Published since 07.2002
Published on May 08, 2009
“SPARTACUS” ON STAGE: A WORLD FAMOUS BALLET COMES TO YEREVAN AGAIN
- On May 5, Yerevan’s National Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet after Alexander Spendiaryan was full of ballet lovers and ballet dancers - after 18 years of break the ‘Spartacus’ Ballet was again performed on a Yerevan stage. Staged by the well-known Russian choreographer Yuri Grigorovich, the ballet was attended by the first lady of Armenia Rita Sargsyan and her Russian counterpart Svetlana Medvedeva, who arrived specially to watch the ballet. Spartacus is one of the two ballets of the famous Armenian composer Aram Khachatryan, along with ‘Gayane’. A year ago, when Armenia’s First Lady Rita Sargsyan was in Russia, she attended the ‘Bolshoi’ (big) Theatre to be present at the 40th anniversary of ‘Spartacus’ staged and an idea occurred to stage the ballet in Yerevan, too. The author of the third stage production of Spartacus believed to be the best in the world since 1968 is the only one who worked with Aram Khachatryan. He remembers Khachatryan struggling for each note “as a lion”, and he, in his turn, for each of his ideas. As a result, the Armenian audience was offered a chance to enjoy a new Spartacus production this week. The last two productions of Spartacus on Armenian stage were in 1977 and 1982, by famous Armenian dancer and ballet master Vilen Galstyan. Before that, Spartacus was staged in Armenia by Russian choreographer Yevgeniy Changa in 1962. He is currently being replaced by 20-year-old Ruben Muradyan for the part of Spartacus. Muradyan believes that this is one of his most responsible parts, because as a rule female parts lead ballet, but in this case it is the man, and as Grigorovich put it in front of journalists, ‘My Spartacus,’ who leads it. “The part is very difficult, since you have to create different emotional states on stage, you should live, struggle, die, die naturally. At the same time, it is very inspiring and responsible, because when you see how 84-year-old Grigorovich easily raises and keeps in his arms the heroine, at the same time managing to give everybody commands and even after crying loudly he does not lose his energy, you try to perfect yourself as much as possible,” says Muradyan. And ballet dancer Jacqueline Sarkhoshyan (who plays Frigia, the female lead) also says she was happy to work with a living legend like Grigorovich. “Grigorovich brought his wife’s – Natalia Bessmertnova’s clothes from his theater for Frigia’s part for the third act. I believe that those clothes are sacred for him. I am very proud to wear them on stage,” says Sarkhoshyan. This ballet is also important for ballet master Elvira Mnatsakanyan, who used to be Frigia. Now she follows her students’ work from behind the scenes as a teacher. However, she is concerned that “the ballet was created, but now it is necessary to keep it.” Armenia feels the lack of male ballet dancers: 41 are abroad. ‘Spartacus’ could not be created if six ballet dancers were not returned from the army, and if the dancers of the ‘Barekamutyun’ (friendship) Armenian Dance Troupe and Yerevan State Choreographic College were not used. “The lack of male dancers is a serious problem in Armenian ballet,” Grigorovich said at a meeting with journalists. “Though, in such a ballet powerhouse as Russia, boys too prefer leaving for Germany and earning a lot of money there. Anyway, it is necessary to prevent it by means of improving their social state, otherwise I ask them to come to the rehearsal in the evening, and they tell me that they cannot, because they work in other places. This is wrong.” Significant funds were spent on the ‘Spartacus’ performance – a well-paid choreographer was invited, two groups of dancers were prepared, they were additionally paid, the ballet was widely advertised. For the first time the production of a ballet was sponsored not only by the State, but also by six businessmen. About 20 million drams (more than $ 54,000) were assigned from the state budget of Armenia. And as for the amount of money allotted by businessmen, neither Armenia’s Minister of Culture nor the sponsor businessmen themselves want to publicize it. Prices of tickets for the ‘Spartacus’ Ballet are available from 5,000 drams (about $14), while the tickets for other ballets start from 1,000 drams (about $3). Only three performances of ‘Spartacus’ had been planned, the last one on Sunday, May 10.
- Karine Ionesyan
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Today in Armenian history- 0 Mareri was the 10th month in the old Armenian calendar (May 8 to June 6). It relates to the time when trees (mayrik) acquire new foliage.
- 1851 Birth of Yeghya Demeertjeepashyan. He died in 1908.
- 1883 Inauguration of the Tbilissi-Baku railway.
- 1930 Murder, by the Soviet Police, of Catholicos, Gevorg the Fifth (Sooreniants).
- 1958 The Eighth Congress of Armenian Trade Unions opens in Yerevan.
- 1992 A counterattack by Artsakhs armed forces retakes Shushi, thereby stopping the random bombardment and shelling of Stepanakert.
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