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III St. Petersburg International Cultural Forum ended on December 9. As part of its “Choreography” section (curator – Boris Eifman) three different events dedicated to modern ballet art were successfully carried out.

 

On December 8 the panel discussion “Topical issues of aspiring choreographers’ creative activities and their support: a look into the future of the ballet world” took place at the Boris Eifman Dance Academy. It brought together artistic directors of the famous ballet companies, respected critics, promoters and producers from Russia, USA, Canada, Unite Kingdom, China, Poland and other countries, as well as beginner choreographers and students of choreographic departments of St. Petersburg educational institutions.

 

Successful discussion was vivid and profound. Some participants encouraged young people of ballet art to be more active in professional sphere, whilst others replied that aspiring choreographers do not have many options for creative self-realization. In conclusion of the roundtable the moderator of discussion Boris Eifman underlined: “To become significant in the art a young creator must work with recognized master whom gift will feed and lead him. From the other side, it is necessary to support artistic individuality of the modern talents.”

 

That same evening at the Aurora Cinema there was the premiere of the screen ballet Rodin directed by Boris Eifman. The choreographer who presented the picture to the viewers noted the high cultural and educational significance of the practice of creating film versions of the ballets. “Not everyone has the opportunity to watch a ballet at the theatre. That's why we began to make movies. I dream that one of the major Russian TV channels would premiere it,” – said the choreographer.

 


On December 9 at the Yeltsin Presidential Library the final event of the “Choreography” section took place: presentation of the album Another Realm for the Word dedicated to the Boris Eifman's ballets based on the masterpieces of Russian literature. The choreographer told the audience about wonderful fruits of artistic union of literature and dance. “I never try to translate prose to the ballet language, but I create under impression from my favorite books absolutely new kind or art being law into itself ,” – said Eifman.

 

Tatiana Boborykina, literary critic, author of  the included essays on the ballets Anna Karenina, The Seagull, Onegin and Beyond Sin, told about some of the important features of the innovative approach of Boris Eifman. According to the speaker, the choreographer has an amazing ability to creatively rethink in his ballets the ulterior motives and subtle metaphors contained in the works of great writers, to penetrate into the deep levels of text perception.

 

On  December 9 Boris Eifman participated in the concluding plenary meeting – closing of the Forum. He told about main results of the section work and emphasized that global experience of support and promotion of creativity of young choreography creators discussed by the experts can be an important tool in the struggle with a systemic crisis in the ballet, which is shown in deficit of dancers and choreographers.

 

In his speech, Eifman separately noted the force of ballet as a means of cultural diplomacy. Choreographer also pointed to the fact that the residents of the Russian regions have been separated from the high artistic values these days. In this regard, Eifman recalled about the need of active involvement of the mass media in the improvement of such an alarm situation.

 

In the final part of his speech the choreographer highly estimated the meaning of the Forum. According to Boris Eifman, Russia, organizing it, “put upon itself the responsible mission of spiritual joining of people.”

 



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GOVERNMENT OF ST. PETERSBURG

COMMITTEE FOR CULTURE

E I F M A N    B A L L E T

 

Eifman Ballet has completed the first half of the 2014-2015 season

 

Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg has concluded the first part of its 38th season. As we approach the New Year, the company presents the summary of the main results of the its creative activity from August to December 2014. 

 

Eifman Ballet commenced the season at the beginning of August with a series of performances at the Alexandrinsky Theatre. The ballets Rodin, and Requiem (premiere of 2014) were presented. In the second half of August, the citizens and visitors of Saint Petersburg saw Anna Karenina, and Beyond Sin. 

 

In the middle of September, the Company landed in Monte-Carlo, at the famous Grimaldi Forum, with Anna Karenina. Princess Caroline of Monaco honored the performance with her own presence. On September 27, the company participated in the gala concert Kremlin Gala “Ballet Stars of the 21st century” held in Moscow, at the State Kremlin Palace, which gathered together outstanding dancers of the leading world companies. 

