The opening of the Global Values Festival – the grand finale of the Innopraktika and Russian Seasons School's Choreographic Session took place at the Alexandrinsky Theater's stage. Performances will take place on the main stage of the Alexandrinsky Theater on July 23 and 24.
This year's summer festival venue is the Alexandrinsky Theater, the oldest national theater in Russia. This theater is the ancestor of all Russian theaters, and the date of its foundation is the birthday of Russian professional theater. By establishing the theater, the Russian state began its national policies in the theatrical arts.
The location is also closely intertwined with the main topic of the choreographic session - the moral choice between internal, personal values and external influences. The Global Values Festival is something that brings people together and gives impetus to the development of new creative ideas. The Global Values Festival is something that brings people together and gives impetus to the development of new creative ideas.
The premiere evening began with a gala concert featuring productions by both Russian and foreign choreographers. Dancers from 12 countries, winners of prestigious international awards, and students of the Boris Eifman Academy of Dance performed on stage. They all participated in a three-week-long Choreographic Session of the Innopraktika and Russian Seasons School.
The festival consists of two parts. The first one is an evening of contemporary choreography , featuring premiere performances by students of the Boris Eifman Dance Academy and graduates of the Innopraktika and Russian Seasons School - brilliant dancers from around the world, winners of prestigious international awards. Great masters, winners of numerous prestigious awards will represent Russia: Konstantin Keikhel, Olga Vasilyeva, Ernest Nurgali, Alexander Chelidze, and Konstantin Matulevsky.
Foreign choreographers have addressed numerous social dilemmas that arise in contemporary realities in their productions. Daniela Delerci (Italy/UK) will present “Infinite Mirror,” a work that will force the audience to think about how social media influence the formation of self-perception and identity. The “Duality” Dance, created by Allen Chunhui Xing (China/USA), is a work about being true to yourself and your beliefs. “Out-fit”, by Adrian Marcelo Saenz (Mexico), immerses viewers in a world of ideas, values, and stereotypes through clothing as a metaphor. “In My Mind” is a choreography that explores the profound psychological impact that the mass use of social media has on humans. Ivana Balabanova (North Macedonia) will show images of repressed emotions and the burden people carry as they constantly have to keep up with society. Balázs Barányi, a choreographer of Hungarian origin, will present his work Love is a Devil's Agony.
Among the Russian choreographers whose work can be seen at the festival is Olga Vasilyeva, choreographer, dancer, and contemporary dance teacher. Olga will present her production Deep White. This dance reflects the space where we want to feel good, confident, and comfortable. Konstantin Matulevsky, a famous dancer and choreographer, will present his production toská. Konstantin's choreography reflects on humanity's future in neurotechnology and the development of the brain-computer interface. In Žižek's book Hegel in A Wired Brain, there is a fragment describing a sense of universal Russian melancholy (“toska”), when thinking is at zero, with no direction. Žižek wonders: but what if “toská” affects not only Russian inhabitants of the neuronet but also any subject with a “plugged-in brain”?
St. Petersburg Eifman Ballet will present an exclusive gala program in the second part. It includes excerpts from selected productions by the internationally renowned choreographer and “theater wizard,” revealing many years of his personal and creative development: “Russian Hamlet,” “On the Other Side of Sin,” “Passion According to Moliere, or The Mask of Don Juan,” “Eugene Onegin,” “Rodin, Her Eternal Idol,” “Anna Karenina,” “The Seagull. A Ballet Story” (premiering in 2022) and “The Pygmalion Effect.”
The artistic director and leader of the gala concert is Boris Eifman, People's Artist of Russia, laureate of State Prizes of Russia, Golden Mask, and Golden Soffit prizes, Commander of the Order “For Services to the Fatherland” of IV, III, and II degrees, Artistic Director of St. Petersburg State Academic Ballet Theatre, President of the Dance Academy.
For more information , visit the School section of the Russian Seasons website https://www.russianseasons.org/ru/school/.