In Search of Beauty, Here and Now

As early as 1888, Czech audiences had the opportunity to view a portion of the as-yet unknown ballet Swan Lake in the presence of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky himself. In 2019, this most popular of classical ballets will premiere in Prague, in a version created by world-renowned choreographer John Cranko. Filip Barankiewicz, artistic director of the Czech National Ballet, talks to us about what makes this production so unique, why seeing a ballet can be a rewarding experience, and whether Prince Siegfried should be wearing blue jeans.

I’ve always imagined a dance ensemble as a living organism, a collection of individual personalities. Is it difficult to manage such a group?

It is certainly not easy. Dancers, like most artists, tend to be very self-centred, because our work requires us to become emotionally invested. But I am immensely grateful for what I do. Real art needs no words. But achieving that level of perfection requires tremendous effort. Some directors view their ensemble as a sort of family, and the dancers as their children. I don’t do that. I have my own family. I treat dancers like the adults they are. Not everyone is willing to take responsibility for their own improvement, but I keep telling them it’s necessary. I do whatever I can to help them but ultimately it’s up to them. They’re not dancing for me; they’re doing it for their audience, and for themselves.

How well is the current ensemble working?

Over the past year, I’ve seen the group grow and improve so much, thanks to our demanding repertoire. This has allowed the dancers to develop, both as artists and as people, and they deserve to feel proud of how far they’ve come. We have enough female dancers right now, so we didn’t audition any women this year, only men. Nearly 50 candidates were selected to audition; many of them had excellent qualifications, and it wasn’t easy to choose. I needed men who were tall – many of our ladies are quite tall and the pairs need to look good together. Sadly, the dancers who have been trained at Czech ballet school are not quite good enough. It’s a pity, I would really like for the Prague Conservatory to collaborate with us more. For a large ensemble like ours, having our pick of students would be a great advantage, and the students would feel motivated to work harder.

You have chosen to work in Prague, of all places. Compared to the rest of the world, how would you rate the Czech National Ballet?

You cannot make a straightforward comparison. Every theatre or ensemble has its own strategy and target audience. Here we have a large ensemble, so we can stage virtually anything. With a smaller ensemble, you pretty much have to stick to contemporary productions – you can’t perform a classical Swan Lake with 30 dancers. You could engage an additional 20 people from a ballet school, but if anyone gets hurt, it would mean a lot of hassle for the theatre. With 80 dancers, you can produce almost anything.

How would you describe the Prague audience?

Prague is a large metropolis, which makes me more inclined to put together an international repertoire. I would like to appeal to the locals by staging such productions as The Trial (after Kafka’s novel) or Solo for the Two of Us, but I also want to branch out. I find the audience in Prague very educated and receptive. There have been many neo-classical and contemporary ballet performances over the past 15 years. But it’s essential for dancers to perform classical ballet as well, as this allows them to hone their skills and talent. A dancer needs to master classical ballet in order to perform well in contemporary productions. There have been some classical productions in Prague, but not nearly enough. I would like to create world-class productions that people would actually fly in to see.

Swan Lake, which premieres in March this year, will certainly draw a lot of interest, even more-so because you’ve managed to get permission to use John Cranko’s choreography. What makes it so special?

We are the first large ensemble outside of Germany to be allowed to use Cranko’s choreography. John Cranko was a world-renowned choreographer, and virtually everyone is familiar with Swan Lake, even if they’ve never seen a ballet in their life. Cranko’s version of Swan Lake is very dramatic. I’m not going to tell you whether it ends well, but there’s a lot of drama. Cranko actually succeeded in making Prince Siegfried a human being. He tells stories through ballet, stories that are easy to understand even if you don’t know the plot beforehand. That is what made him so great. He pulls you in and makes you identify with the story.

Swan Lake is a tragic tale of an unfortunate man, and is full of amazing contrasts. The first Act takes place outside the palace, where the prince is frolicking with peasants in the countryside. I don’t think any other version has ever involved a cheerful outdoor picnic. This provides a powerful contrast to the second and fourth Acts, which are both very dark. Another original idea is the use of Tchaikovsky’s music for the change of scene from the first to the second Act. Act 4 is truly breath-taking. We have included one of Tchaikovsky’s elegies, too, which is something no one has ever done. Prague has so far featured twelve different productions of Swan Lake, and I thought it deserved a thirteenth. It’s time to show the audience something different. I’m very much looking forward to it.

You danced Prince Siegfried in the Stuttgart Ballet production. Does this bring back memories for you?

Not really. I don’t want to foist my own vision on the dancers. I will of course share my experience with them, but this production is not about me. I need to respect the ensemble and base the performance around them. I am very fortunate to have worked with such great choreographers as John Neumeier, Hans van Manen, Jiří Kylián, and William Forsythe. That has provided me with a wealth of experience that I’m not going to keep to myself. I will gladly share my knowledge to improve the ensemble, but I don’t want to turn it into a carbon copy of the Stuttgart Ballet.

