Robert Bondara and Marta Kwaśniak at a dress rehearsal for "The Captive Mind**, Photo: Andrzej Makowski/Opera Nova
Robert Bondara sets Miłosz's poetic masterpiece in motion in the premiere of the innovative ballet performance
The young choreographer spent several years on the script, staging and choreography for his ballet adaptation of The Captive Mind, one of the pre-eminent works of nonfiction by the poet
Czesław Miłosz. The ballet in two acts is a rather loose adaptation, serving more as an inspiration for the dance-based performance. It premieres at the Opera Nova in Bydgoszcz on March 19, 2011.
Bondara explains that his intention was to create a work about the human soul, about passions and ambitions, about deception and lies, about historical cruelties and manipulations set upon the emotions and values of people, and the people themselves. It is a universal contemplation on the nature of totalitarianism and its impact on humanity.
While it appears on the surface a difficult topic for a viewer, yet it has the potential to transform into a moving story through choreography, an intriguing performance not only in terms of aesthetics, but its emotional impact.
The musical score is based on works by Philip Glass, including selected fragments of composition: "Metamorphosis", Symphony No. 3, G"lassworks", "Mad Rush", String Quartet No. 2, and String Quartet No. 5, along with
Wojciech Kilar's "Kościelec " / "Mount Koscielec 1909".
Robert Bondara is a dancer, choreographer and pedagogue. He graduated from the Łódź School of Ballet and the Fryderyk Chopin Music Adacemy in Warsaw, where he currently works as a lecturer. As of 2005 he has been in the company of the Polish National Ballet at the
National Opera in Warsaw. He's won a number of prizes for his choreography, including Andante con moto based on music by
Wojciecha Kilara, which premiered at the National Opera in Warsaw in the 2008/2009 ballet season and was featured a the Polish-Russian Ballet Gala at the Bolshoi Ballet Theatre in Moscow. The piece is the first work to be featured as part of Opera Nova's new focus on contemporary dance.
Diana Marszałek's set is based on a crumbling pyramid structure enhanced by multi-media projections. Maciej Igielski is the light designer and Mariusz Napierała has created simple costumes that have no reference to any particular time or place.
The Captive Mind premieres March 19, 2011 at Opera Nova in Bydgoszcz, with repeat performances on March 20 and April 14 & 15.
Opera Nova
ul. Marszałka Focha 5, 85-070 Bydgoszcz
tel. (+48 52) 325 15 02, 325 15 10
link*www.opera.bydgoszcz.pl* http://www.opera.bydgoszcz.pl****Soucre: Pap, Opera Nova