The organizers of the International Festival of Modern Choreography in Vitebsk want to change its concept

BELARUSIAN CONTEMPORARY DANCE CONTENT Twenty-two years ago, the International Festival of Modern Choreography (IFMC) was founded in Vitebsk, which gave a powerful impetus to the development of contemporary choreography in Belarus and became a significant event in the cultural life of all post-Soviet countries. The forum maintains this high standard today. This is evidenced by the attitude towards it of the cultural elite from over 40 countries, the support of the Tokyo Ballet Academy, the Goethe-Institut, the American Dance Festival (ADF), the Beijing Dance Academy, the Council of the Russian National Award "Golden Mask," and many other state and public structures. The festival is being held in the city on the Dvina for the 23rd time. Marina ROMANOVSKAYA, the permanent head of IFMC and Deputy General Director for Special Projects at the Vitebsk Culture Center, who has witnessed the entire process of the formation of Belarusian contemporary dance, told a BELTA correspondent about what the festival represents, what goals it has achieved, what it strives for, and at what stage of development contemporary Belarusian choreography is. - Marina Gennadievna, using the festival as an example, please tell us how contemporary choreography has developed in Belarus and at what stage it is now. - The first festivals, when contemporary choreography in the former USSR practically did not exist as an art form, can be described as groping for a creative vein, searching for those interested in this direction. It was in the early 1990s that collectives were founded and formed, and people appeared who are now masters in their field. For example, the ballet of Evgeny Panfilov, the Eccentric Ballet of Sergey Smirnov, the "Provincial Dances" theater (Yekaterinburg, Russia), Emmanuelle Gordin (France), Mats Ek (Sweden), Lin Hwai-min (Taiwan). The stage of formation of Belarusian contemporary choreography began a decade later. Only by the twentieth festival did it become possible to say that Belarus has a space of professional people and collectives engaged in this art form. At the present stage, the process of copying, imitation, and compilation has passed; Belarusian collectives have their own distinct identity. Evidence of this is the successful performance of the D.O.Z.SK.I theater (Minsk) at the international dance fair Tanzmesse in Düsseldorf. It is quite difficult to say at what stage we are currently: a definitive assessment can only be made after some time. However, if we judge by our festival, we can definitely say that there is no decline in interest and attention to contemporary choreography. This year, thanks to the huge number of applicants, a rather large-scale competition has been formed. On November 27, 26 creative collectives and individual projects will compete for the main prizes. Artists from Belarus, Germany, Israel, China, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Russia, Slovenia, Ukraine, Switzerland, Estonia, Chile, Belgium, and Japan will take the competition stage. They have brought 13 one-act ballets and 24 choreographic miniatures to Vitebsk. All productions are diverse in themes addressed by choreographers and forms of works. The participants will be judged by a competent and representative jury headed by Valentin Elizaryev, People's Artist of the USSR, renowned ballet master, and laureate of international and all-Union competitions. A wonderful guest program is also presented to fans of contemporary choreography and theatergoers. It includes the ballet-phantasmagoria "The Nutcracker" by the contemporary choreography theater "Kyiv Modern-Ballet" (Ukraine), headed by one of Europe's most famous young ballet masters, Radu Poklitaru. No less interesting are the ballet "Downshifting" by the Italian Spellbound Dance Company, the one-man show "Solo con piano" by Gianfranco Celestino (Luxembourg), and productions by a favorite guest of the festival, the Perm State Theater "Ballet of Evgeny Panfilov." I would like to note that the general partner of the festival is SOOO "Belvest" with the support of the Ministry of Culture, the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, and the City Executive Committee. - It is always interesting to learn about prospects. What awaits contemporary choreography in the future? - We asked a similar question to our expert jury members, which includes renowned choreographers, ballet critics, and art historians from Belarus, Russia, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, and Estonia. For example, some believe that new technologies will be actively introduced into the modern stage space, and the multi-vector nature of contemporary dance will be preserved. At the same time, Larisa Barykina (Russia), a member of the expert councils and jury of the National Theater Award "Golden Mask," expressed the opinion that without state support, this art