A special ballet premiere has arrived to the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre – ballet "Le parc" by an international choreography star Angelin Preljocaj, set to the music of Wolfgang A. Mozart.
"When I was sixteen or seventeen years old, I saw a short clip from “Le parc” and I thought, 'I'll definitely dance in this show someday.' Unfortunately, it was not destined, but now I can give such an opportunity to the artists of our company. During the two months that this ballet was being staged in Vilnius, the skill of the dancers was clearly growing. I am very happy that the choreographer A. Preljocaj himself found time to work here for a week: it is an unbelievably valuable experience for the company, which we will remember for a very long time.
You know, in my office at the theatre there is a balcony from which I can see what is happening in the ballet rehearsal room. When I secretly watched A. Preljocaj rehearse the final duet of “Le parc”, I realized that a miracle was taking place in the truest sense of the word. The vibrations of music and thought in this duet are conveyed through movement so accurately and sensitively that I myself experienced a joy I had not felt for a long time. I hope that the audience of "Le parc" will experience it as well – they will be treated to one of the most impressive, beautiful and significant performances of this era," – says Martynas Rimeikis, artistic director of LNOBT’s ballet company.
Ballet is Like a Seashell
A. Preljocaj himself says that "Le parc", created 30 years ago, is like an empty shell, which the dancers have to fill again and again.
"The subject of this production is eternal – it speaks of love and resistance to it. We see a world full of seduction, and two young people who seem to be going against the flow of society's customs. Each of the three acts of the performance end with a duet of the main characters, which have a different meaning: in the first act – of first acquaintance, meeting, in the second – of resistance to the emerging feeling, and in the third – of surrender, of finally giving in to the ignited feelings", – explains the world-renowned choreographer from France.
Much earlier than A. Preljocaj, assistant choreographer Naomi Perlov Chen came to Vilnius to rehearse with LNOBT’s dancers.
"Working with dancers from a different culture is always an enriching adventure. Two worlds collide: the one created by the choreographer and the one you live in. With this in mind, we emphasize different aspects of the long-established ballet. When I came here, I met dancers who are highly motivated, musical and perfectly technically prepared", – says the guest who truly got to know the Lithuanian ballet company.
The Most Beautiful Ballet in Paris
"In my opinion, this is the most beautiful ballet ever created in Paris, and, as you understand, there are a lot of ballets created there. My job in Vilnius was to say to the musicians of the LNOBT’s Orchestra, "Imagine being seventeen again, not knowing the difference between lust and love..." And they agreed to play by those rules. We even raised the LNOBT orchestra slightly so that the emotional nuances of W. A. Mozart's music could be heard as clearly as possible in the hall", – emphasizes Yannis Pouspouriks, music director and conductor of the premiere. The young Lithuanian conductor Adomas Morkūnas-Budrys shall also conduct the orchestra in premiere performances of “Le parc”.
Ballet set designer Thierry Leproust does not hide the fact that he is still proud of the set designs for "Le parc", created three decades ago: "They are strict and modern, allowing the viewer's imagination to work, with only light references to the cultivated palace parks of the 17th-18th centuries. They reflect W. A. Mozart's music and at the same time reveal the contradiction with the time depicted in the production. Together with A. Preljocaj, we have already staged 11 productions, so we both feel like creative brothers".
The stunning costumes of “Le parc” were created by Hervé Pierre, a famous designer for the nobility and celebrities from all over the world, who visited Vilnius a little earlier.
The premiere performances of "Le parc" in Vilnius will be performed by two duets of dancers: Julija Stankevičiūtė and Jonas Laucius, as well as Nora Straukaitė and guest soloist of Chinese origin Jinhao Zhang from the Bavarian State Ballet company.
The premiere of "Le parc" on the stage of the LNOBT is already on 15 June. The audience of the theatre will have the opportunity to enjoy this ballet next week as well, and those who didn’t get their tickets in time will have a possibility to purchase them for the performances of "Le parc" scheduled for November.
