New ballet premiere at Bucharest National Opera

After an intense period, Bucharest National Opera seems to have managed to resolve its managerial problems and will have its final premiere of this season, a triptych: In the Night, choreographer Jerome Robbins, In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated, choreographer William Forsythe and Theme and Variations, choreographer George Balanchine. The performance will take place on Friday, June 10, at 19.00. Other performances are scheduled for June 11 and June 16.

In the Night

Choreography: Jerome Robbins

Music: Frédéric Chopin (Nocturne Op. 27 No. 1, Nocturne Op. 55 No 1 and No. 2, Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2)

Staged by Ben Huys

When Jerome Robbins firstly presented “In the Night”, at the New York City Ballet, on January 29, 1970, it had been less than a year since his work “Dances at a Gathering”, thus it was initially considered as a sequel of it. This perception was due to the fact that both works have no narrative core at all, as both of them are accompanied by piano pieces composed by Frédéric Chopin. However similar the two works may seem, though, there is only a superficial resemblance, as “In the Night” has a distinctive texture and atmosphere. Three couples are dancing in duet, separately, and they finally come to dance together. The almost empty stage is dominated by a starry sky alternating between shadows and beams of light. That doesn’t mean, however, that we deal with a sweet, dream-like ballet. The choreography describes a nocturnal atmosphere where things easily switch from calm and quiet moments to moments of passion or conflict. The work allows the viewer to watch from the shadows like a silent witness, intimate moments from these couples’ lives, their inner emotions, the peculiarities of their characters, such as nobility, timidity, pride, exuberance.

In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated

Choreography, costumes, lighting design: William Forsythe

Music: Thom Willems, in collaboration with Lesley Stuck

Staged by Thierry Guiderdoni

The choreographic work “In The Middle, Somewhat Elevated” was performed for the first time at the Paris Opera (premiere: May 30, 1987), being commissioned by the director of the company, famous ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev, starring the great French ballet star Sylvie Guillem. The choreography was then considered as revolutionary in the world of dance art, as critics appreciated that Forsythe’s ballet had definitively changed the face of ballet. In 1988, choreographer William Forsythe reproached his choreography, when staged it for the Ballet Frankfurt, including it in his postmodern ballet work “Impressing the Czar”.

Theme and Variations

Choreography: George Balanchine

Music: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Orchestral Suite no. 3 in G, Op.55, 4th movement)

Staged by Patricia Neary

“Theme and Variations” premiered in 1947, at the Ballet Theatre, City Center of Music and Drama, in New York, starring Alicia Alonso and Igor Youskevitch, with sets and costumes signed by Woodman Thompson. In the following years the work was revived and retouched several times by George Balanchine, due to his numerous collaborations with other dancers.

A lavish ballroom in which an elegant couple is dancing, surrounded by the ensemble, as a tribute to Russian Empire, when arts were under the estate protection and support and, not least, a tribute to Imperial Ballet School tradition in which Balanchine was educated. “Theme and Variations” is not a sterile copy of the academic dance invented by Marius Petipa, though it seems to borrow some features evoking the American brightness, of the life’s effervescence on the new continent by the swiftness of the movements as well as by including new variants of links and classic steps, without diminishing the harmony and grace of this genre.

Information about the performances was provided by Bucharest National Opera.

Oana Vasiliu

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