 

On September 29, 30, and October 1, the New Stage of the Bolshoi Theater hosted the Moscow first premiere of Requiem within the International Chereshnevy Les Open-Art Festival. Those performances proved to be one of the most landmark events of the Moscow theatre life to attract attention both of exquisite connoisseurs of art, and of numerous representatives of public and cultural elite. 

 

In October and November, the Company went on tour through the European capitals. In late October, Eifman Ballet performed in Prague and Bratislava, where Rodin was presented for the first time. All performances received standing ovations and exclamations “Bravo!” The Czech printed mass media mentioned, “The large stage of the State Opera is only just enough for all jumps and energy the dancers put in their entrances”. At the end of November, the company visited Napoli. The stage of the oldest European Teatro di San Carlo, Anna Karenina had a tremendous success. 

 

On November 3, Boris Eifman’s dancers met the Petersburg audience for the last time in 2014 with Beyond Sin danced at the Alexandrinsky Theatre. At the end of the month, the Company was on tour in Warsaw, with a Polish premiere of the same ballet. We should mention that the departure from Saint Petersburg to the capital of Poland was marked with a surprise. During the check-in for the flight bound to Warsaw Eifman Ballet performed a flash mob at the Pulkovo Airport and presented a swing dance from the upcoming production Up & Down (dedicated to the Tender Is the Night novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald) that will be premiered in January 2015. For a few unforgettable minutes the amazed passengers were immersed in the stunning atmosphere of the Jazz Age of the 1920s. 

 

Warsaw performances were held at the Teatr Wielki – Polish National Opera as part of the VI Days of Dance Festival. The Company gave four performances in Poland. It has to be said that only three shows of Beyond Sin were initially scheduled. However, the Warsaw art lovers expressed incredibly profound interest to the Eifman Ballet guest performances so one more night had be added, with the tickets snapped up like hot cakes. The spectators accepted the ballet enthusiastically. “The Polish audience was watching the acting area on the edge of the seats to rise in applause in the end. Thankful spectators did not leave the artists to go for a long time,” printed media set. An authoritative newspaper Rzeczospolita reviews Beyond Sin as follows, “We always welcome Boris Eifman with open arms, because he can create breathtaking performances in cooperation with brilliant dancers. Eifman is extremely sensible of the 21st century audience”. 

 

Having completed their performance in Warsaw with triumph, Eifman Ballet immediately left for France. The tour lasted until the middle of December. The Company performed in Cannes, Lyon (being there for a week), Amiens, Massy, and other cities. The French audience could see Rodin. “We were welcomed fantastically heartily, accompanied with a great tornado of cheers. After one of the performances in Lyon, the audience cried “Bravo” so loudly and furiously that we felt like it’s  a stadium”, says Lyubov Andreyeva, Eifman Ballet’s leading soloist performing the role of Camille in Rodin. She told that while on the tour in France, the dancers not only took the audience by storm, but also enjoyed inimitable pre-Christmas atmosphere, which inspired the Company. 

 

French ballet reviewers highly appreciated psychological insight inherent in Boris Eifman, admiring “impressive and intellectual chorography painting the characters’ feelings”.

 

On December 7-9 the III St. Petersburg International Cultural Forum took place in St. Petersburg. As part of its “Choreography” section (curator – Boris Eifman) three different events dedicated to modern ballet art were successfully carried out. In particular, on December 8 the panel discussion “Topical issues of aspiring choreographers’ creative activities and their support: a look into the future of the ballet world” took place at the Boris Eifman Dance Academy. It brought together artistic directors of the famous ballet companies, respected critics, promoters and producers from Russia, USA, Canada, Unite Kingdom, China, Poland and other countries, as well as beginner choreographers and students of choreographic departments of St. Petersburg educational institutions.

 

That same evening at the Aurora Cinema there was the premiere of the screen ballet Rodin directed by Boris Eifman. The choreographer who presented the movie to the viewers noted the high cultural and educational significance of the practice of creating film versions of the ballets. “Not everyone has the opportunity to watch a ballet at the theatre. That's why we began to make movies. I dream that one of the major TV channels would broadcast it,” – said the choreographer.

