Three masterpieces by famous French choreographer Roland Petit premiered in Kazakh capital
On May 16 and 17, one-act ballets by the legendary French choreographer Roland Petit – L’Arlesienne, Le Jeune Homme et la Mort and Carmen– premiered with great success at Astana Opera’s Grand Hall with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Information of Kazakhstan, Kazinform News Agency cites the Astana Opera.
Roland Petit’s name occupies a special place in the history of 20th century ballet. One of the most brilliant French choreographers, he sought to rethink the conventions of classical dance, giving it a modern take. The ballets he created are always cohesive dramatic works that combine keen emotionality, expressive movements and a deep connection with the music.
In the CIS, Roland Petit’s ballets remain a rarity, as the Roland Petit Foundation entrusts their performance only to truly strong companies. Kazakhstan stands out in this regard: thanks to the artistic director of the Astana Opera Ballet, People’s Artist of Russia Altynai Asylmuratova, the opera house now has five of the most famous productions of the great master. She knows the choreographer’s work firsthand: for five years, the world star was a prima ballerina of his company, cutting a brilliant figure at the legendary Ballets de Marseille. This experience not only enriched her as a performer, but also became a solid basis for staging Petit’s productions at the Kazakh opera house.
It should be mentioned that individual numbers choreographed by the great master were performed in the opera house’s gala ballet programs – among them Léda et le Cygne, Thaïs and pas de deux from Carmen. Two large-scale productions – Notre Dame de Paris and Coppélia – were included in the company’s repertoire in 2016 and 2019. Now his celebrated one-act ballets adorn Astana Opera’s playbill.
L’Arlesienne, Le Jeune Homme et la Mort and Carmen are three iconic ballets. The choreographer toured extensively around the world and worked with all major ballet companies. He founded Ballets de Marseille in 1972 at the request of the city’s municipality, creating L’Arlesienne for this company in 1974. Le Jeune Homme et la Mort was first presented to the audience in 1946 – a ballet that combined ruthless candidness and symbolism. In 1949, the world saw Carmen – bold, innovative take on a classical story with elements of street folklore and unusual plastique.
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