On 13 November, the Latvian National Ballet premiered its new production Concert (or, The Perils of Everybody). Cacti, which invites audiences to experience both a 20th-century ballet classic and a brilliant contemporary choreography masterpiece in a single evening. American choreographer Jerome Robbins’ ballet Concert (or, The Perils of Everybody) (1956) is a comic parody about classical music listeners. Swedish choreographer Alexander Ekman’s contemporary ballet Cacti is dedicated to art criticism and to each viewer’s right to interpret and experience art in any way they wish.
“We are honoured and challenged to offer our audiences two outstanding ballets in one evening, works performed by the best companies around the world. Alexander Ekman is currently one of the most sought-after choreographers worldwide. His ballet Cacti has already been staged by more than twenty-five companies and seen by over half a million spectators. Jerome Robbins is a ballet legend of the past century, and his foundation is very careful about who is entrusted with staging Concert (or, The Perils of Everybody). Shortly before us, it was performed in Tokyo, by the Royal Swedish Ballet, and the Paris Opera Ballet,”
says Aivars Leimanis, Artistic Director of the Latvian National Ballet.
The outstanding American choreographer Jerome Robbins (1918–1998) created Concert (or, The Perils of Everybody) as a comic parody of classical music audiences. The performance unfolds at a piano concert of Frédéric Chopin’s music, which draws its listeners deep into the realms of thought and imagination. Imaginary figures come to life, revealing the weaknesses and vast fantasies of people. Created in 1956, Concert (or, The Perils of Everybody) is a crowd-pleasing work that allows us, with a smile, to view our own delightful flaws and quirks.
Jerome Robbins wrote about this ballet:
“One of the pleasures of attending a concert is the opportunity to fully immerse oneself in listening to the music. In our imagination, images and scenes begin to form unconsciously, shaped by what we hear, the program notes, as well as the listener’s personal dreams, problems, and fantasies. Chopin’s music especially carries invented, ‘pre-programmed’ titles such as Butterfly Étude, Minute Waltz, Raindrop Prelude, and others.”
At the Latvian National Ballet, the work has been staged by répétiteur Kipling Houston, who was a dancer for Jerome Robbins for more than twenty years. The main roles in this production are performed by Jolanta Lubēja, Elza Leimane, Jūlija Brauere, Sabīne Strokša, Amirs Dodarhodžajevs, Dariuss Florians Katana, and others. A significant role in this ballet is also played by pianists Natālija Dirvuka or Edgars Tomševics.
Swedish world-renowned choreographer Alexander Ekman (1984) premiered his contemporary ballet Cacti at Nederlands Dans Theater II in 2010.
“Why a cactus? It has many poetic meanings. It can survive in deserts, live for hundreds of years, and bloom when least expected. It is beautiful, a little funny, impossible to hug, yet impossible to ignore. To me, the cactus resembles people: we protect ourselves with little ‘spines’, but inside we are gentle, fragile, and yes, often quite funny. This work also pokes fun at the art world—how critics and viewers try to decide what is ‘good’ or ‘bad’, ‘right’ or ‘wrong’. Cacti invites us to laugh at this, and perhaps to laugh at ourselves,”
says choreographer Alexander Ekman.
In Riga, Cacti has been staged by the choreographer’s assistant Joseph Kudra and is performed by Nikola Anna Bloma, Keita Marija Bloma, Roberts Naje, Aiden Williams Conneffrey, and others. The performance features string quartet music by Franz Joseph Haydn, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Franz Schubert.
The production’s music director and conductor is Farhad Stade.
This season, the production can also be seen on 14 and 26 November, 4 December, 14 January, 19 and 26 February.
Tickets are available at the LNOB box office and online:
https://www.opera.lv/lv/izrade/koncerts-jeb-briesmas-ikvienam.-kaktusi/
VIDEO: stagers on the production of ballets "The Concert (or, the Perils of Everybody)" and "Cacti".
Photo: Agnese Zeltiņa