A Message About Dance from Boris Eifman

By Boris Eifman

The language of the body is one of the most ancient. It fixed the memory of sensual life of our ancestors’ many generations, and it makes dance a unique way to express the emotional world of human. Not only any feelings, movements of human nature can be displayed, but also the most complex intellectual and philosophical ideas. So dance is the very delicate tool that turns the artist’s hands into magic means to cognize the secrets of being.

During many decades I have been engaged in the development of human body’s expressiveness, using it for investigation of the individual’s inner and mental world. One of the most important creative tasks for me is to restore the lines that always united the ballet and psychological theatre, but were lost in XX century, in the era of choreographic abstraction. Psychologism must be inherent not only in drama, but also dance. Keeping this fundamental approach I create major ballet performances that are distinguished by acute intensity of emotions, serious dramatic basis and deep philosophical content. And coming to our ballets, the spectator finds the most important thing – catharsis, powerful emotional shock that cleanses the soul. A true magic of art is concealed in a similar impact.

Dance is a universal language of spiritual communication, rejecting cultural, national or any other barriers. Reflecting on the eternal themes of freedom, love, human passions, we play our performances with equal success in America, Asia, Europe, and Australia and constantly evoke in hearts of the audience the most vivid emotional response. I am delighted that owing to the support of Ardani Artists Management and direction of the Auditorium Theatre ofRoosevelt University of Chicago our theatre has an opportunity to perform its art on this excellent modern stage for interested and appreciative audience in America, every meeting with which becomes truly memorable for us.

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The Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg

Rodin

Venue: Landmark Stage
Dates: Friday, May 17 - Sunday, May 19, 2013
Times: Friday at 7:30 pm, Saturday at 8:00 pm, Sunday at 3:00 pm
Price: $90-$30

Visionary choreographer Boris Eifman’s full-length ballets combine dramatic stagecraft, exquisite technique and powerful dramatic interpretation. His newest ballet, Rodin, is based on the life of French sculptor Auguste Rodin (1840–1917) and his turbulent relationship with his mistress and muse, Camille Claudel. Set to music by Saint-Saëns, Massenet and Ravel, Rodin is a tale of artistic inspiration and the terrible price of genius.

Oleg Gabyshev, Principal Dancer of the Eifman Ballet, received the Golden Mask Russian National Theater Award for the title role in "Rodin."

Box Office: 50 E. Congress Pkwy. | Phone: 800.982.ARTS (2787) | Groups of 10+ 312.341.2357

Simplicity and Complexity in the Musée Rodin

In April, I took a special trip to Paris, France with my aunt. With the Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg's performance of the ballet, Rodin, just a few weeks away at the Auditorium Theatre, I couldn't miss the opportunity to visit the Musée Rodin to gain unique perspective on Boris Eifman's newest work.

Located in the former Hôtel Biron, Musée Rodin houses the largest collection of his works as well as a garden. With their strict precision and bright colors, French gardens are beautiful and impressive in spring. Musée Rodin's is different. The foliage and blooms are more subdued highlighting the bronze monuments of the revered sculptor's most famous works with glimpses of the Eiffel Tour in the background.

The Thinking Man with
The Eiffel Tour in the background

Known for creating works that explore the human body and emotions like love and loss, Boris Eifman could not have selected a better visual artist on which to create a ballet. Similar to dance, I was struck by how simple Rodin's sculptures were at first glance, and then appreciated the complexity of the work as I processed details like facial expressions, body positions, muscle tones and emotions that are captured. 

The Three Shades - simple shape yet complicated details

I'm excited to watch the Eifman Ballet bring Auguste Rodin, his sculptures and his relationship with his mistress and muse, Camille Claudel to life in a couple weeks. Here are a few more photos from the museum's gardens, and learn more about them here.

The Gates of Hell - a simple door from a far
can become so much more

Ugolino and His Children

View of Musée Rodin from the north side of the garden

The detail of the bronze monuments were captivating.
Look at the detail in this opened boot.

Me and my aunt in front of The Thinking Man.

Photo Friday: Behind the Scenes with the Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg

Check out these neat behind-the-scenes photos from rehearsal before the Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg's performance of Don Quixote, or Fantasies of a Madman last month at our theatre. Photos by Gina Ardani.

 See more photos
on our Flickr page.

