- Feb 2008 2008 Spring Season Eddie Martinez, Interra/actic Go Fish, 2007 BAM 2008 Sprinl Season is sponsored by: Bloomberg ENCOREThe Performing Arts Magazine 2008 Spring Season Brooklyn Academy of Music Alan H. Fishman William I. Campbell Chairman of the Board Vice Chairman of the Board Karen Brooks Hopkins Joseph V. Melillo President Executive Producer presents Nina Ananiashvili and the State Ballet of Georgia Approximate BAM Howard Gilman Opera House running time: Feb 27, 29 & Mar 1 at 7:30pm two hours and Mar 2 at 3pm 20 minutes, including Featuring Sergei Filin, principal of the Bolshoi Ballet two intermissions Program A (Feb 27 & 29) Chaconne—George Balanchine —intermission— Duo Concertant—George Balanchine Bizet Variations—Alexei Ratmansky —intermission— Sagalobeli—Yuri Possokhov Program B (Mar 1 & 2) Sagalobeli—Yuri Possokhov —intermission— Duo Concertant—George Balanchine Bizet Variations—Alexei Ratmansky —intermission— Dreams about Japan—Alexei Ratmansky Tour produced by David Eden Productions Ltd. with major support from the Government of the Republic of Georgia. BAM 2008 Spring Season is sponsored by Bloomberg. Forest City Ratner Companies is the presenting sponsor for Nina Ananiashvili and the State Ballet of Georgia. BAM Dance receives major support from The Harkness Foundation for Dance and The SHS Foundation, with additional support from Mary L. Griggs & Mary Griggs Burke Foundation. State Ballet of Georgia Feb 27 & 29 (Program A): Chaconne Nina Ananiashvili, Vasil Akhmeteli Rusudan Kvitsiani, Ekaterine Chubinidze, Otar Khelashvili Tsisia Cholokashvili, David Khozashvili Mariam Aleksidze, Teona Akhobadze, Lana Kiknadze, Nino Gogsadze, Nino Makhashvili Ana Turazashvili, Nino Sanadze, David Ananeli, Irakli Bakhtadze Shorena Khaindrava, Natalia Rigvava, Ina Azmaiparashvili, Viktoria Kuznetsova, Nino Magradze, Lili Labadze, Evgenia Godziashvili, Ekaterine Lominadze, Lana Mgebrishvili Dimitri Bartosh, Gabriel Gogua (Feb 29), Dimitri Bartosh, Saro Karichashvili (Feb 27), Giorgi Saginashvili, Irakli Shengelia, Artur Ivanov Vera Kikabidze, Tamara Tchelidze, Nino Macharashvili, Tatiana Katamadze, Nino Megrelishvili, Natia Bunturi, Gvantsa Gavashelishvili, Tea Kopaleishvili, Sophiko Phantsulaia Featuring the Orchestra of the Tbilisi Theatre of Opera and Ballet Choreography by George Balanchine ¹The George Balanchine Trust Music by Christoph Willibald Gluck Staging by Bart Cook, Maria Calegari Costume designer Natia Sirbiladze Light designer Amiran Ananeli Conductor Zaza Kalmakhelidze Programs A & B: Duo Concertant Nino Gogua, Lasha Khozashvili Piano Eric Huebner Violin Miranda Cuckson Choreography by George Balanchine ¹The George Balanchine Trust Music by Igor Stravinsky Staging by Bart Cook Lighting designer Amiran Ananeli Bizet Variations (New York Premiere) Nina Ananiashvili, Nino Ochiauri, Maya Dolidze, Vasil Akhmeteli, David Khozashvili, Irakli Bakhtadze Piano Eric Huebner Choreography by Alexei Ratmansky Music: Chromatic Variations by Georges Bizet Costume designer Mikhail Makharadze Lighting designer Amiran Ananeli State Ballet of Georgia Photo: Lado Vachnadze Sagalobeli. Programs A & B: Sagalobeli (New York Premiere) Tsisia Cholokashvili, Nino Gogua, Anna Muradeli, David Khozashvili, Vasil Akhmeteli, Lasha Khozashvili, Gvantsa Gavashelishvili, Maya Dolidze, Lana Mgebrishvili, Lili Labadze, David Ananeli, Otar Khelashvili, Artur Ivanov, Dimitri Bartosh Choreography by Yuri Possokhov Traditional Georgian Folk Music performed by the Sagalobeli Ensemble Costume designer Anna Kalatozishvili Light designer Amiran Ananeli Mar 1 & 2 (Program B): Dreams about Japan (New York Premiere) Nina Ananiashvili, Nino Ochiauri, Tsisia Cholokashvili Sergei Filin, Lasha Khozashvili, Irakli Bakhtadze, David Khozashvili Featuring percussionists from the Tbilisi Theatre of Opera and Ballet Choreography by Alexei Ratmansky Assistant Choreographer Tatiana Rastorgueva Music by L. Eto, N. Yamaguchi, A. Tosha Designer Mikheil Makharadze Lighting designer Amiran Ananeli Conductor Zaza Kalmakhelidze Creation of Dreams about Japan was made possible by generous support of the “Triumph” Foundation and General Director of the Foundation Ms. Zoia Boguslavskaya. The Balanchine ballets presented in this program are protected by copyright. Any unauthorized record- ing is prohibited without the expressed written consent of The George Balanchine Trust and the State Ballet of Georgia. The performances of Duo Concertant and Chaconne, BalanchineºBallets, are presented by arrange- ment with The George Balanchine Trust and have been produced in accordance with the Balanchine Styleºand Balanchine Techniqueº Service standards established and provided by the Trust. State Ballet of Georgia Orchestra Artistic Director/Principal Conductor Double