The Long Christmas Dinner
based on the play of the same name by Thornton Wilder, music by Antonio Vivaldi
The premiere of the production took place on April 9, 10 2016
This performance marks the 10 year anniversary of "Kyiv Modern Ballet" theatre. Radu Poklitaru mentions, "My Giselle is not a sweet pastoral peasant, rather, she is a misfortunate child of the large modern city". It should be added, "an aggressive, pretty broken and dark city where many people wear rags and write on the walls, and some less people drive the loud and sparkling motorcycles, and there is hardly any place for the weird endeavors of Giselle, her marvelously beautiful love radiating the light, endless and unattainable as the sea".
But the girl is supported by the music, the classic ballet music score by Adolphe Adan in which we instantly recognize the strict and resilient harmony of the epoch not that old. This constant and strong sound attracts one of the guys with a motorcycle, as if it were the inner voice of Giselle. But he is not mature enough for the responsible and stable relationship. And Giselle, so lonely in her environment, is lacking strength to fight for her love. So at first, her altered state of consciousness saves her from breaking, then, after the other guy she is in love with unexpectedly finds her in the brothel and tries to get her out, a bright flare of light over the unattainable sea, so tragic and sublime.
For this sophisticated plot, the artists have learned to dance on very high heels, while Viktor Zadvornyi, the hairdresser, has designed unique hairstyles capable of resisting the tornadoes of the stage performances.
Premiered on the stage on April 9,10 2016
Premiered on the stage on April 9,10 2016
My appeal to the legend of the ballet, consecrated by names of great artists, is not incidental. Into this modern version of the classical ballet, I have put all my love to the primary source. Breathing new choreographic life into the music of Adam, I felt an unprecedented creative takeoff.
My Giselle is not a pretty peasant, but a destitute child of a huge modern city. Like her classic prototype, she dreams of a true great love. And just likewise her dreams fail in the face of the abyss that divides our world into rich and poor. But unlike her predecessor, the modern version of Giselle will not be given the blessed care in the idealized world of the departed souls. Her fate is terrible, desperate.
Little girl from the city suburbs, she will try to remain human despite the trials that fall on her fate. My Giselle is desperately fighting for her right to love and be loved. Although at the end of her life is cut short, the viewer will believe in the power of the human spirit, elevating us at times of the heaviest blows of fate
General sponsor: STATUS
Andrey Zlobin
scenography Ukraine’s Honoured Art Worker
Anna Ipatieva
costume design
Anatoliy Kozlov
assistant choreographer Ukraine’s Honoured Artist
Serhii Kon
assistant choreographer
Olena Antokhina
lighting designer
Alexander Kuriy
sound producer Honoured Arts Figure of Ukraine
Giselle
Albert
Hans
Mother Zhizeli
Wilfried
Batilda
Mirta
based on the play of the same name by Thornton Wilder, music by Antonio Vivaldi