Our Live Tweets From The Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg Fireside Chat and Performance

In case you missed it, our own Meaghan Madges was tweeting live from our pre-show Fireside Chat with Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg founder, Boris Eifman and Dance Critic Lucia Mauro. Here's the timeline of the chat and her tweets about the performance.

A Russian Ballet Enthusiast's Thoughts on Boris Eifman [guest post]

Chicago audiences are very lucky to be able to see the work of visionary Russian choreographer Boris Eifman when he brings his ballet to perform Don Quixote, or Fantasies of a Madman at the Auditorium Theatre on April 21 and 23.

Often, Russian dance companies are known for their virtuosic productions of classical pieces, such as Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty. Mr. Eifman’s company, however, gives Americans a different taste of Russian ballet ― he puts a contemporary spin on well-known stories, giving his ballets a fresh, modern appeal.

Boris Eifman

Mr. Eifman pushes boundaries by using minimalist sets that perfectly compliment the choreography to communicate just what he’s trying to say. The works are avante garde, but they are also elegant and sophisticated, which keeps them accessible to a wide audience.
Just because Eifman’s ballets are modern doesn’t mean they’re not masterfully performed. All of the dancers in his company are stunningly beautiful and have impeccable technique, making this company a joy to watch.

It is also personally gratifying to me to have Mr. Eifman visit the United States because he is from my hometown of St. Petersburg. Although I never had the opportunity to see his company perform when I was a child growing up there, I have seen the Eifman Ballet several times when I have made trips back home, and their works are always moving and memorable.

Two years ago, the last time the Eifman Ballet performed at the Auditorium Theatre, I had the pleasure of hosting a pre-performance reception for Mr. Eifman at the Russian Pointe Dance Boutique. As he laughed and chatted with the guests, I was so impressed by his humility, grace, and sense of calm. Although he is famous and well-respected in Russia and throughout the world, he was down to earth, and it was evident he derives great joy from ballet and from sharing the arts with others.

I hope you all will join me in seeing more of this brilliant choreographer’s work this year!

Aleksandra Efimova was born in St. Petersburg, Russia and moved to the United States in 1993. As president and owner of Russian Pointe Dance Boutique, Ms. Efimova has been a prominent and vocal supporter of Chicago's growing dance community. In addition to her interest in the arts, Ms. Efimova is a member of the Greater North Michigan Avenue Association, the American-Russian Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and is an alumna of the Harvard Business School.

Three Reasons Why Theatre Lovers Should See Eifman

Nicole Losurdo is the Auditorium Theatre's Senior Director of Education and holds a Masters Degree in Educational Theatre  from New York University.

 

Three Reasons Theatre Lovers Should See The Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg’s production of Don Quixote, or Fantasies of a Madman, this week at the Auditorium Theatre:

1. Thoughtful use of dramatic conventions. Eifman wows the theatregoer with his expert use of the stage and theatrical conventions. He fearlessly creates a space for the ballet to unfold in a way that mirrors a traditional theatre director. He considers and plays with light and shadow to create very specific spaces and places much more intimate than most story ballets: small, hot, vast, drafty, and eerie. His use of levels draws the eye across the stage, up and back again, forcing the viewer’s to dance across the stage in a seamless sweep with and against the choreography. Visually stunning, his costume choices are interesting and used to enhance the development of character and story. When considering the range of movement dance costumes need to be designed to accommodate, like scissor sharp jumps and high leg extensions, one sits in amazement watching the Eifman dancer work their costume as an extension of the character’s body. Boris Eifman’s work has a dramatic and emotional charge, and it is fueled by his theatrical sensibility. It is exciting ballet. Which brings me to number 2...
2. Boris Eifman is a master of storytelling. Unlike a more traditional story ballet filled with expositional gesture, Eifman delicately and expertly reveals dramatic and emotional moments through dramaturgic movement. Eifman does not wish to merely tell a story through movement, but he wishes to share a story by examining the mystery of the human soul, bringing the audience to a “philosophical contemplation of life” through movement. He has something to say in his ballets, social parallels to draw, important ideas to express. Eifman’s curiosity permeates through his ballets in a way that forces his audience to do the same, to wonder and grapple with larger questions and issues relevant in the here and now – not just in the moment of the ballet or in the Fantasies of a Madman. 
3. The Eifman Ballet is just cool. Don Quixote, or Fantasies of a Madman takes place in an insane asylum, not your typical backdrop for a story ballet. But, I would also argue that the Eifman Ballet is not your typical ballet company. Sure, they can plié, arabesque, and grand jeté with the best of them; the company’s technical ability is even evident to non-dance enthusiast’s sensibility, but Eifman’s dancers also radiate a realness of emotion and expression – almost as genuinely as a method actor. You are pulled into their performance and intrigued by what you see at every moment. 

