Three states of infatuation

Three National Opera of Ukraine soloists won prizes at the 3rd Istanbul International Ballet Competition. Kateryna Khaniukova and Andrii Pysariev were awarded first prizes and Yelizaveta Cheprasova clinched “bronze.” The jury with the prominent choreographer Yury Grigorovich (Russia) at the head conferred the Grand Prix on the US dancer Brooklyn Mack. Here follows what the ballerina Kateryna Khaniukova told The Day about the way the competition went.

“WILL YOU RIDE UP THE CREST?”

“I am a reckless person and I wanted to win, otherwise there’s no use taking part in contests,” Kateryna KHANIUKOVA confessed. “Contests mean new acquaintances, ties (not necessarily of a business nature), various schools, and master classes. It is a concentrated ‘blend’ of if not the best ballet then at least one that is striving for the ideal. You are sucked into a powerful flow, where it only depends on your skills, abilities, and purposefulness whether you will ride up the crest or just absorb this power to meet your future aspirations.”

What does preparing for a competition mean? You are an experienced “fighter” in choreographic competitions. Besides, your strong “trump card” is that you actively participate in the theater’s repertoire as soloist of this country’s main ballet troupe. Do you have to make an all-out daily effort to keep yourself in good shape?

“This goes without saying. But a contest requires a special mood. A classical number which you have learned to do almost automatically is one thing, but doing a special number, in contemporary choreography to boot, is a totally different thing. Preparing for the Istanbul competition, I asked my choreographer friend Olha Ivanova to put on a contemporary-style miniature production. Although young and little known, Olha is very talented and perfectly knows contemporary dance techniques. She first doubted whether she would be able to stage a dance worthy of being shown at an international contest. But she produced such a dynamic and virtuosic number that this time I doubted if I could perform it because contemporary choreography demands that you readjust completely the work of your muscles. And when you overcome the initial resistance, you can see over and over again that the potential of a human body is virtually inexhaustible. Titled ‘Something More,’ the number practically has no plot, but it creates an image. My partner in the contest is our superb ballet dancer Serhii Sydorsky – maybe, had it not been for him, we wouldn’t have produced what audiences and jurors liked so much. I am grateful to Serhii for his reliability, friendship, humaneness, care, the experience that he willingly shares, and the confidence that you feel with this partner on the stage. Along with my mentor Alla Lahoda, who made me sweat my guts out before the competition and show all that I could, Sydorsky also helped me very much. With a partner like this, you don’t have to worry about lifts and arabesques because you are just in sure hands – all you have to do is not to bungle. Serhii was with me until the victory but, unfortunately, could not take part in the gala concert. Right after the third round, he flew to Japan, where our ballet troupe is on a tour.”

How did you come to know about the Istanbul International Ballet Competition?

“I came to know about it last year in Seoul. After a performance, Andrii Pysariev and I were approached by a lady who invited us to come the next year to Istanbul for a competition. As we learned later, it is held once in two years by the General Directorate for State Opera and Ballet Theaters of Turkey. The point is that it is participated by the dancers who have been cleared by a commission on the basis of the submitted video recordings which show a classical number and several variations – it is in fact the first round. In other words, real contestants come for the second round which is recorded to be broadcast on TV. The atmosphere in Istanbul is very friendly. The third round and the gala were shown live on Turkey’s national television. The contestants could watch the performance of their rivals on a special screen behind the scenes. What makes any competition valuable is the fact that you can not only show yourself to advantage, but also see the performance of your colleagues from other countries.”

VICTORY AND FOUR MINIATURES ON LOVE

How many countries were represented at the competition?

“About 30 contestants from more than 10 countries were selected for the second round. Only five male dancers and four ballerinas qualified for the final round. Among the awards were only the Grand Prix and three indivisible prizes – there were no diplomas, special or incentive prizes. There was quite a tough system of evaluation. Sydorsky and I chose, as compulsory program, a pas de deux from Don Quixote and a contemporary number staged by the fantastic Kyiv choreographer Radu Poclitaru. I danced this number with Pysariev in Seoul last year, so we knew the degree of its impact on audiences. Titled ‘A Small Story,’ the number in fact comprises as many as four stories that tell us about various conditions, stages, or even variants – it is for the spectator to choose – of being in love. It is a wonderful miniature, as are any of Poclitaru’s choreographic stories that are full of dramatics and have a concentrated plot and absolute completeness. You know, I am astonished with how Poclitaru manages to say in a few minutes what would take others a solid theatrical production. I am grateful to the competition for an opportunity to perform his choreography, for, in our daily routine, Sydorsky and I can extremely rarely dance something of the kind. I am proud that we managed to win with this very number!”

It is gratifying that you and your Kyiv stage colleagues – Andrii Pysariev and Yelizaveta Cheprasova – brought Ukraine fame in Istanbul. What program did they present?

“Liza Cheprasova, a very good Petersburg-school ballerina, and Andrii Pysariev danced in the second round a pas de deux from Boris Asafyev’s ballet The Flames of Paris and a contemporary dance staged by a Minsk choreographer. They danced a pas de deux from Don Quixote in the third round. This number is in fact a piece of absolute classics, something of a standard at any contest – this is why it is usually left for the final stage. It is naturally a great joy to bring home three prizes from an international competition. It is a true victory, although the Grand Prix slipped out of our hands and was awarded to Brooklyn Mack, representative of the American ballet school. He is a very brilliant, highly-skilled, and charismatic dancer whom I had the pleasure to meet and even dance with in the gala concert. As Sydorsky had left before me, I had to dance only my variation at the final concert, but Mack suggested dancing a pas de deux from Le Corsaire with him. So, just after one (!) rehearsal, which is quite a risky venture, we came out on the stage. The impression was that I had always been dancing with Brooklyn Mack! Incidentally, the well-known ballet dancer Vladimir Malakhov, who not only officiated at the contest, but also danced in the final concert, was struck with the spontaneity of our decision and the harmony of our performance.”

Can we say that Turkey is a new ballet country? What choreographic schools dominated at the contest?

“At least three theaters are under jurisdiction of the Directorate of Opera and Ballet Theaters, which in fact organized the Istanbul competition. Judging by the instructors who worked at the contest, there are two schools – of Baku and of Russia. Mingling with the participants, I understood that many Turks go on to study and work in Germany, the US, and Switzerland. This means there is an active formation process underway on a good tried-out basis.”

As a competition means a full concentration of physical and mental forces, the body definitely needs some relaxation afterwards. But Sydorsky and Pysariev with Cheprasova immediately set off to another part of the world – they went on a tour of Japan. And you, did you have a good vacation?

“In theory, we do need recreation. But the adrenaline that spurts out during a competition does not adversely affect efficiency, especially if you know that there will be no chance to relax. I immediately flew from Turkey to Argentina, where I danced in Don Quixote with Viktor Ishchuk as part of our theater’s tour. Besides, it is now winter there, so I, with my summer clothes, experienced a true shock: the outdoor temperature was +5 (I stood out against others at the airport, wearing a short summer dress after the 40oC heat in Istanbul), and my suitcase was full of unnecessary things. So I had to buy some warm clothes. Incidentally, I marked my birthday during this trip – I laughed because I had never celebrated one under such a chilly temperature. Now that I am back home I can have some rest and gather strength for a new theatrical season.”