid stories which can be told in an engaging way in the language of ballet.
My ballet is not a carbon copy of the plot of the opera «La Traviata». That is why I allowed myself to alter the libretto somewhat. What exactly has been changed, the audience will find out when they see the production. Nowadays the public goes to the theatre to see a performance created through the prism of the personality of its authors (the director, the choreographer, the set designer, the performers — the artists). We will have the ballet «La Traviata» by Radu Poklitaru, but the main message of Verdi’s work will be preserved. It is a story about love and self-sacrifice…
The ballet «La Traviata» differs scenographically from «Carmen.TV». Two decades ago our theatre was only taking its first creative steps, and at that time the production was very simple, more or less traditional, whereas now the performance employs the latest technologies (Olha Nikitina is the author of the video projection). Olha and I are working together not for the first time, and it is always an interesting search with interesting discoveries (in particular, she did the scenography for the ballets «The Little Prince», «Viy», «The Queen of Spades», «On the Beautiful Blue Danube»). Each time Ms. Olha comes up with something new, and «La Traviata» will likewise feature original staging innovations, interactivity, and the action will unfold in real time.
The production will present several images: the world of high society — cold, insincere; the world of the love of Violetta and Alfredo; and the inner world of the ballet’s characters. The video effect will become localised and transform from three-dimensional (covering the entire set) into something more local, which changes in accordance with the movements of the artists on stage…
Colour as a symbol
Dmytro Kuriata, costume designer of the Academic Theatre «Kyiv Modern Ballet», said that he finds it interesting to work on the new ballet, and that right now fittings of the artists’ new costumes are still ongoing. The most emotional component of a costume is colour, and so the symbolism of colour has been powerfully developed.
«This is a restrained palette; there will be no “riot of colours” here, as in the production “On the Beautiful Blue Danube”. Everything will look very measured. But every colour that appears on stage carries many symbols, – said Dmytro Kuriata. – Pay attention to the red dress of the main heroine, which audiences can see in the official teaser».
The artist explained that even within a single colour its palette makes it possible to convey to the viewer a different emotional state on an almost intuitive level. «When we see it, we do not even analyse what exactly we are observing, but it evokes emotions. That is why the colours that will appear in the show are absolutely symbolic», – he added.
The musical part of the show is a mix of recordings from the opera «La Traviata». Two casts of performers are currently rehearsing, and they will present different stories…
The premiere performances will take place on 16 and 17 October on the stage of the ICAC («October Palace»).
Tetiana POLISHCHUK
