Jiri Kylian premieres Falling Angels at Bucharest National Opera

Newsroom 20/04/2011 | 11:29

The Bucharest National Opera Ballet Company is working on Falling Angels, by one the world’s most acclaimed choreographers, Jiri Kylian. It premiers nationally on May 1in Bucharest and will then hold other representations on May 5, 19 and 28.

Dating back to 1989, Falling Angels depicts the destinies of female dancers trying to balance their pursuit of perfection with more human temptations. The work, for eight female dancers, is performed to drumming/percussion based on ceremonial music from West Africa.

The show is being staged in Bucharest by assistant choreographer Nancy Euverink. The music was composed by Steve Reich, the costumes created by Joke Visser, the lighting is by Joop Caboort and the technical supervisor is Erik van Houten.

Kylian, born in what was Czechoslovakia in 1947, started his dance career at the age of nine, at the School of National Ballet in Prague. He has 92 ballets to his name so far, 72 of which were for Nederlands Dans Theater. His work has been performed all over the world by more than 80 companies and schools.

Ticket information is to be announced soon by the Bucharest National Opera.

“The Friends of Opera association has made available the initial funds for the project’s financing at the Bucharest National Opera. Moreover, Friends of Opera made all necessary arrangements for the Falling Angels spectacle, under Jiri Kylian‘s choreography , to be included in the George Enescu International Festival program,” stated Gilda Lazar, president of the association.

“As you probably already know, the project was unexpectedly accepted by Kylian, although he declared that 2011 will be for him a sabbatical year. The Bucharest National Opera could not miss such a unique opportunity, despite the almost insurmountable difficulties connected with the lack of a dedicated budget and a very short time,” explained Lazar.