 

 

On December 9 at the Yeltsin Presidential Library the final event of the “Choreography” section took place: presentation of the album Another Realm for the Word dedicated to the Boris Eifman's ballets based on the masterpieces of Russian literature. The choreographer told the audience about wonderful fruits of artistic union of literature and dance. Also on December 9 Boris Eifman participated in the concluding plenary meeting – closing of the Forum. In his speech, Eifman separately noted the role of ballet among the means of cultural diplomacy and international cooperation.

 

The company will devote the second half of December to working at the ballet Up and Down. Rehearsals will last until the end of January. The Petersburg first night will take place on the January 27 and 28 at the Alexandrinsky Theatre. The European first night to be held at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, on February 9, 10 and 11. In the words of the choreographer, in the new ballet, “hedonistic jazz atmosphere collide with a spiritual disaster of the main character ”.

 

 

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UP&DOWN

 

A ballet by Boris Eifman

Music: George Gershwin, Franz Schubert, Alban Berg 

Sets: Zinovy Margolin

Costumes: Olga Shaishmelashvili

Light: Gleb Filshtinsky, Boris Eifman

 

The ballet will premiere on January 27, 2015 at the Alexandrinsky Theatre (St. Petersburg)

 

Boris Eifman is justly called a “choreographer-philosopher”. However, a much more subtle definition that accurately captures the aesthetic individuality of the Maestro would be a “choreographer-psychoanalyst”. Rightly believing that ballet tools open truly unlimited research opportunities before a dance creator, Eifman plunges into the unknown depths of his characters’ inner worlds and penetrates into the most hidden places of the subconscious.

 

The quintessence of the choreographer’s psychoanalytic research has become the ballet Up & Down. The semantic space of the performance encompassed between two oppositely directed vectors of the plot (the degradation of the talented young doctor and the ascension of his wife and patient), is turned into a field for surrealistic experiments. With the help of the original plastic vocabulary Eifman depicts the disintegration of characters’ consciousness, bringing their nightmares and delusions to the surface. The choreographer emphasizes rather ironically: the ballet Up & Down is not just a full point but a blot in his many years of psychiatric ballet epic.

 

The characters’ ups and downs take place in the magnificent Jazz Age – the unstoppable feast of life; the era of freedom, sensuality, and hedonism, masterfully recreated by Boris Eifman and his dancers.

 

“Our fate is woven of cruel ironies. Wealth can be more unbearable than the most terrible poverty, and a clear and sharp mind is vulnerable to the chaos of the unconscious.

 

The ballet Up & Down is a tragic and bright chronicle of a person’s spiritual death. The story about how a dream of happiness turns into a disaster, and an externally beautiful and carefree life flowing to the rhythms of jazz – into a nightmare.

 

The ballet’s main character – a charming socialite and talented psychiatrist – has everything to realize his gift and make a great academic career. However, in the world enslaved by money and dark instincts a true harmony is impossible.

 

The kingdom of luxury, in which the doctor immerses, turns out a perilous morass. An attempt to find a balance between his inner world and reality goes into collapse. Concession after concession – and the character loses his identity, actually leaving the profession and becoming a nurse for his half-mad wife. His mind, charisma, and career fall into pieces. Having lost everything, the doctor becomes an outcast in the society where there is no place for the weak.

A person that forgets his mission and destroys his talent is doomed, and a compromise with the treacherous world full of temptations is always wrecking. The ballet Up & Down is to remind of the fatal consequences of a man betraying himself.”

 

Boris Eifman

 

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Dear Friends! 

We would like to invite you to participate in the 2014 Boris Eifman Review Contest organized by the Eifman Ballet in St. Petersburg, Russia.

This contest open to every follower of Boris Eifman ballet. There are a few simple steps you have to take to join the contest: 

1) 1) Join our Facebook group, Boris Eifman St. Petersburg (https://www.facebook.com/spb.eifmanballet)

2) Write a review about any Boris Eifman ballet that was presented on world stage during 2014 (Rodin, Anna Karenina, Beyond Sin, Requiem). The text should not be longer than 2400 characters (Times New Roman 12 pt.) Language: English or Russian.

