Intoxicating feelings: Radu Poklitaru’s Kyiv Modern Ballet presented “Nine Dates”
A palette of emotional states — of Love, eternal and the same for all yet individual for each — was shown by Radu Poklitaru’s “Kyiv Modern Ballet” at the first post-quarantine evening of one-act ballets, where the premiere of “Nine Dates” was presented.
A whole palette of emotional states – of Love, eternal and shared by all yet individual to each – was shown by Radu Poklitaru’s «Kyiv Modern Ballet» at its first post-quarantine evening of one-act ballets, where the premiere of «Nine Dates» was presented.
The idea behind this production’s story – creating a contemporary ballet set to Chopin’s music about the ever-new endings to the dates of a single couple – has a comparatively long-standing origin; it was conceived some ten years ago, the choreographer told «Ukraina Moloda» in an interview last September.
The very first press release about the premiere was being prepared as far back as last May, then there were hopes of being able to stage it in November or December, but, owing to the general pandemic-related reasons, everything finally came together on 27 January 2021. And the first audiences were not sparing in their applause for the inspired «Nine Dates».
«He and She – the beginning of a relationship, the first date. It would seem that everything about this has already been said, played, sung, danced... But therein lies the magic of art, where every author, touching upon age-old themes and subjects, draws new meanings and emotions out of them», comments Radu Poklitaru.
The almost exclusively black-and-white palette of the ascetic set design and costumes attunes the viewer to a perception of maximalism in the relationship between two people: when there are still timid attempts to give flowers to one’s beloved; when one is ready to shove the insolent other half out of the window or to forgive everything, just to feel the longed-for embrace.
The already well-recognised artists of «Kyiv Modern Ballet», Olena Saltykova and Artem Shoshyn, recently named an Honoured Artist of Ukraine, add new shades to the eternal feeling in every scene – of unease, here of irritation, of reconciliation and of passion. Rather unexpected in the production are the characters of Anastasiia Dobrovolska and Vladyslav Detiuchenko. Costume designer – Hanna Ipatieva.
Notably, the premiere of «Nine Dates», staged with the financial support of patron Volodymyr Filippov, was paired with the one-act ballet «In pivo veritas», set to Irish folk music and music of the Renaissance era.
Its libretto, choreography and staging are likewise the work of Radu Poklitaru. The ironic allusion to the ancient adage «In wine there is truth» in the title transports us on stage into the vivid – and in places even somewhat primitive (with its squabbles) – world of relations between lads in kilts and young ladies, when they have gathered in the traditional place for drinking Irish ale.
This brisk and cheerful prelude, with its ironic dancing «Truth – in beer» that transports us into the traditions of the land of Saint Patrick, becomes for audiences not merely an opportunity, amid the coronavirus restrictions, to find themselves for a little while as if in Ireland. The ballet, which has been on the Kyiv stage since 2011, is about those very same relations of His and Hers, when there are many dramatis personae all around and contenders for roles in the duet that love unites.
It is precisely this pairing of «In pivo veritas» and «Nine Dates» that «Kyiv Modern Ballet» plans to continue performing. And overall, in its 15th season, Radu Poklitaru’s contemporary ballet theatre has already presented its second premiere. «The Little Prince» in two acts was first presented to audiences online last October, and now there is finally the chance to revel in the magic of movement and meaning in the theatre.
Valentyna SAMCHENKO
