Genesis. The world premiere is being prepared by the Opera and Ballet Theater

Photo by Ilya Denbrov. In the rehearsal room

The Opera and Ballet Theater does not often pamper the audience with premieres. The repertoire is rarely updated, except that the performances of visiting artists dilute it. And here is the good news – the world premiere of the ballet “Genesis” (the creation of the world) will take place in Kyrgyzstan. The choreographer of the Mariinsky Theater Dmitry Pimonov came to our country especially for its production. In an interview with 24.kg news agency, he spoke about the premiere and the Kyrgyz ballet.

Note of 24.kg news agency
“Genesis” (the creation of the world) — is a joint project of the composer, poet, philosopher and mathematician Baruch Berliner (Israel), libretto author Olga Kuznetsova, choreographer of the Mariinsky Theater Dmitry Pimonov, ballet troupe and symphony orchestra of the Kyrgyz National Opera and Ballet Theatre named after A. Maldybaev, producer Nachum Slutzker (Israel) and project manager Eugeniy Atsapkin (Russia). The conductor is Mikhail Kirchhoff, conductor of the Kaliningrad Symphony Orchestra. Costume designers are Tatyana Astakhova and Dmitry Pimonov.

— Kyrgyzstan is a country where most of the population is Muslim. What prompted the idea to stage a ballet based on the biblical story of the creation of the world?

— The symphonic poem with a narrator “Genesis”, which means “the creation of the world”, has already been performed in Kyrgyzstan. Perhaps then the producer Nachum Slutzker and the director of the Opera and Ballet Theater Almazbek Istambaev had the idea to make a ballet based on the same musical material.

Seven episodes of the book of Genesis are used in the musical work:The Creation of the world; Adam and Eve; The Expulsion from Paradise; Cain and Abel(the first fratricide); Noah, who was chosen to be saved in the flood; The Flooditselfand The Token of Covenant,God’s promise not to destroy the earth anymore with the waters of the flood, and the sign of this covenant is the rainbow.

As for confessions, the poem takes a historical period from the creation of the world, when there was no confessional division. You can see this as a biblical myth, as one of the versions of the creation of the world.

— The poster says it’s a world premiere. Will the ballet be shown to the audience for the first time in Bishkek?

— Yes, it will. Kyrgyzstan is honored to stage a ballet to this music. The audience will see it for the first time on the stage of the Opera and Ballet Theatre. The symphony itself has already been performed in many countries of the world.

— Will guest artists and soloists be involved in the ballet?

— No, only the local troupe.

Photo by Ilya Denbrov. At the rehearsal

— Was it difficult to work?

— Yes, it was. Оne always has to deal with gaps in the technical education of artists, as well as spiritual and intellectual one.

— And what is it connected with?

— First of all, with the fall of choreographic education. But I must immediately make a correction: this is observed not only in Kyrgyzstan. This is a general decline in the quality of choreographic educationall over the world. Because the people have become lazyand degrading, while the art of ballet requires a lot of strength: physical, intellectual, mental and spiritual. To get the profession of a ballet dancer, you have to study at a choreographic college for eight years. And if you don’t finish your studies, you’ll still have to dance for two or three years in the theater.

This is a very difficult profession, a time-consuming process. And not everyone is ready to make this kind of sacrifice, to break themselves, their bodies. Because the positions, forms that are used in classical dance are unnatural. In everyday life, we don’t walk, we don’t movelike that. This is a great sacrifice. Unfortunately, the rear every few people who are ready for this.

As a result, there is a decline in education. In addition to all this, state support is very weakin Kyrgyzstan. For example, your neighbors in Kazakhstan are very interested in this field, and therefore the ballet is at a rather high level. A gorgeous academy of choreography was built there, where teachers come from all over the world for master classesand choreographers for performances. This allows them to have their own exclusive repertoire.

When I come there to stage a ballet, then I fully give the rights to my choreography to the academy. So they dance what you will not see anywhere in the world. Probably, people there are interested in some kind of spiritual development or social stability of the nation.

It seems to me that a person who reads books, listens to music, goes to theaters, will not think much about how badly he lives, go forward to revolutionand run to the White House to overthrow and install a new ruler.
Dmitry Pimonov

Of course, each country is free to decide what is important to it. Is it interesting to it that at the opening of the seasonal national opera “Aichurek” all the places are filled. It turns out that I see apartially filled hall and go out to the shopping center of the same name – and there are a lot of people who are on their phones, eat pizza, and in their eyes you can see only emptiness and loneliness. But again, this happens not only in your republic. You have a small population, so this cross-section of spiritual, cultural impoverishment is clearly visible. We, in Russia, have the same problem. Butsince many people live there, it is not so clearly expressed.

It seems to me that it is necessary to involve children in musical theater, because music is probably something that purifies the soul and educates. For example,during the Soviet period teachers used to take children to theaters, museums…

Photo by Ilya Denbrov. At the rehearsal

— Was it a challenge for you to work with our troupe?

— No. I have a lot of experience working with troupes of different levels.

It is difficult when you have to make up for the lack of education: professional, cultural, when the artists do not fully understand what they dance, what kind of story it is.

On the other hand, I understand artists who don’t want to do something new. They receive pennies – 17 thousand soms. This is a mockery of people who sacrifice themselves. I believe that the state should treat its national heritage better. To educate a ballet dancer, you need at least eight years at the college.

The state spends money to foster a ballet dancer, and then he comes to the theater, works for several months, understands that he cannot survive on this money, and leaves to work in a touring troupe, travel around the world and earn money.
Dmitry Pimonov

It turns out that the state budget goes abroad. Do taxpayers need it? Or do they need ballet dancers to stay in the country? So, we have to think about some kind of support.

— Will your performance remain in the theatre’s repertoire?

— It depends on the director and producer. I think they can come to an agreement. It seems that now there are even negotiations on tours in other countries with your troupe.

Photo by Ilya Denbrov. At the rehearsal

— It turns out that this production can become a springboard for our theater?

— Yes. You haven’t staged modern ballet for a long time. And it is necessary to set modern choreography. Young people, they need to dance more. Well, knowing another plastic language, they will dance the classical choreography better. This is always the case. Besides the fact that it is useful for the professional growth of artists, it is also significant for the theater itself, which has staged the world premiere of the production.

The ballet will be of interest to the audience, including the young one. We use 3D mapping. These are animated pictures, quite abstract, and plasticity is as close as possible to modern dance.

Source: 24.kg