3) Send your review before February 15, 2015. 
...
Ten best reviews will appear on Eifman Ballet's official web-page for public voting. The results of the poll will be presented on World Theatre Day on March 27, 2015. 

The winner will receive our new book «Eifman Ballet. Another Realm for the World». This book was presented during the III St. Petersburg International Cultural Forum. «Eifman Ballet. Another Realm for the World» is a gift edition with Russian and English text and dozens of high quality illustrations... and Boris Eifman’s personal autograph!

 

More information about the Contect you can find on Facebook event :  https://www.facebook.com/events/1559999767578179/

 

 

AJJAPoKVUnY.jpg

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Boris Eifman about his new production Up & Down:

 

"The ballet Up & Down is a tragic and bright chronicle of a person’s spiritual death. The story about how a dream of happiness turns into a disaster, and an externally beautiful and carefree life flowing to the rhythms of jazz – into a nightmare."

 


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 Eifman Ballet performed a flash mob at the Pulkovo Airport and presented a swing dance from the upcoming production Up & Down that will be premiered in January 2015. For a few unforgettable minutes the amazed passengers were immersed in the stunning  atmosphere of the Jazz Age:

 

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St Petersburg Sinema and TV Academy published artical about video for Up & Down ballet. You can find few interestig photos and also alternative version of "Ceaser and Cleopatra" video.  The text is in Russian but photos and videos undestandable without translation. tiphat.gif


 


http://www.gukit.ru/news/2015/01/na-fakultete-ekrannyh-iskusstv-sozdali-videoryad-k-novomu-baletu-borisa-eyfmana


 


by Artem Kirpichenok, Eifman ballet's Literature Department 

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Eifman Ballet's Up & Down tour. Press Relise 

 

Eifman Ballet goes on a tour to Europe
with a new production Up & Down
 
St. Petersburg Eifman Ballet is preparing for a European tour with the ballet Up & Down. The production will be performed for the first time ever in Paris on February 9, 10 and 11. On February 14 and 15 the Slovak premiere of the performance will be held in Bratislava. The Company’s tour is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation.
 
The premiere of Up & Down took place on January 27 and 28, 2015 at the Alexandrinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg. A new work of Boris Eifman created a furor among connoisseurs of the ballet art: after the end of the performance the full house exploded with ovations and did not let the dancers and creators of the production go from the stage. “It can be arguable that: a national, and perhaps the world ballet has not done things like that before – the subconscious is described by the language of choreography... There is no applause – just ovations,” – wrote a columnist of Moskovsky Komsomolets Marina Raikina.
 
The European premiere of Up & Down will be held at the Théâtre des Champs Elysées, where the Company has performed many times. In particular, in December 2010, the ballet Anna Karenina was successfully performed on this venue. The performances marked the closing of the France – Russia Year. In March 2013 the French premiere of the ballet Rodin at the Théâtre des Champs Elysées has been greeted with great eclat. Critics highly praised the performance, having noted “expressive choreography” and “powerful dramaturgy”.
Boris Eifman admits himself that he is looking forward to see the Parisian audience. “The tour in the French capital is always a momentous event for our theatre. I hope that the ballet Up & Down, where a psychoanalysis and psychological art of ballet fused, will be welcomed with open arms by the Parisian spectators.”
 
After touring in France the Company will go to Bratislava, where it will present the new ballet at the Slovak National Theatre. This venue is also well known to the Eifman Ballet dancers: in October 2014 the Slovak premiere of Rodin took place there. The performance about the French sculptor was enthusiastically greeted by the audience and media outlets.
On March 9 and 10 Up & Down will premiere in Riga. In May and June the American audience will be able to appreciate Boris Eifman’s new work making the auditorium feel the enchanting atmosphere of the Jazz Age. The performances will take place on the stages of Chicago, New York and Costa Mesa.
 