Student Rush: $15 Tickets for The Eifman Ballet

Founder and Artistic Director, Boris Eifman, is one of the only choreographers in the world who is still creating new story ballets.

The ballet is a reinterpretation of the classic Don Quixote. This version is set in an asylum where a man who thinks he's Don Q inspires his fellow inmates with his daydreams of the beauties of Spain. Watch video of the Eifman Ballet.

If you love a good story ballet with a twist, The Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg's Don Quixote, or Fantasies of a Madman is the ballet to see this spring.

The Company performs here on Thursday, April 21 at 7:30pm and on Saturday, April 23 at 2:00pm and 8:00pm.

You can get $15 Student Rush tickets one hour before show time at the Auditorium Box Office (located at 50 E. Congress Pkwy). Remember to bring your valid college ID; there's also a limit of two tickets per ID. Student Rush tickets and locations are subject to availability and cannot be reserved in advance.

Sign up for e-mail Student Rush Alerts and be among the first to know when Student Rush becomes available.

* Student Rush tickets are sold at the discretion of the presenter. Policies differ from show to show.

Rave Reviews for the Eifman Ballet!

Like our staff, the press loved the Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg's Onegin!

In the Sun-Times, Hedy Weiss wrote, "Perhaps the best way to think about choreographer Boris Eifman is to dub him "the Jerome Robbins of Russian ballet," for he is a master of theater as much as a maker of dances -- a man with a seamless feel for the way gesture, music and stage design can coalesce in the art of storytelling and character development. And now -- after watching the Thursday night Chicago debut of his "Onegin" at the Auditorium Theatre, and thinking back on the five previous visits by his company, the Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg -- that essential resemblance has only been magnified."

Sid Smith said in the Tribune, "But you never wait long for Eifman to come up with something startling. A kind of weight bench throughout provides for some striking moments, and in the spectral scene, Onegin is held aloft, prone, by the dancers, until Lensky stands briefly on top of him before collapsing backward -- quite the acrobatic tour de force."

Now onto the final show of the 2008-2009 International Dance Series - Nederlands Dans Theater I is making a rare Chicago appearance next month!

Auditorium Staff Reviews of Eifman Ballet's "Onegin"

Here's what some of our staff members have to say about last night's performance by the Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg:

Kathy Bliss, Executive Assistant: The genius of Eifman evokes the full emotion of the classic story ballet through a uniquely contemporary vision. Superb theatricality; drama -dance or dance-drama. Bold visuals and strong character development. A minimum set creates a maximum setting and the lighting is indeed a "character" in its sheer perfection. The corps is a voice that resonates throughout.

Nicole Losurdo, Director of Education: It was absolutely unbelievable – sign me up for the Eifman fan club. Every theatre person needs to see this kind of work – it speaks volumes on levels, spatial relationship, balance and counter balance, and human emotion. I was very inspired and the music was also really exciting. It is very emotional work and the dancers are expressive in ways I have never seen dancers communicate. It was visual eye candy and the lighting is absolute genius. It can tend to feel a little self serving and self involved, but strangely – it works.

Amanda Martinez, Development Associate: Eifman’s Onegin is a highly entertaining performance filled with exciting visuals, heart pumping music and the perfect blend of modern and classic ballet… I highly recommend it!

Tickets are still available for tonight at 7:30pm, tomorrow at 8pm and Sunday at 2pm.

Phone: 800.982.2787 (ARTS)

Online: www.ticketmaster.com/auditorium

In person: box office at 50 E. Congress Parkway

Eifman's ONEGIN opens tonight!

Lucia Mauro previewed the Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg's Auditorium engagement yesterday on WBEZ's 848. Listen here.

Eifman Ballet Preview Articles

Read what Chicago's dance writers have to say about next week's Eifman Ballet engagement.

