New works by young choreographers from Warsaw

First Choreography Workshop

Ballet evening in two parts, comprising works by young choreographers

The idea of holding choreography workshops is being brought to the Teatr Wielki by Krzysztof Pastor, the new director of the Polish National Ballet. The guiding principle is to give dancers the opportunity for a choreographic debut as well as releasing the creative and organizational initiative of Warsaw’s ballet artists. They have been given free rein regarding the concept, preparation, and organization of this ballet evening using their own resources, with the possibility of taking advantage of the theatre’s costume collection and any necessary organizational and technical assistance. Similar workshops are held regularly at Het Nationale Ballet in Amsterdam, where Krzysztof Pastor is a resident choreographer, and over the years have revealed many new choreographic talents. Workshop rehearsals are held in the ballet company’s free time, the artists are not paid for taking part, and will be rewarded only for appearing in the public presentation of the choreographies.

This is the first demonstration in years of young Polish choreography, in the spirit of the Teatr Wielki’s new image which is being developed by two great figures of contemporary Polish theatre: director Mariusz Treliński and choreographer Krzysztof Pastor. Both of them do not just propose their own productions for our theatre’s repertoire, but also do their best to stimulate young Polish opera and ballet creativity. Our first choreography workshop is the effect of this very way of thinking about the future of Polish ballet theatre.

The evening’s programme features works by the following choreographers:

ROBERT BONDARA
He graduated from the State Ballet School in Łódź in 2002. He worked with the local Music Theatre, and then moved to the Teatr Wielki in Poznań. He joined the Polish National Opera in September 2005. He has danced in ballets by choreographers such as Jiři Kylián, Yuri Grigorovich, Andrzej Glegolski, John Cranko, Krzysztof Pastor. A graduate of the Academy of Music in Warsaw, he is currently a teacher there. In 2008 he won second prize (no first prize was awarded) and the Witold Lutosławski Society Special Prize in the Bronisława Niżyńska First National Choreography Competition.

WHEN YOU END AND I BEGIN...
Choreography: Robert Bondara
Music: Paweł Szymański

“… the bond between two people, connecting two different personalities, turns out to be transitory… this situation could become a new beginning for them…”

BUTTERFLIES IN THE STOMACH
Choreography: Robert Bondara
Music: Johann Pachelbel

“… most of us have experienced the sensation from the title, of butterflies in the stomach, at least once in our lives…”

EDWARD BABLIDZE
Born in Georgia. After graduating from the State Ballet School, in 1995 he became a ballet soloist at the State Opera and Ballet Theatre in Tbilisi, and in 2002-05 was its principal dancer. He has also worked at the Teatr Wielki in Poznań and the Baltic Opera, and joined the Polish National Opera’s ballet company in 2008. He has danced in ballets by choreographers such as George Balanchine, George Aleksidze, Sławomir Gildel, Alexei Ratmansky, Roman Komasa, Irakli Shengelia, Krzysztof Pastor. He has also worked as a teacher of classical ballet and contemporary dance.

ABRAZO
Choreography: Edward Bablidze
Music: Giya Kancheli

“… two feelings - desire and love… and the thin line between them…”

JACEK TYSKI
While still a pupil of Warsaw’s ballet school, he came first in the National Dance Competition (1993), and a year later was second in the Prix de Lausanne International Competition for Young Dancers. Thanks to this, upon graduating from the Warsaw school (1994) he could continue his studies for a further year at John Neumeier’s Ballet School in Hamburg. After his traineeship he was asked to join the Hamburg Ballet and was its dancer in 1995-2000. After that he performed with the Compan~a Nacional de Danza run by Nacho Duato. He returned to Warsaw in 2004 and became a soloist of the Polish National Opera’s ballet company. He has danced in ballets by Nacho Duato, Jiři Kylián, William Forsyth, Boris Eifman, Andrzej Glegolski, Jackek Przybyłowicz, Emil Wesołowski, Krzysztof Pastor.

DONNA
Choreography: Jacek Tyski
Music: Bobby McFerrin, Goran Bregović, Kodo, Anoushka Shankar

“ … presents different aspects of woman and the world she communes with…”

KAROL URBAŃSKI
He graduated from the State Ballet School in Łódź and joined that city’s Teatr Wielki, remaining with its ballet company until 1991, by which time he was a soloist. In the same year he joined the ballet company of the Teatr Wielki in Warsaw. He went to Norway in 1995 to join the Norwegian National Ballet. He returned to the Polish National Opera in 1997 as a soloist and continues to perform there to this day. He has danced in ballets by Jiři Kylián, Andrzej Glegolski, Emil Wesołowski, Ewa Wycichowska, Mats Ek, Anatal Fodor, Glen Tetley, Krzysztof Pastor. He has already designed choreographies: “Aria” from the Goldberg Variations, “Passacaglia”, “Postcards from Life” set to songs by Tom Waits, “Death and the Maiden”, “Once in a Lifetime”, “Requiem for the Hollow Men”, “Holophrases”.

W PRZEŚWICIE / IN THE CLEARING
Choreography: Karol Urbański
Music: Ludwig van Beethoven

“… movement is sound you can see…”

NATALIA MARIA WOJCIECHOWSKA
A graduate of the State Ballet School in Warsaw, she was twice a prize-winner of the National Dance Competition in Gdańsk, coming third in the junior category in 1997 and winning first prize in the senior category in 1999. After taking part in the Prix de Lausanne International Competition for Young Dancers (1999), she received a scholarship which enabled her to study at the Hamburg Ballet School. She was then hired by the Hamburg Ballet run by John Neumeier. Upon returning to Poland, in 2003-06 she worked mainly with the Roma Musical Theatre. She has been with the Polish National Opera’s ballet company since 2006, becoming a soloist in September 2007. She has danced in ballets by John Neumeier, Andrzej Glegolski, John Cranko, Alexei Ratmansky, Irek Mukhamedov, Natalia Makarova.

ANIOŁY / ANGELS
Choreography: Natalia Maria Wojciechowska
Music: Gabriel Yared, Wojciech Kilar, Sarah McLachlan

“… a woman’s sadness summons the angels… their appearance causes another arrival…”

Photo: Paulina Jakubiec