Peter Breuer's "Best of Gala": St. Pölten, January 28th, 2022
The rare and priceless gift of continuity is not only essential but also more than fundamental in creating one's own language, one's own dance vocabulary.
This invaluable Gala called “Best of Peter Breuer” – which allowed us to study his work more closely - led us through his „road"; beginning with his first Choreography „Der Gottgebliebte" (Amadeus) from the very beginning of his choreographical career up to now.
What a wonderful way to celebrate Creativity and Professionalism.
Many so-called European Choreographers (and those who wish to include themselves in this quite short list) could only hope to have created that much representation of such an artifact.
Peter Breuer, whose choreographic adventures date back to 1985, has been continuously working, creating, and developing a uniquely own, unmistakable, and distinctive style. And this exact continuity, which never contradicts itself but keeps adding layers and layers of new elements to his ballet/dance glossary, contributed to the fascination of this evening which was called „Best of Peter Breuer" - a title which does not especially appeal to me. The richness and amplitude of his work cannot be somehow labeled this way and, to quote Al Jolson, reminds me of the line „You ain't heard (seen) nothing yet".
I do believe that.
Copyright: Wolfgang Mayer /Europa Ballett
Such creativity… not only in the movement department but also in his musical choices and – once more amazing – dramaturgically! This legacy is not so “obvious” anymore, as many „creators" rely on the work of dramaturges who in many cases do not have a dance background and cannot make the transition from the spoken word to movements, forgetting completely that DANCE is itself an own language and cannot be compared to other forms of expression (or use the same tools while staging a piece). In Mr Breuer’s case, the whole conception goes back to the same spring, like the spring of a river whose waters flow constantly.
But I am going ahead with my story, and to make this long story short (and clear up this issue), I recommend wholeheartedly to every “Balletomane” a particularly good (and quite philosophical) book: „Danser sa vie" by Roger Garaudy.
“Tchaikovsky” (Florient Cador/Fabrizio Mastrangelo)
Copyright: Wolfgang Mayer /Europa Ballett
Mr Breuer's „plots" or I'd rather say „His story-telling" (because, as I always say, there's nothing I love more than a good story when it is well told) touch our souls. They are reachable, tangible, and nearly palpable. They do not make us sit through a performance wondering what the Choreographer is „trying" to say in a way that is so „pseudo-intellectual" that only he or she can make it out. To be quite honest: Such evenings, wrapped in this transparent and fragile cellophane of „intellectualism" are becoming more and more boring as they make us see that this kind of work is everything else but fastidious... This makes me admire Mr Breuer’s “call” even more.
“Le Sacre du Printemps” (Nichika Shibata)
Copyright: Wolfgang Mayer /Europa Ballett
Last Friday we have had the privilege of witnessing many chapters of a brilliant career. A Gala with a very good and logical selection of Mr Breuer's path – have you ever stopped and thought about the meaning of this word? A path is not only a route or track between one place and another but also „The direction in which something is moving". Moving, yes. Think of that.
“Amadeus” (Claudia Sachetti / Valentin Domsa)
Copyright: Wolfgang Mayer /Europa Ballett
From Prokofieff to Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, from Tchaikovsky to The Beatles, from Pink Floyd to Ravel and Strawinsky... That was the fascinating spectrum that was given to us.
Very daring lifts, extreme dynamic, challenging jumps, great Stamina but also delicacy of movement, precious care of details in little, „simple" gestures (which require as much technique as a Grand jeté or a tour en l'air); all this was given to us by these 20 Dancers, all of them, obviously hard workers, in great shape.
Great performances by, obviously an audience's darling, Florient Cador, a very versatile and charismatic dancer, by the exquisite Aoibh Ni Rian Broin (with her beautiful physique and especially long arms used to her best advantage), by the incredibly talented Nichika Shibata (a wonderfully well cast „The chosen" in „Sacre"), the very dynamic, strong (great jumps!) Ema Amaral and elegant Claudia Sacchetti just to name a few.
Ii is important to underline the fact that every single personality that has stepped upon the stage of „Theater des Balletts" last Friday, is a very talented professional. It is not easy to dance a „Gala" with such a small company. The dancers are continuously on stage and that requires not only concentration while changing quickly from role to role but also incredible Stamina and Strength.
Bravo!
“Anybody out there” (Ema Amaral/ Florient Cador)
Copyright: Wolfgang Mayer /Europa Ballett
A reminder to the Nieder-Österreich's government: such a company can only be a „renomée", a great „visit card" to the City of St. Pölten who would/could attract many a visitor to this City (who would after the performances also visit restaurants, etc. and would therewith, activate the economy), which has a beautiful, well equipped Festival Hall (Festspielhaus St. Pölten) with one of the best „dance stages" in whole Austria and that is at the moment, as far as I know, closed. The very professional Europa Ballet is something to invest in and would deserve a bigger, more professional stage – It may not be obvious to everyone but I could see that dancers could not move forward while doing grand-Jetés – instead they have to go up (at the danger of hitting the spotlights – because of the small size of the Stage.
It cannot be that a company, which achieves great success while on tour – even to Cuba, a „Ballet country" - does not have a proper and more dignified stage to perform. This company needs to be supported.
I'll leave you with that today.
Copyright: Wolfgang Mayer /Europa Ballett
