The novelty of the Olomouc ballet continues, Freedom in Motion is sold out twice

There is huge interest among the audience in the attractive novelty of the Olomouc ballet, tickets for the first performance sold out quickly. Thursday’s premiere, which opens the Divadelní Flora festival, is sold out, as is the second performance on Saturday, May 11. However, several more replays are planned until the end of this season.

The production Freedom in Motion is the last premiere of the Moravian Theater Olomouc ballet company this season. It consists of two original choreographies, WHITEflag day and Inventing Freedom, prepared for the Olomouc audience by choreographer Roberta Ferrara and choreographer Štěpán Pechar.

Both use an auditorium layout that forms an arena and brings an immediate experience to the audience.

The theme of this year’s Divadelní Flora festival is freedom. The head of the ballet therefore approached selected choreographers with a request to create a choreography on the theme of freedom and liberty. Thanks to this, the production Freedom in Motion was created. It consists of two original choreographies with the names WHITEflag day and Inventing Freedom, each of them reflects the theme in an original way.

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“To create a pilot program in the new space, I approached the choreographer and director of the dance company Equilibrio Dinamico Roberta Ferrara from Italy and the choreographer and artistic director of the company DEKKADANCERS Štěpán Pechar. I am very happy that the premiere was included in the program of the Theater Flora festival, in which the Olomouc ballet becomes a part for the very first time. They received the same assignment, respecting this year’s theme of the Theater Flora festival, i.e. freedom. I left complete freedom to the choreographers in choosing the music and grasping the theme itself,” described the artistic director of the ballet, Jan Fousek.

Triple premiere

It will be a “triple” premiere for the dancers, because in addition to introducing new choreography and performing for the first time as part of the festival, they will also perform for the first time in the newly renovated CENTRAL at the Olomouc Art Museum.

“We found a space that gives us the opportunity to experiment and create new choreographic creations. Just as CENTRAL is interwoven with novelty with a touch of modernity, we will also try to create new, creative and modern works here,” explained Jan Fousek.

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CENTRAL dramaturg Alexandr Jeništa also sees the new performance as an opportunity and a challenge.

“In addition to productions imported from elsewhere, we want to devote ourselves to the production of original or even original theatrical forms. The co-production with the ballet company of the Moravian Theater is the first attempt, which we will definitely want to follow up on. Now it’s quite an exciting opportunity for us to try a not quite standard theater format in a completely new space. Cooperation with the staging team is very positive and creative to our delight,” praises Alexandr Jeništa.

The production will remain in the repertoire of the Moravian Theater even after its two performances at Divadelní Flora, the audience can see it six more times at CENTRAL until the end of the season.

White and Sinéad O’Connor

The dance performance WHITEflag day deals with the theme of freedom as a moment of shared power between people.

“In the choreography, I try to offer a view of freedom not only as a basic human right, but also as an inherent manifestation of our humanity. The work I ask of the dancers is not only physically and aesthetically demanding, but also about inner and collective listening. Authenticity accompanies the entire creative process. The search for inner freedom and the struggle for social justice are the two topics we address,” explained Roberta Ferrara.

The main motif of the story will be the white flag, which functions as a symbol supporting the right of all people to live in freedom and dignity today, but also in the future.

Dance production Freedom in Motion by the Moravian Theater Olomouc balletSource: Serghei Gherciu/Moravian Theater Olomouc

Choreographer Roberta Ferrara uses a space that will not be divided into a classically divided auditorium and stage, but will be arranged in such a way that the audience sits around the center of the action.

“It will be the renovated CENTRAL building, which will create the right space in terms of scenography. We will not pretend to be somewhere else or to create other spaces, we will use this particular space to make the performance a collective experience that inspires and unites the audience through the power of shared freedom. It’s a new way for dancers to connect with the audience. It will be an immediate and direct exchange of energy,” said Roberta Ferrara.

She chose white civilian costumes symbolizing a utopian community based on common principles and values. Her production will feature pieces by Armand Amar, Henryk Górecký and Sinéad O’Connor.

Mouth opener

Choreographer Štěpán Pechar created a light-hearted and, according to his words, also funny, crazy, dynamic and grotesque dance performance, which is deliberately built on the contrast of two different dance vocabularies.

Dance production Freedom in Motion by the Moravian Theater Olomouc balletSource: Serghei Gherciu/Moravian Theater Olomouc

“The first expresses the given system, uncompromisingly binding the performers to perform exactly the same activities. It suppresses individuality, freedom of movement, expression, and feelings. Everything is a kind of dictation. I supported this feeling with a dental aid, the so-called ‘mouth opener’, which continuously forces a convulsive smile on the dancers. Compared to this, the second movement vocabulary is excessively free, playful, and a little deranged. At the same time, the dancers get rid of their mouth openers and thereby gain freedom of facial expressions, emotions and expression,” Štěpán Pechar outlined the theme and processing of the Inventing Freedom choreography, saying that it focuses on two extremes whose confrontation interests him.

“I find it funny. And that’s exactly what I’m trying to do. Humor is a beautiful example of freedom,” says Pechar.

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Pavel Knolle designed the stage and minimalist but striking costumes for the production. There will be music by artists such as Two Fingers, Jack Stauber or John Powell.

“With this dance act, we are expanding not only the modern repertoire of our ballet company, but also the attractive chamber scenes where the audience can see us. In addition to the Red Church, it will now be CENTRAL, which, I believe, will bring new perspectives to the performers and the audience,” said the director of the Moravian Theater, David Gerneš.