Interview
We hardly had to do anything, promotion-wise. The poster is very simple – just the title in Czech and English, with John Cranko’s name underneath. Most of the performances have already sold out. I wanted to make sure that if the people in Prague wanted to see Swan Lake, they didn’t have to settle for a semi-professional production or a performance by one of the touring troupes; I wanted to offer them the best production of the highest quality. Would you recommend Swan Lake to someone who has never seen a ballet before? Definitely not. I realise that many young girls dream about being a ballerina like Odette, with a tiara and pointe shoes, but I would not recommend this ballet to someone who has never seen a ballet performance in their life. Swan Lake is more for connoisseurs and enthusiasts. Of our other productions, beginners would definitely enjoy The Taming of the Shrew (which has been performed in Prague), where the story is familiar and easy to understand, or La Fille mal gardée – a true masterpiece for viewers of all ages. Classical plays are often daringly reinterpreted for contemporary audiences. Is this the case in classical ballet as well? The classical ballet tradition goes back a little over two centuries, which makes it fairly young compared to theatre. Life is extremely fast-paced today. We hardly ever have time to just sit and let our thoughts run freely. That’s why I respect that when people go to see a classical ballet, they wish to know what to expect. Dance techniques have improved so much that we are able to stage classical productions better than ever before. Take La Bayadère, with Petipa’s choreography: I don’t think anyone could ever surpass that piece. We should maintain the tradition, as a legacy for future generations. What are the latest trends and developments in ballet? Contemporary ballet is always exploring new avenues. The human body knows no limits, but at the same time it remains very difficult to be a choreographer nowadays. We only have two legs and two feet, two arms and one head, and choreographically a lot has been achieved. But still, you can
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perform the same routine in a completely different way. If you put emotion into it, every single person has a chance to do it differently than another; dance is a living art and that’s what’s wonderful; this combination of emotion and beauty together with the soul of every single individual, in a one-time performance that cannot be repeated. There is no way to create this magic other than in a theatre. That’s also why I do not think you should watch ballet on the screen; it is something to experience live. This issue of Soffa focuses on symbols. For me, ballet symbolises beauty and gracefulness. Do you still feel the same, even after so many years of hard work? Absolutely! We try to achieve perfection over and over again. Dancers always check themselves in the mirror, striving for that beauty and elegance. True perfection is obviously unattainable, but we can at least aspire to it with all our might. When you watch a ballet performance, you should not be aware of how much hard work the dancers needed to put in to make it beautiful. What is ballet’s future as an art form? We have a hard time competing with the newest technologies; they seem to have pushed real people into the background. People no longer read books and think about the stories they tell. This gives theatre a great opportunity to assert its importance to the audience. I like productions that present something other than ordinary, everyday reality. People need to dream, and theatre allows you to do so. It can make you laugh or cry, and it should continue to do just that. ■
Swan Lake premieres at the National Theatre on 28 March 2019.