form may disappear. However, in my opinion, contemporary choreography can follow two paths: it will develop independently or dissolve into stage art. In particular, if we observe stage and theater art, we see more and more integration of elements of contemporary dance. This is due to the fact that today everything tends towards the synthesis of art forms. Little remains in its pure form. For example, performances where an orchestra and ballet perform together. Entire scenes representing contemporary choreography are woven into the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. And they leave a particularly strong impression. The children's "Eurovision-2010" has recently concluded. I liked the performance of the contestant from Lithuania, accompanied by a contemporary choreography ballet. It looked very interesting, giving the young artist special charm and high performance culture. Therefore, it can be confidently stated that contemporary dance helps any art form to express itself. Of course, like all other directions, it will have its ups and downs, which is a normal process. - However, the audience's interest in contemporary choreography worldwide is enormous right now. Can this direction, on this wave, displace classical art forms? The same ballet or folk dances? - The relevance of contemporary choreography is explained by its instant reaction to current realities and events. I will never forget how, before a festival in Estonia, a ferry capsized. Deeply affected by this tragedy, Estonian choreographers brought an associative one-act ballet to IFMC. However, contemporary dance will not be able to displace classical art in any way. There are enough viewers, venues, and stage space for all art forms and genres, including classical ballet and folk choreography. - Master classes are always very popular at the festival in Vitebsk, no less than the guest program... - A master class is a good teacher and an expensive pleasure. As a rule, they are conducted by people with colossal experience, who have trained in America or Europe, have processed this knowledge through themselves, and have created their own author's technique. In recent years, we have been conducting master classes not only for participants but also for everyone interested. Tickets sell out quickly, as participation in these events allows artists to gain new knowledge and improve their professional skills. They are also interesting for fans of contemporary choreography who want to see this art form from the inside. This year, Estonian choreographers Renee Nõmmik and Tiina Ollesk, and Norwegian Kenneth Flack will come to us. A master class for ballroom dancers will be conducted by guests from Moldova, Sergey Golovnya and Alexandra Soshnikova. They will show how to work with a partner. This is an interesting topic dedicated to interaction technologies in a pair. We often see in dance how a woman calmly places herself on a man's shoulders. And everything looks easy and graceful. In reality, behind this is serious preparation, the ability to breathe correctly, and group muscles. - It is often said about opera that one can either love it or hate it. Does this apply to contemporary choreography? - Previously, if someone didn't understand this direction, I would start to get indignant. Now, having become older and wiser, I treat it calmly. This is a normal process. Of course, the desire to captivate is always present, but nothing should be imposed. If the soul is open and ready to accept something new and unknown, then one simply needs to offer to watch, and the person will make their own choice. Today, there are many young viewers at the festival. Those who started attending it at the forum's inception also maintain their interest in IFMC. Thus, the age range of our audience is quite wide. And this is pleasing, as the program addresses relevant topics that are interesting to all ages. - Does the festival have any reserves left, where will it move next? - More than twenty years ago, the festival was created with the aim of promoting Belarusian choreographers in the European and world cultural space, and creating contemporary choreographic art as an integral part of modern Belarusian culture. Now, in my opinion, IFMC has fulfilled this mission. Look at the huge number of collectives and dancers who want to participate in the competition. We received over 50 applications from various corners of Belarus and European countries. One application even came from Congo. Many could not pass because the requirements for contestants are very high. A few years ago, we would have accepted them, but the festival has grown, reached a level that these collectives are still far from. Considering this, the idea of changing the festival's concept is maturing, which will allow the forum to reach a new stage of development and increase its status. However, this is still being discussed, and it is too early to announce anything specific. Olga BOGACHEVA, BELTA.-0-