Brno/ Janáček Theater
April 29, 2023: "BALLET GALA" . – Dance festival on International Dance Day
The International Dance Day was duly celebrated in the Janáček Theater in Brno with a real dance festival, as the NdB-Balet celebrated the occasion with a special gala evening with international guests. In the sold-out Narodni Divadlo Brno, the in-house company and numerous guests from home and abroad gave a highly demanding dance tryst in a real firework of spectacular jumps and pirouettes, carried by the cheers and applause of the audience. Mário Radačovský , the artistic director of the ballet of the National Theater Brno, moderated the performance in Czech as well as in English for the many international guests in humorous words.
Spirited and technically perfect: Michal Krčmář and Yolanda Correa in the pas de deux from "Don Quixote" © Ctibor Bachraty
There was a lot of contemporary stuff in the program, but there were also some pas de deux from the most important ballet classics. Three contributions came from the Ballet of the Bucharest National Opera. Robert Enache , who performed with his partner Rin Okuno at the 12th International Charity Ballet Gala in Salzburg in February this year, opened the evening with Erina Yoshie with a pas de deux from "Flamen von Paris" (choreography: Vasilij Vainonen , Music: Boris Asafjev ). The virile dancer then performed the Black Swan pas de deux from "Swan Lake" choreographed by Marius Petipa to music by PI Čajkovskijwith Rin Okuno - the attraction of the beautiful stranger could be felt sparkling here, which cast a spell over the prince. Cristina Dijmaru and Bogdan Canila - also from the Ballet of Bucharest National Opera - impressed in the technically difficult pas de deux from "Diana und Akteon" to the composition of Césare Pugni in the version by Agrippina Waganova. Before the break there was another dance highlight with a pas de deux from "Don Quijote" (choreography: Marius Petipa; music: Ludwig Minkus ): Michal Krčmář, announced as the best internationally successful Czech dancer and engaged in the Finnish National Ballet Helsinki, caused a sensation with his spirited and artistic performance together with the lively dancing Yolanda Correa from the Norwegian National Ballet: while he light-footedly showed even the most technically difficult jumps, she pleased with brilliant ones Fouettés and nimble footwork, plus there was fine partnering and long-held one-arm raises. Another grandiose highlight followed as the final highlight : brilliant Vadim Muntagirov with Fumi Kaneko (both: Royal Ballet London) in the pas de deux from "Le Corsaire", again choreographed by Marius Petipa and set to music byRicardo Drigo .
Phenomenal leaps: Vadim Muntagirov in his variation from "Le Corsaire" © Ctibor Bachraty
The performances from contemporary pieces were stylistically diverse. As guests of the National Theater Prague, Nikola Márová and Danilo Lo Monaco danced Douglas Lee 's “Mask Duet” to a composition by Antonio Vivaldi : both liked their very coherent and harmonious dance performance. In the first part, Momona Sakakibara and Shoma Ogasawara (both promoted to soloists in the NdB ballet on February 1) with their enchantingly danced pas de deux from "Harlequinade" (choreography: Fjodor Lopuchov, Music: Riccardo Drigo) delighted the audience, and the other pieces performed by the Brno National Theater Ballet also attracted a lot of applause. In the balcony pas de deux from "Romeo and Juliet" to the composition by Sergej Prokofjev , Klaudia Radačovská and Arthur Abram danced in the version by Mário Radačovský. Both managed to be convincing on the empty stage in this key scene and to convey the stormy emotions credibly; blissfully admitting their feelings for one another, imbued with their radiant love. Another creation by Mário Radačovský was represented: Thoriso Magongwa touched the well-known melody of “Dying Swan” in the sensitively danced male soloCamille Saint-Saëns.
With the youth company NdB 2 , there has recently been a promising young ballet ensemble, which performs with its own performances in the Divadlo Reduta at the Krautmarkt. As one of the oldest theaters in Europe still in operation today, the Reduta has been used regularly since the 1660s (among others, eleven-year-old Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart performed there with his sister Nanerl). In the eventful history of the house - burned down several times and always rebuilt - it has served as the third venue of the Brno National Theater since 2005 after further renovations. As part of this ballet gala, the NdB 2 made its debut in the main building. Five dancers demonstrated their skills in "Pampúšik" by Margaréta Štofčikováto a musical collage by The Haxan Cloak and Kishi Bashi . The main character in the fairy tale of the pancake is called Pampúšik in Slovak and, as a modification, it is about being different from the group in a dynamic language of movement with different formations and constellations.
The enthusiastic spectators gave prolonged applause and there were standing ovations.
Ira Werbowsky