Sid Smith at the Tribune: Visits by Eifman and his Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg to the Auditorium Theatre over the years have proved to be thought-provoking and edgy, with audience reaction varying from delight to scorn. Whatever else, Eifman is never staid, cautious or predictable.

Hedy Weiss at the Sun-Times: One thing you can bet on: A large percentage of those who will flock to see Eifman's wildly dramatic, expressionistic mode of dance storytelling are part of the Chicago area's "Russian audience" -- drawn from that population of close to a half million immigrants (and their children) whose love of the arts began during their Soviet Union days and continues to thrive here.

Eifman Ballet Review

From the San Francisco Chronicle:

"Once you let your preconceptions go and decide not to worry about details of the story line, you can sit back and simply enjoy the stream of bizarre dream episodes, the high-flying acrobatic pas de deux and the seductively mesmerizing rock concert panache."

Click here for the full review.

Meet Boris Eifman: Pre-Show Reception at Russian Pointe

Visionary choreographer Boris Eifman will be among the guests at a pre-show reception at Russian Pointe Dance Boutique on Saturday, May 16 at 5:30pm. The reception will include hors d'oeuvres, wine and trolley transportation to the Auditorium Theatre for the 8pm performance of Eifman's new ballet, Onegin.

The cost of the reception is $50 (does not include performance ticket). Call 312.922.2110 ext 300 for reservations.

Video - Eifman Ballet "Onegin"

(This video was posted in YouTube by the Orange County Performing Arts Center. Please remember the Auditorium's dates are May 14-17.)

Boris Eifman On His Latest Work, "Onegin"

Visionary choreographer Boris Eifman will be bringing the Chicago premiere of his latest work, Onegin, to the Auditorium May 14-17. Inspired by Pushkin's novel Eugene Onegin, this is a story of love, rejection and regret.

"In turning to great literature to inspire my ballets, I try to use the art of choreography to express the emotional agitation that comes from communing with the wisdom and creative power of our genius predecessors. The word is an instrument of both creation and destruction; it can generate and it can annihilate.

The language of the body, as the most ancient form of self-expression, bears universally understood emotional and spiritual values. By turning to the literary original source, I make it my goal to reveal what is of concern to my contemporaries and what can be expressed only through the great art of choreography.

Why did I choose Alexander Pushkin’s novel Eugene Onegin, what is in it that affects me today? The novel has been called “an encyclopedia of Russian life,” in which Pushkin saw and created an amazingly accurate archetype of the Russian character of his time, fashioning a poetic image of the Russian soul, mysterious, unpredictable, and incredibly sensual.

I use my art to understand the secrets of the Russian soul. Basing a ballet on Eugene Onegin is one more attempt to express innermost spirituality through dance.

I transported Pushkin’s characters to our times, placing them in new circumstances, more dramatic, even extreme, when the old world is collapsing and life dictates new rules. I needed that experiment in order to answer the question that troubles me: what is the Russian soul today? Has it preserved its uniqueness, its mystery, its attraction? What would the novel’s characters do with their lives today? What in the novel was just a reflection of the times and what was a sign of the destiny of many generations of my fellow countrymen?

The art of choreography is unable to respond to the real questions of building a society. But by participating in the creative formulation of those questions, analysis, and individual evaluation, we participate in the process of society’s perfection." - Boris Eifman

Season Announcements

In addition to all the excitement around last week's Ailey shows, we also announced next year's subscription season last week! You can click here to read about it on our website.

Sid Smith of the Tribune calls it "a tantalizing dance series", and Hedy Weiss of the Sun-Times says, "The adventurous lineup ...suggests [the Auditorium] is feeling confident enough in its audience now to go the extra mile and present two of the most galvanic (if less instantly recognizable) companies now at work on the global scene."

The schedule includes:

• The Kirov Ballet & Orchestra - Giselle: October 2-5
  
• Margaret Garner: November 1-9
  
• Too Hot to Handel: The Jazz-Gospel Messiah: December 12 & 14
  
• Batsheva Dance Company: February 7 & 8
  
• Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: April 1-5
  
• Eifman Ballet - Eugene Onegin: May 14-17
  
• Nederlands Dans Theater I: June 17-21

Photo: Diana Vishneva as Giselle.