Choreography: Nacho Duato Music: Franz Schubert
Sets and Costumes: Nacho Duato Light Design: Brad Fields (based
on the original idea of Nacho Duato) Choreographer's Assistants:
Thomas Klein, Gentian Doda
World premiere:
American Ballet Theater at the City Center in New York,
29 October 1998 Russian premiere: Mikhailovsky Theatre, 15 March
2011
Running time: 30 minutes
Without Words is Nacho Duato’s second work for the
prestigious American Ballet Theater company. The title refers to Schubert’s
songs scores, which are instrumental music, music without words.
As in the songs, the choreographer strips the dancing of any
evident romantic atmosphere. Love and death appear as the central subjects
derived from the music. A new world, with all its possibilities,
is revealed in a dark existential scenographic space typical
of the 20th century. Duato shows a universal vital cycle in all
its spontaneity, free of unnecessary alignments and
ornaments.
Nunc Dimittis
Choreography, Sets and Costumes: Nacho Duato Music:
Arvo Pдrt, David Azagra Rйpйtiteur: Kirill Myasnikov Principal Chorus
Master: Vladimir Stolpovskikh
World
premiere: Mikhailovsky Theatre, 15 March 2011
Running time:
25 minutes
“The inspiration for this work was
a composition entitled Nunc Dimittis by Arvo Pдrt. The fact
that the ballet is set to religious music gives
it a mystical, supernatural dimension. Pдrt wrote the music
to the Canticle of Simeon, but this is an abstract ballet.
There are no characters as such, do not expect to see the
Virgin Mary, Jesus or Simeon. I would like to stress that this
ballet was also inspired by Ekaterina Borchenko (prima ballerina
of the Mikhailovsky ballet): Nunc Dimittis is being created
with her in mind and for her”. Nacho Duato, January 2011.
Prelude
Music: George Handel,
Ludwig van Beethoven, Benjamin Britten Choreographer, Stage
Designer, Costume Designer: Nacho Duato Lighting Designer: Brad Fields
Costume Production Engineer: Alla Marusina Musical Director of the
production: Valery Ovsyanikov Choreographer’s Assistants: Zhanna Ayupova,
Kirill Myasnikov
Prelude is an interpretation of the emotions and
impressions which he experienced at the start of a new period of his life — in
Russia, in St. Petersburg and with the Mikhailovsky Theatre. The new ballet is
not based on one particular subject. The meeting of classical ballet and
contemporary dance — two very different worlds, striving for mutual awareness
and understanding — form its conceptual core. For all its apparent simplicity,
the name of the ballet can be interpreted in a number of different ways. Indeed,
its meaning is not just limited to the musical term. It can be assumed that in
his new performance, Duato shall attempt to convey every emotional nuance
accompanying the convergence of two opposing sources, and their subsequent
merging, giving rise to a new life.