Laurencia to Mark Vakhtang Chabukiani's Jubilee

Exclusive Interview

On February 27, the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet State Theater will present the historic ballet Laurencia, using it to mark the 109th anniversary of the greatest Georgian ballet dancer and one of the most influential male dancers, the world-renowned Vakhtang Chabukiani. The leading roles will be performed by soloists of the State Ballet of Georgia, Nino Samadashvili and Nuca Chekurashvili, together with their partners Yonen Takano and Philip Fedulov.

Based on a score by Soviet composer Alexander Krein, Laurencia, originally choreographed by Vakhtang Chabukiani, premiered in 1939 at the Kirov Theater in Leningrad (St Petersburg) and in Tbilisi in 1948. The decorations and costumes of the premier were designed by Solomon Virsaladze and the title roles were performed by Chabukiani himself and Natalia Dudinskaya, while in Tbilisi he paired with Vera Tsignadze.

The play unveils the story of a peasant revolution that was an ideal theme in the era of Soviet ballet. The choreography was an innovative blend of classical and folk dance which featured the virile and heroic male dancing that Chabukiani personified.

The performance was last time restored by State Ballet of Georgia Artistic Director Nina Ananiashvili in 2007, with choreography by N. Magalashvili. In 2014, Ananiashvili staged and performed a new choreographic version of Laurencia at the National Opera and Theater of Belarus. This version was made through consultations with artists who had danced and worked with Chabukiani, hence it is the closest version to the original. In 2017, the reduction of Laurencia was staged at Tbilisi Opera. After decades away, it is now back in full at the Tbilisi Opera and awaited by theater and ballet enthusiasts alike.

GEORGIA TODAY talked to the leading soloists of the State Ballet about the upcoming premiere and the preparation needed for such a grand concert.

Both Nino Samadashvili and Nuca Chekurashvili are ballet company soloists. In 2011, they graduated the Vakhtang Chabukiani Ballet Art State School and the same year were accepted into the Tbilisi Z. Paliashvili Opera and Ballet Professional State Theater ballet company. In January 2014, both dancers became soloists. Samadashvili won the Grand Prix Prize and first place at Rigas Pavasaris 2013, an international ballet competition in Riga. Chekurashvili has participated in company tours in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Japan, Estonia, Finland and Belarus.

“We are devoting this performance to the famed Georgian choreographer Vakhtang Chabukiani’s jubilee,” Nino Samadashvili tells us. “We’ve had it as part of the general repertoire of the opera since 2017. This is a very distinctive role for me- I’ll be performing in Laurencia for the third time. I watch old video recordings of Vera Tsignadze, who was an incredible performer and who partnered Chabukiani in this ballet, to mimic her movements. Our coaches used to dance this ballet and were trained by Mr Chabukiani himself, so it enables us to both enliven the performance and preserve the original as it was staged in the beginning. This performance is important in terms of detail: the hand movements are very sophisticated, so we do our best to imitate all the movements but at the same time add our individuality”.

Nino Samadashvili will also be taking part in the Ballet Gala on March 9-10 where pas de deux will be performed from different ballets. As reported, world-renowned stars will also feature in the Gala Concert. The leading soloist will be performing in Romeo and Juliet as well as in Sleeping Beauty among the upcoming ballets in Tbilisi. “These are truly distinguished performances and it is a dream of all ballerinas to dance in these ballets. Our profession is very difficult and requires great commitment and hard work. You might hurt during the rehearsals, but you are still happy to perform before an audience. I went to ballet school, where we had a very busy schedule, sometimes students had to stay from 9 am until 9 pm. With such a regime and pressure, I generated important skills that are necessary for a dancer: I became a hard worker and developed a sense of responsibility toward my job. I did not give up and overcame many obstacles to merit this title and position at the theater,” she tells us.

“Apart from Laurencia, our ballet program includes Gorda also staged by Mr Chabukiani,” Nuca Chekurashvili notes. “This is our second performance of Laurencia and I feel I’ve gone deeper into my role. I’ll be dancing at the premier with my partner Yonen Takano, who performs the title role extremely well. I’ll be performing on February 27 and March 3,” the soloist elaborated.

We also asked her her impressions of the Kiev tour, which the state ballet ensemble recently returned from and where they danced: Jirí Kylián’s Petite Mort, Sechs Tänze and Falling Angels, and Medhi Walerski’s Petite Cérémonie.

“We presented two plays in Kiev and both were met very well and by large audiences,” Chekurashvili says. “Not all ballet troupes are allowed to perform Jirí Kyliá’s works and we are proud that, through the help of Nino Ananiashvili, we were given permission to dance this ballet, giving the Ukrainian audience the chance to see it for the first time. From the positive reviews, I expect we’ll be invited to Ukraine again. In Tbilisi, I will be involved in many plays, including the Ballet Gala, and in summer with Yonen Takano, I will pay visit to Italy and take part in a Gala Concert performing the Black Swan”.

The Laurencia performances are scheduled to take place on February 27 and March 2 and 3 at the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet State Theater.

By Lika Chigladze