bass Zaza Azmaiparashvili Manana Darchiashvili Mikheil Kartvelishvili Violin Alexander Khaindrava Eteri Aghniashvili Vazha Sidamonidze Nino Akhalkatsi Tamar Ebralidze Flute Ana Gogisvanidze Ketevan Shanidze Maia Ioramashvili Tea Javakhia Oboe Lela Mtchedlidze Vakhtang Kuprashvili Ina Tevdoradze Nugzar Mgebrishvili Nino Tsitaishvili Ketevan Arsenishvili Clarinet Tamar Bulia Malkhaz Khuroshvili Maka Melikidze Dimitri Bokolishvili Tinatin Samadashvili David Tabatadze Bassoon Liana Tchqoidze Levan Gotsiridze Suliko Abramishvili Viola Papuna Elizbarashvili French horn Irakli Japaridze Kakhaber Abramishvili Nino Tchelidze Emzar Burduli Zaza Toradze George Turiashvili Trumpet Irakli Maghalashvili Cello Levan Kitsmarishvili Giorgi Jorjadze Ketevan Kasradze Orchestra Inspector Lili Katamadze Shubladze Vadim Medeia Lomashvili Maia Mazanashvili Lali Politkovskaia Sopio Abutidze State Ballet of Georgia Sagalobeli For anyone who had lived in the former Soviet Union, Georgian polyphonic songs, folk dances, theater, cinema, and art are an essential part of cultural awareness. I must say, I was very surprised when Nina Ananiashvili, my friend from the time we studied together at the Bolshoi Ballet School, asked me to stage a ballet to Georgian music, and not just any Georgian music but the music of the Tbilisi urban folklore! “Is there anything new that a Russian-American dancer and choreographer can say about this music that the Georgians themselves had not already said?” I kept asking myself. But the longer I listened to the Georgian melodies, the more I succumbed to the temptation. And in the end, I said, “Yes.” From the start we dismissed the idea of staging a “folkloric” ballet. We attempted to create choreography that would express my attitude to Georgia, its people and music. I hope that I have managed to get at least a small part of my appreciation and feelings across to the audiences. —Yuri Possokhov, Choreographer Dreams about Japan Dreams about Japan, created by Alexei Ratmansky, choreographer and the artistic director of the Bolshoi Ballet, for Ms. Ananiashvili and six other stars of the Russian ballet—Tatiana Terekhova, Inna Petrova, Alexei Fadeyechev, Sergei Filin, Andrei Uvarov, and Dmitri Gudanov. The ballet premiered in 1998 in Moscow at the Bolshoi Theatre and has been performed in St. Petersburg, Paris, Vienna, Tokyo, Osaka, and other Japanese cities to great acclaim from the public and press likewise. NHK, Japanese National TV, recorded a live performance and broadcast it on several occasions. Dreams about Japan is an attempt to extend classical dance beyond present boundaries, to portray the simplicity and philosophical depth of Japanese art without trying to copy it, to enrich the art of ballet with the steps and poses from various Japanese dancing styles. The musical score of the ballet consists of six compositions by the musicians of the famous Japanese Taiko drum group, Kodo. The ballet is structured according to one of the traditional forms of Kabuki theater performance, when only the most popular dance fragments or acts from the different classical plays are presented (four out of six movements of the ballet are indeed inspired by the Kabuki plays): I. Introduction II. “Sagi Musume” (“The Heron Maiden”); young girl mourns her lost love and sad destiny. III. “Futa Omote” (“Double Possession”); abandoned wife and husband of the lovers, who defected, committed suicide; their souls reunited in one evil spirit, that of half-men and half-women, caught up with the lovers and brought them to death. IV. “Musume Dojoji” (“Maiden of the Dojoji Temple”); young monk dismisses love of a maiden; sorrow, broken heart, and pride transform her into the Fire Snake; she seeks her revenge, pursues, and kills the terrified monk. V. “Kagami Jishi” (“New Year’s Lion Dance”); the mask of a lion forces a young man to dance to exhaustion; anybody who dares to touch him, starts dancing frantically. VI. Finale Who’s Who Photo: Lado Vachnadze Bizet Variations. Bizet Variations. Nina Ananiashvili in State Ballet of Georgia Chabukiani’s retirement. Aleksidze, famous for The opera and ballet theater were founded in his works for N. Makarova and M. Baryshnikov, Georgia in 1852. For 84 years imperial ballet created more than 40 throughout his tenure of companies of St. Petersburg, Moscow, Warsaw, 30 years and brought the SBG to another level. and Kiev had been performing works of M. In 2004 Nina Ananiashvili, prima ballerina of Petipa, L. Ivanov, and A. Saint-Leon, with the Bolshoi and principal at American Ballet A. Pavlova, M. Kshesinskaya, T. Karsavina, Theatre, returned to Georgia to lead SBG. O. Preobrazhenskaya, E. Geltser, and M. The company has premiered 21 ballets since Mordkin in principal roles. M. Fokine always Ananiashvili’s