George Gershwin’s life in modern ballet
With Hungarian creators, we are preparing for the life of George Gershwin!
then it’s heading to the United
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In recent months and weeks, news and media have reported a series of “Hungary’s good reputation” programs, which include more great news reported a cultural vision and the first “European Ballet 27″the creation of a joint European Ballet, consisting of dancers delegated by EU Member States. Each of the news was linked to a person, László Kriszt, director choreographer, who has been present in the Hungarian dance scene for nearly 40 years, / as a dance teacher, choreographer / who has won recognition for his successful, well-known choreographies, but also made his master’s thesis on George Gershwin in 2003. And now he dreamed Gershwin’s life on the ballet stage. We asked the brainer about this latest large-scale vision. “I think many interviews are currently taking place, at least in the above cultural projects.” they can be inferred from this. I’m not complaining, though you should not overestimate the media, since the media does not create value, only transmits value, and the two must not be exchanged.
- Then I’m going to the point. George Gershwin’s name is widely known or at least heard by him, especially in connection with the recent opera, Porgy and Bess Opera.
Yes, it was a little funny that he was not an African American they have declared themselves to be Hungarian artists, African Americans. It was a pity for it, because the otherwise great plan to re-introduce the Porgy and Bess operas is becoming a satire. It would have been a different solution, but I think it was caught.
-The topic of our conversation is George Gershwin, but not his well-known opera, but his two-part modern ballet.
George Gershwin is an icon for me or, in other words, an icon. At a very young age, while my contemporaries listened to Beatles or Rolling Stone, I was at Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, Leonard Bernstein and of course George Gershwin for the music. When I went to college, of course, I was very proud of these great American composers, especially knowing their music. It was no less important that as a result of the works of these composers, I became a musical actor and started making choreographies.
- How did the idea of a ballet come about?
Since the admiration of these composers was very early on, and since dance has always played a central role both as a performer and as a creator (choreographer) in my life, I had to think about one of the composers’ life ballet, which was most suitable for George Gershwin.
- Why did you choose him and not another composer?
On the one hand, because he has so many pieces of classical music that can base the music of a prospective ballet on the other hand, there is the essence of Gershwin’s whole being, his habitus. Gershwin’s music is about Gershwin himself, about the states with which he met in his life, impressions of him, whether it is the admiration (in an American Paris) of joy and sorrow (F-major Piano Concerto I-III) (Blue Rape) and so on.
-Then this ballet is about Gershwin, right?
Yes. Gershwin’s music, Gershwin. I think we will be with our choreograph be able to grow up to Gershwin’s musical height, and this is not a small task, it is no coincidence that no one has processed it so far!
- Is this really an original idea, just why did you just come up with this?
I started out for the first time, for the first time in 25 years, I also visited several Hungarian dance ensembles, but no one was interested.
- And the opera house ballet ensemble?
I also searched for the previous / 20 years ago and now the Opera House Ballet Leadership, but let us formulate it diplomatically, referring to the saturation of the repertoire, and thanked them for their success.
- You say that seriously?
Seriously, because it was. I was sorry for Hungarian artists, Hungarian dancers, I imagined it with Hungarian scenery and costume designers, and would have brought great international success to the Hungarian dance art, but it will most likely be shown abroad.
- Why probably?
Because they’ve been noticed in more foreign countries, and I’ve received encouraging requests, we have also given it to two big international competitions, where they give such unique cultural ideas, not much money. Once again, I’m very sorry that nobody in Hungary was interested.
- And if you suddenly get a domestic request?
Well, if we were to receive a serious request, I would of course be happy to listen to the offer, but this modern ballet will cost millions of Euros, because the best and the best of all needs to be done.
- How do you imagine an international implementation?
In our applications, we explained that the creators / since the idea may be Hungarian / Hungarian only, but the design of the scenery, costume, and light was left to the host country, so it was right for us, maybe it will be an international project.
- Who do you want to achieve?
The creative team is partly in the hands of the director, choreographer, co-choreographers, but the assistants are not yet appointed. In any case, those colleagues who will be involved in this project will be selected through a casting.
- How will it get to the United States?
One of the requests came from Europe, but since this is the project has a very large budget, there must be more negotiation, negotiation, if only the dancers casting the set costume designs, their execution, not to mention the realization itself, then we must count on at least one year of preparation. This project is a very complex, very complex challenge, as the basic ornament itself is an exceptional stage item that has never been set on a ballet, precisely because of its specialty. Believe me, such a ballet has not been seen by the dancing audience anywhere in the world. So after that, we would go on a US tour, and we hope we would like to take you to the capitals of Europe on a European tour, and then we’ll see.
- I’ll take it out of our conversation that he puts it out!
It is necessary because the idea is so unique, so novel that one requires caution, and secondly, after the presentation we will really talk about what to do, but then I hope we can talk about why we had to wait for more than 25 years!
- Thank you for your interview and wish you every success in this international project!
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E-mail: gershwinprodukcio@gmail.com
English Contact: András Vég +36317856054
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