 Better
known throughout Russia as Gzhel (named after their sponsor), and hailing
from Moscow's State Academic Theatre of Dance, the company is comprised
of highly trained Classical Ballet dancers and successfully tours the largest
Russian cities and gives performances in Moscow's best concert-halls (Kremlin
Palace, State Central Concert-Hall the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall, Column
Hall). It is the only Ballet Troupe in the world to simultaneously work
in two directions - Folk Dance and their more contemporary program, Les
Folies Russes, which is their aptly re-titled touring program for North
America.
 The
company, which toured their folk program in just a handful of Western US
cities in January 2003, has received enthusiastic and rousing ovations
on previous tours to countries such as Austria, Algeria, Bulgaria, Brazil.
Hungary, Germany, Greece, Egypt, Israel, Italy, China, Cuba, Mexico, United
Arab Emirates, Slovakia, Slovenia, Thailand, Tunisia, Czech Republic, Yugoslavia,
and Japan.
Les
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VLADIMIR ZAKHAROV
Art Director and Chief Choreographer
of the Moscow Academic Theatre
of Dance "Gzhel,"
a People's Artist of Russia,
Professor, an Academician
It is the first time in this
country that the creator of the theatre, its choreographer-in-chief and
art director, People's Artist of Russia, Professor Vladimir Zakharov
has set a goal to express through the dance the fantastic beauty of Russian
folk art.
 It
is common knowledge that all sorts of art are interrelated. Earlier the
masters of applied art glorified nature and people of their country in
their creative work. The craftsmen specializing in stone, silver, clay,
wood, fur, and drapery created their own songs. Musicians and poets, through
their own means, sang and spoke about the same. And dancers expressed their
individual view of the world via dances. So the wonderful idea (which came
to Vladimir Zakharov's daring head) of creating the theatre where all kinds
of Russian traditional art will be brought together to speak - through
dance - to the spectator proved fruitful and resulted in the «Gzhel»
Theatre's appearance.
Vladimir Zakharov devoted
30 years of his creative life to what is known as the Russian dance. He
didn't fail to see the common ground of the fascinating Russian folk dance
and original charm of folk art. With the help of the festive round dance
of the golden «Khokhloma merry-go-round», charming miniature
of «Fedoskino», and multicolor of the Pavlovo-Posad shawls,
the choreographer sings a hymn to the Great Russia, the inmost charm of
its nature, and those genuinely Russian features which constitute the cornerstone
of the myth concerning «the obscure Russian soul».
 The
program of Moscow State Theatre of Dance «Gzhel» has
become a real hymn to the Beautiful Russia and the talented Russian person,
whereas the Theatre itself has utterly dedicated its creative potential
to Russian folk art.
The dances choreographed
by V. Zakharov revive the solemn and lacquered «Palekh», fascinating
«Fairy Gzhel», mischievous «Dymkovo toy», and perky
«Gorodets gates». The deeper you go into the change of the
rhythm of the dancing compositions («Rostovskaya Finift», «Kostroma
Filigree», «Vladimir Spoon-Players», «Torzhok Gold-Embroiderers»,
«Valday Bells»), the better you comprehend various sides of
the national character, ranging from a flowing song to a lively dance.
 In
the dances he choreographed, Vladimir Zakharov does not try to reproduce
the genuine folklore and approximate the Russian dance to the truly folk
manner of performance. In «Gzhel's» dances the Russian epic
is revived. Among the main heroes are beautiful young girls, brave young
men, and splendid fire-birds. And this entire fairy picture is lighted
by golden and silver splendour of unbelievably beautiful costumes. More
important, this picture does not seem a lifeless fresco: The organic combination
of modern plasticity and folk dance provides it with the warmth and charm
of live art.
So why do the spectators
of such different countries as Austria and Egypt greet «Gzhel's»
dances with equal enthusiasm?
Today humanity enters the
period that is probably the most dramatic in the entire history of modern
civilization. Its vices, imperfections, and striking contradictions daily
affect our nerves and our lives. That's why legitimate is the desire to
turn to the imperishable values of the past and to adapt them to the present-day
situation in order to interweave heritage into the context of modern art.
This task - that is one of the most complicated - is successfully, ably,
and (most important) with originality being solved by the troupe of State
Theatre of Dance «Gzhel» that the spectators of Russia and
other countries favor so much.
US Tour Itinerary
Chicago
Detroit
Cleveland
New York |
Atlanta
St. Louis
Throughout Florida
Boston |
Les
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