An Evening of Modern Choreography at the Tbilisi Opera & Ballet State Theater

Review

There’s not much I remember from when I was five-years old, but I can recall my first encounter with ballet; it was not pretty. My mother had taken me to a class with the hope that I would take a liking to it and I was not having any of it. I remember sulking in the car on the way there, taking part in the warm-up (maybe, just maybe, the first exercise too) and then spending the rest of the class sitting in the corner refusing to participate, in a passionate, grumpy protest that kids are so good at. Already, at the tender age of five, I was taken prisoner by the oft-indulged world view that dancing, and ballet in particular, wasn’t for boys: not "normal ones,” anyway.

Fast-forward 17 years and perhaps I could have become the Lionel Messi of the ballet world, and you’d be reading someone else’s writing on a sunny Friday Tbilisi morning, but here we are. The main take away from this is that you can measure how much you have matured when you are able to appreciate ballet (and dance in general) for its artistic qualities. On the whole, I can confidently say that I’ve gotten to a point where, even if I don’t like the given choreography, I can appreciate the art, technique and incredible hard work that goes into such a spectacle.

And so to Friday night at the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet State Theater. On the stage of the a fabulously renovated, beautiful and lavish cultural institution (that on the outside bears an uncanny resemblance to Budapest’s Dohány Street Synagogue), I was treated to something truly special and unique. I had not been to a ballet performance since that glorious night in Monaco when guest dancers from The Bolshoi Theatre blew my mind, obliterating any previously held prejudices that I had against ballet almost two years ago. Thus, I arrived on 25 Shota Rustavelli Avenue with high expectations and an open mind and heart, eagerly wondering how the upcoming performance would compare to that warm Monegasque night. An “Evening of Modern Choreography” they called it, and modern it was. While I am obviously not qualified to say which of the two shows were better on a technical level, comparing them would be a futile exercise anyway. The Bolshoi dancers in Monaco gave a performance of the highest level of what I presume to be ballet as we stereotypically understand it. The State Ballet of Georgia last Friday night had the fascinating virtue of delivering a performance of the highest level of an art form I wasn’t even aware existed: contemporary ballet.

The first performance, “Serenade” by George Balanchine, was interesting in the sense that, at least on a personal level, it elicited a duality of emotions. On the one hand, I felt an urge to follow the example of the guy next to me and fall fast asleep. Not because I wasn’t enjoying the show, it’s just that the combination of the blue background, the graceful dancing and soothing music made me feel so comfortable in that chair and at ease with the world that it suddenly seemed like not falling asleep would be the disrespectful thing to do, if that makes any sense. Yet, on the other hand, precisely because the dancing was so eloquent and the music so wonderful, I couldn’t help simultaneously shudder at the prospect of drifting off, lest I miss even a second of this beautiful spectacle. I suppose you know something is really special when it evokes such a whirlwind of emotions in you. Indeed, “Serenade” is a pretty big deal in the ballet world.

As the George Balanchine Trust writes on its website, “Serenade is a milestone in the history of dance. It is the first original ballet Balanchine created in America and is one of the signature works of New York City Ballet’s repertory. The ballet is performed by 28 dancers in blue costumes in front of a blue background. Originating it as a lesson in stage technique, Balanchine worked unexpected rehearsal events into the choreography. When one student fell, he incorporated it. Another day, a student arrived late, and this too became part of the ballet. After its initial presentation, Serenade was reworked several times. In its present form there are four movements: “Sonatina,” “Waltz,” “Russian Dance,” and “Elegy.” The last two movements reverse the order of Tschaikovsky’s score, ending the ballet on a note of sadness.”

While I did thoroughly enjoy the third and final act, “Sechs Tänze,” choreographed by the former Czech dancer Jirí Kylián, with music by the great Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and powdered wig cladded dancers showcasing their talents with great pomp, the highlight of my night was “Petite Cérémonie”. I had hitherto known ballet to be a realm where women sported their tutus and men their skin-tight, bulge-emphasing onesies, and yet here, out of nowhere, men in suits and women in black cocktail dresses began climbing onto stage from all parts of the auditorium. After finding myself on a daily diet of “Step Up,” “America’s Best Dance Crew” and “World of Dance” many a time over the last year, I sat up straight in anticipation of the incredible. Incredible was what I got, just not the way I expected. The music was taking its time to build up and begin, with the dancers swaying in tandem with the ticking metronome; I swear at one point the bass dropped, like it does at Bassiani before unleashing a killer beat, and I remember excitedly thinking ‘Oh my God, we’re about to have a rave in the Opera House!” Alas, we did not; the conductor waved his magic wand and The Orchestra of the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theater began playing selections by Mozart, Puccini, Rogers & Hart, and Vivaldi compiled by Medhi Walerski. Not that that was bad. Sure, I took some time to overcome the momentary disconnect between expectation and reality, but, if anything, that’s what it made it so surreal and special. It smashed all the preconceived limits on what ballet is and could be that I had had in my head, and made for a very unique and enjoyable experience.

And while I cannot yet say if so-called modern choreography is my cup of tea, I will need a few more shows under my belt for that, I can definitely say this: the work of The State Ballet of Georgia is special, enchanting and unique, and I certainly urge all of you to go and check them out when and if you get the chance; I for one definitely will be. See you there!

Máté Földi