UP & DOWN
 
A ballet by Boris Eifman
Music: George Gershwin, Franz Schubert, Alban Berg 
Sets: Zinovy Margolin
Costumes: Olga Shaishmelashvili
Light: Gleb Filshtinsky, Boris Eifman
 
Boris Eifman is justly called a “choreographer-philosopher”. However, a much more subtle definition that accurately captures the aesthetic individuality of the Maestro would be a “choreographer-psychoanalyst”. Rightly believing that ballet tools open truly unlimited research opportunities before a dance creator, Eifman plunges into the unknown depths of his characters’ inner worlds and penetrates into the most hidden places of the subconscious.
 
The quintessence of the choreographer’s psychoanalytic research has become the ballet Up & Down. The semantic space of the performance encompassed between two oppositely directed vectors of the plot (the degradation of the talented young doctor and the ascension of his wife and patient), is turned into a field for surrealistic experiments. With the help of the original plastic vocabulary Eifman depicts the disintegration of characters’ consciousness, bringing their nightmares and delusions to the surface. The choreographer emphasizes rather ironically: the ballet Up & Down is not just a full point but a blot in his many years of psychiatric ballet epic.
 
The characters’ ups and downs take place in the magnificent Jazz Age – the unstoppable feast of life; the era of freedom, sensuality, and hedonism, masterfully recreated by Boris Eifman and his dancers.
 
“Our fate is woven of cruel ironies. Wealth can be more unbearable than the most terrible poverty, and a clear and sharp mind is vulnerable to the chaos of the unconscious.
The ballet Up & Down is a tragic and bright chronicle of a person’s spiritual death. The story about how a dream of happiness turns into a disaster, and an externally beautiful and carefree life flowing to the rhythms of jazz – into a nightmare.
 
The ballet’s main character – a charming socialite and talented psychiatrist – has everything to realize his gift and make a great academic career. However, in the world enslaved by money and dark instincts a true harmony is impossible.
 
The kingdom of luxury, in which the doctor immerses, turns out a perilous morass. An attempt to find a balance between his inner world and reality goes into collapse. Concession after concession – and the character loses his identity, actually leaving the profession and becoming a nurse for his half-mad wife. His mind, charisma, and career fall into pieces. Having lost everything, the doctor becomes an outcast in the society where there is no place for the weak.
 
A person that forgets his mission and destroys his talent is doomed, and a compromise with the treacherous world full of temptations is always wrecking. The ballet Up & Down is to remind of the fatal consequences of a man betraying himself.”
 
Boris Eifman
 
by Artem Kirpichenok, Eifman ballet's Literature Department 
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Thank you very much Artem.  I look forward to hearing from any of our readers who are lucky enough to see this ballet in Paris or the USA (and indeed Bratislava or Riga if we have any members there!).  I hope that they will come to the UK sometime soon so that we can see this very interesting-sounding new piece.  Best of luck to the whole company for a very successful tour.

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Today Ballet "Up & Down" will be performed for the first time ever in Paris (Théâtre des Champs Elysées) on February 9, 10 and 11! 

The ballet start on 8 P.M. Everybody welcom!
 
The small premiere present :)  - "Up & Down" Official Trailer :

 

 

by Artem Kirpichenok, Eifman ballet's Literature Department 

Edited by Artem
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After touring in France, the Company will go to Bratislava, where it will present ballet Up & Down at the Slovak National Theatre (new building). 

 

Saturday 14. February 2015 - 19:00

Sunday 15. February 2015 - 19:00

 

SND_nova_budova.jpg

 

 

by Artem Kirpichenok, Eifman ballet's Literature Department 

Edited by Artem
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After touring in France, the Company went to Bratislava, where it will present ballet Up & Down at the Slovak National Theatre (new building). 

 

Saturday 14. February 2015 - 19:00

Sunday 15. February 2015 - 19:00

 

SND_nova_budova.jpg

 

by Artem Kirpichenok, Eifman ballet's Literature Department 

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