Yegor Druzhinin took up alternative history

Premiere of the ballet-defile “Russian Ragtime”

The Variety Theater hosted the premiere of the dance performance “Russian Ragtime” directed by Yegor Druzhinin and Balazs Baranyai. The genre is designated as ballet-defile. This was done not for the sake of originality, but in essence: the costume designer was the famous Russian fashion designer Alena Akhmadullina. And its design became the most important means of expression for the performance, taking us to a past that never existed.

The name “Russian Ragtime” will cause many associations with Sergei Ursulyak’s graduation film from 1993, which caused considerable resonance in its time. And although the theme of “Soviet stagnation”, dissidence, removal of red flags, denunciations and repentance is not presented in Yegor Druzhinin’s performance, the oxymoron “Russian ragtime” itself is interpreted in a similar way – as a kind of cultural code in which purely American music is fused with Russian images. Our compatriots at the turn of the 20s and 30s could have been exactly like this – dancing jazz and dressing in Art Deco clothes. However, the reality of the mainstream turned out to be different. Other songs, other trends in the fashion industry – more and more red scarves and sports trousers. Egor Druzhinin and his team offer viewers a sketch of an alternative history. And she’s absolutely adorable.

There are 12 characters on stage, each of which is a brightly individual image, unique in everything: from face and figure to movement and costume. The student (Brian Opoku) is a brash guy in a cap with phenomenal plasticity, which can only be achieved by those with African-American blood flowing in his veins. Journalist (German Romazanov) – business suit, wide-brimmed hat, notebook – and incredible uncoordination of movements, bordering on the circus. There is a ridiculously mustachioed and very important Master (Arsen Agamalyan), eternally quarreling twin young ladies (played by real-life twins Anastasia and Victoria Mikhailets) accompanied by a strict Governess (Veronica Itskovich).

The appearance of the Stranger in White – so academic and super-ballet-like – becomes the first surprise and introduces a classical stream into modern choreography. Anna Tikhomirova in this role is a model of grace and airy lightness. It’s clear that she is perceived as a prima. But – for the time being: she will soon be supplanted by the Widow, performed by the brightly characteristic and at the same time noble-mysterious Kristina Kretova. Her tragic dance with the body of her dead husband – yes, yes, this is exactly the number the directors came up with for the ballerina – it really brings tears to my eyes.

There are two “premiere” characters in the play – the Young Man (the romantic image is created by Evgeny Zhukov) and the Player (Herman Borsai). The player is a very impressive character: tall, slender, like a stalk. It is clear that he is wearing a white suit, embroidered with colored patterns with a bright boutonniere in his buttonhole, a white boater… As if Krechinsky himself flew into this company after a successful game. Sleight of hand – and a sea of ​​charm.

The reserved Porter (Alexander Smolyaninov), the eccentric Maid (Alexandra Goroshko), who makes an excellent match for the Student in their technical dance duets, complete this ballet scale, which represents all 12 tones, 12 months, 12 hours, 12 thieves and everything else where The sacred number 12 has meaning.

There is no narrative plot here, just as there is, of course, no text. However, in some amazing way the story is built, the relationships between the characters are read, causing unconditional empathy. The choreography of Druzhinin and Baranyai (the Hungarian choreographer, by the way, is a modern dance teacher at the Boris Eifman Theater), which synthesizes a variety of dance techniques from classical to contemporary, is especially effectively implemented in ensemble scenes: the duet of the Player and the Youth, in which they are like two opponent, demonstrate their strengths, the terzet of the Journalist, the Student and the Player – each in their own way trying to attract the attention of the spectator, the “drunk” terzet of the Journalist, the Player and the Important Gentleman. All these pas de deux and pas de trois are examples of dance polyphony, where the part of each character retains its own pattern and character.

Artist Nana Abdrashitova placed the characters in free space surrounded by street lamps. And Ivan Vinogradov created a sophisticated lighting score that is clearly correlated with the movements of the dancers and musical compositions, written by award-winning American composers from Benny Goodman to Marvin Hamlisch and Wynton Marsalis.