Premiere in 2006

Libretto author, production director and choreographer RADU POKLITARY
Music GEORGES BIZET, electronical sounds from tape
KYIV MODERN-BALLET THEATRE, artistic director RADU POKLITARU
Scenographer ANDREI ZLOBIN
Costume designer ANNA IPATYEVA

The Best Spectacle of the Year of Ukraine
Award `Kyiv Pektoral` for the best choreography 2006

The theatre is supported by the private patron Vladimir Filippov Fund for Arts

Duration 1 hour 45 minutes with intermission
The well known story of the Gypsy girl by Prosper Mérimée has been given a very interesting makeover in this ballet by the innovative choreographer Radu Poklitaru who has filled the characters and their lives with piercing contemporary touches while retaining the feel of 19th Century Spain. The operatic music ‘Carmen’, as with any other masterful work of art, provided the opportunity to create a brand new performance while keeping with the atmosphere of George Bizet’s score. From the very start the dynamic action of the ballet grabs hold of the audience and doesn’t let go right until the very end.

“Carmen.TV” is the first performance of KYIV MODERN-BALLET Theatre.
Why exactly Carmen? In the history of European theatre there are not so many
mythologemes as popular as this one. Merimee who wrote the novel of Seville
gypsy could hardly ever realize that in 21st century there would be any living in
the whole Western cultural world who never has heard of Carmen. In his immortal opera Georges Bizet had tremendously romanticized her image – Merimee’s gypsy is in fact much more simple and prosaic. Except brutal novel by Prosper Merimee, the music by Georges Bizet opera was laid on the basis of our performance. One of the leading characters of the ballet is Michaela, who lost the status of Jose’s fiancée, but who became the moving force of the stage action. Her presence on the stage plainly explains the two letters “TV” in the title of the play and its format – the two-episodes ballet. The words I have enclosed into Michaela’s lips is the only thing I found appropriate to fit in the leaflet of the play: “When there is nobody beside, love overwhelms me and makes me see, wish, kill the non-existing personages of the movies never filmed. The screen flicker talks to me the language of passion. Am I lonely?… No!”
Radu Poklitary

The Carmen character appeared at the ballet stage in 1845 near by the oeuvre of Prosper Merimeé issue, thirty years before the opera of the same name was composed by Bizet. For the first time the subject of novella attracted attention of the young Marius Petipa who staged at “Teatro del Circo” of Madrid the ballet Carmen and Toreador where he utilized his knowledge of local dance folklore accumulated during the years of his work in Spain. The ballet destiny of the famous gitana in 20th century is closely associated with Bizet chef d’oeuvre. Among its multiple performances of choreographers from different countries and continents it is possible to designate interpretations of Frenchman Roland Petit and Cuban Alberto Alonso which continue their triumphant progress on the ballet stages till today. The dramatic ballet of Roland Petit (“Ballet de Paris”, 1949) is based both on the novella and on the opera libretto by Bizet. Due to harmonious narrative synthesis the ballet by Petit is considered one of the most exquisite examples of the second part of 20th century European choreography, and the character of Carmen represented by Zizi Jeanmaire – the temptation scenic symbol.

In 1967 the composer Rodion Shchedrin created Carmen-Suite the original ballet score for string and percussion instruments on the base of the themes of Georges Bizet. This music inspired the choreographer Alberto Alonso to compose performance for legendary Maya Plisetskaya on the stage of Bolshoi Theatre. The ballet-master broke away from the ballet tradition and clichés of the operatic Carmen. On the stage appeared not seductive dancer and chanter but “devilish maid” from the novella by Merimee. The dance of Plisetskaya-Carmen became challenge, revolt, corrida of furious struggle against odious conventionalities and prescription enchaining the human being forces, the personality freedom. The famous Spanish dancer and choreographer Antonio Gades contributed his mite to the ballet Carmeniana. At first in the movies of Carlos Saura, then in the performance of the same name using the language of flamenco dance was shown how the destiny of the dancers creating the Carmen ballet repeated the destiny of their scenic heroes in a remarkable manner. One of the most famous modern choreographers Swede Mats Ek created on the music of G. Bizet-R.Shchedrin the outstanding post-modern version of the ballet which was solved in ironic grotesque key. As early as in this century the well-known Britain producer and choreographer Matthew Bourne on the stage of London “Sadlers–Wells” Theatre represented the contemporary opera interpretation – The Car Man dance show which scenes are laid in beastly cafes and auto repairing shops of the 60-ies America.

Alla Perova “Ekspert”, October 30, 2006 “The first real, great, interesting, vivid theatre of modern dance in the country. The first performance – Carmen.TV – with the same features…”

Maria Khrapachova “Afisha”, December 13, 2006 “…It was show-eclectic “Carmen.TV”. The oeuvre, as say all together that had a chance to be present at the night stage, absolutely treasures. The ballet-drama is extraordinary. No wonder”

Emma Kovbasiuk “TimeOut (Kiev)”, December 6, 2006 ‘“… “Carmen” performance was not only awarded for the choreographer best work but became a winner among two plays of the Dnepr Left Bank Theatre competition (“Queue”and “My dears”) as the best year performance. The ballet performance is among dramatic plays. And just because that it impresses not only by original plastique language but by the dancers’ dramatic interpretation. Not in vain the dancer of Carmen part, rooted and emotional  О. Kondakova, was shining among the best leading ladies of the lead role”.

Valentyna Zabolotna “Den’ ”, April 6, 2007 “‘CARMEN.TV’ is dynamic action with advanced director’s modes, unusual modern plastique and mad energetic”. Valentyna Paravyan “Nash Dosug”, October 21, 2006