On November 19, 2019, at the Alisher Navoi State Academic Theater, there will be the premiere of the dramatic ballet Rasputin performed by Sergei Polunin. The famous ballet dancer will present his new production for the first time in the capital of Uzbekistan.
"The distinguishing features of the human person is a complex thing. I need to feel Rasputin with the help of choreography to find his attractive sides through intuition,"- so Sergey Polunin described the process of comprehending one of the most mysterious figures of Russian history.
The dramatic ballet “Rasputin” was created by Japanese choreographer Yuka Oishi specifically for Sergei Polunin. This year, the Palladium Theater in London hosted the world premiere of the play. The ballet, with costumes created by the famous Russian designer Ulyana Sergeenko, takes place on a chessboard along which allegorical figures move that mainly represent the fate of the heroes of the performance.
"This is a story about a man with incredible charisma, strength and power. Some considered Rasputin a saint and mystic, many - the devil. However, for me, people never share only the good and the bad: when I looked at black-and-white archive photographs, I tried to imagine who these heroes were, in life, in colour," said Yuka Oishi.
"There are still many legends and rumours surrounding the controversial figure of a mad monk, but above all, he was a human," Oishi continued. I believe that he genuinely possessed mystical healing power. I read all the existing books on this topic, but each one told its own story with opposite versions. Ultimately, I choreographed the way I personally saw this story, trying to understand the feelings of each of the heroes and portray their clear images."
The ballet is divided into two acts. The first is dedicated to the ascent of Rasputin, his acquaintance with the royal family. The second part - to the sunset of the 50-year-old "elder" himself and his crowned admirers.
"My own sense of history is not so transparent," said Sergey Polunin, the performer of the role of Grigory Rasputin himself. “I am not looking for information in books; I use intuition. I relied on Yuka because she knows how to bind things very well. I am just a tool that translates ideas into reality. The story of Rasputin, his personality, entirely depends on whose story you hear. "
According to composer Cyril Richter, who wrote music for the ballet, the first part of the play describes the appearance of Rasputin in the palace, and the second part describes the sunset of this person and the entire royal family. "I think it will be interesting to find at the end a quote from a very famous work that is directly related to the royal family. This is the hymn "God Save the Tsar.” I was very interested in the semantics of the words "save" and "bury" because they mean very different things. The ballet finale is tragic, and these words have become some terrible synonyms for me," Richter said. “Musical instruments will play their role," the composer added. In particular, a massive strike group and harp, which I considered in two guises - as "an attribute of the royal court" and a reference to the harp .
The organizer of the ballet premiere in Tashkent is the Art and Culture Development Foundation under the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
Tickets can be purchased at iTicket.oz ticket offices (+998712071071)
For pensioners and students, discounts of 30% to the ticket price apply. When entering the theater, please have a pension / student ID with you if you wish your ticket to be purchased at a discount.
Roles are performed by:
| Choreographer: Yuka Oishi
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