Does working with someone else’s choreography leave any room for creativity?

You have to hold to the choreographer’s vision. We have ballet masters to make sure that the production doesn’t stray from the author’s artistic intent. But every artist needs to make sure that his heart is in the role. Every prince, every swan, will be a little different. That’s what makes it so beautiful. Choreography provides a general concept but does not prescribe the dancers’ every move. Obviously you have to stay faithful to the character you’re playing, but every dancer uses different means and emotions to achieve that. You need to get to know what drives them and work with that. This is why our job is so wonderful.

I would like to create world-class productions that people would actually fly in to see.

What makes a good dancer?

A good dancer needs to be able to share their emotions and personality with the audience. Passion is what makes a true artist. We once had a young man auditioning for us. He was extremely skilful but danced completely without emotion. I don’t care about the dancer’s nationality. I need to know what kind of person they are. That’s what makes ballet so difficult. You need athletic ability as well as a strong personality, and you always have to give your best. And when it comes to training, I don’t tolerate laziness.

You’re going to use a completely new set and new costumes for Swan Lake. Will that change the performance in any way?

Although John Cranko is no longer with us, we would never aim to change the choreography. If the directions call for an entrance here or a staircase there, it must be kept that way. Our stage-set will be very similar to Jürgen Rose’s original, but set designer Martin Černý and costume designer Josef Jelínek have had the opportunity to show their skill in creating new scenic elements appropriate for the time period. We are going to follow the classical tradition, so don’t expect Prince Siegfried to be wearing blue jeans, but all the costumes will be inventive.

It’s fascinating to realise that Tchaikovsky first viewed his own creation here in Prague in 1888. After more than a century, posters for the production again appear all over town.

The response has been incredible. We hardly had to do anything, promotion-wise. The poster is very simple – just the title in Czech and English, with John Cranko’s name underneath. Most of the performances have already sold out. I wanted to make sure that if the people in Prague wanted to see Swan Lake, they didn’t have to settle for a semi-professional production or a performance by one of the touring troupes; I wanted to offer them the best production of the highest quality.

Would you recommend Swan Lake to someone who has never seen a ballet before?

Definitely not. I realise that many young girls dream about being a ballerina like Odette, with a tiara and pointe shoes, but I would not recommend this ballet to someone who has never seen a ballet performance in their life. Swan Lake is more for connoisseurs and enthusiasts. Of our other productions, beginners would definitely enjoy The Taming of the Shrew (which has been performed in Prague), where the story is familiar and easy to understand, or La Fille mal gardée – a true masterpiece for viewers of all ages.

Classical plays are often daringly reinterpreted for contemporary audiences. Is this the case in classical ballet as well?

The classical ballet tradition goes back a little over two centuries, which makes it fairly young compared to theatre. Life is extremely fast-paced today. We hardly ever have time to just sit and let our thoughts run freely. That’s why I respect that when people go to see a classical ballet, they wish to know what to expect. Dance techniques have improved so much that we are able to stage classical productions better than ever before. Take La Bayadère, with Petipa’s choreography: I don’t think anyone could ever surpass that piece. We should maintain the tradition, as a legacy for future generations.

What are the latest trends and developments in ballet?

Contemporary ballet is always exploring new avenues. The human body knows no limits, but at the same time it remains very difficult to be a choreographer nowadays. We only have two legs and two feet, two arms and one head, and choreographically a lot has been achieved. But still, you can perform the same routine in a completely different way. If you put emotion into it, every single person has a chance to do it differently than another; dance is a living art and that’s what’s wonderful; this combination of emotion and beauty together with the soul of every single individual, in a one-time performance that cannot be repeated. There is no way to create this magic other than in a theatre. That’s also why I do not think you should watch ballet on the screen; it is something to experience live.

This issue of Soffa focuses on symbols. For me, ballet symbolises beauty and gracefulness. Do you still feel the same, even after so many years of hard work?

Absolutely! We try to achieve perfection over and over again. Dancers always check themselves in the mirror, striving for that beauty and elegance. True perfection is obviously unattainable, but we can at least aspire to it with all our might. When you watch a ballet performance, you should not be aware of how much hard work the dancers needed to put in to make it beautiful.

What is ballet’s future as an art form?

We have a hard time competing with the newest technologies; they seem to have pushed real people into the background. People no longer read books and think about the stories they tell. This gives theatre a great opportunity to assert its importance to the audience. I like productions that present something other than ordinary, everyday reality. People need to dream, and theatre allows you to do so. It can make you laugh or cry, and it should continue to do just that.

Swan Lake premieres at the National Theatre on 28 March 2019.

Filip Barankiewicz is a Polish dancer and ballet master, and a former principal dancer in the Stuttgart Ballet. He has been artistic director of the Czech National Ballet since the 2017/18 season.

text: Helena Stiessová

photos: Adéla Havelková

article partner: Czech National Ballet