Lucerne, Switzerland

Malasombra

music:  La Lupe
choreography, costume design: Cayetano Soto
assistant to choreographer: Mikiko Arai
photos: Gregory Batardon

duration: 23’
premiere: 2015, Luzerne Theater

Malasaombra (Bad Shadow) is an homage to the Cuban singer Guadalupe Victoria Yolí Raymond (1939–1992), better known as La Lupe, the Queen of Latin Soul: an eccentric, provocative and electrifying personality whose fans included Ernest Hemingway, Jean Paul Sartre and Marlon Brando. After fleeing Castro’s regime, La Lupe was able to continue her success in the USA until her record contract was cancelled. She died at the age of 52, impoverished and alone in New York. Malasombra is not only about La Lupe’s life but also the destructive power of negative feelings.

Born in Spain in 1975, Cayetano Soto started his dance education at the Theater Institute in Barcelona and continued his studies at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. After receiving his degree in classical dance, Soto signed his first professional contract with IT.Dansa in Barcelona, before joining Ballet Munich in 1998, under Philip Taylor’s artistic direction. For Ballet Munich he has created several successful choreographic works. In September 2005, he became a freelance choreographer. Since then, he was creating and working with many important companies, such as Ballet Stuttgart, Royal Ballet of Flanders, Balé da Cidade de Sao Paulo, Ballet Jazz Montreal, Introdans, Gauthier Dance Company, National Dance Company of Portugal, Perm Ballet, National Theater in Brno, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, Tanz Luzerner Theater and Northwest Dance Project in Portland. Soto has created several works for German companies including State Theater in Braunschweig, Augsburg Ballet, Ballet Dortmund and State Theater Schwerin, among others. In 2006, he took the first prize for his work “24FPS” at the choreographic competition of the Royal Ballet of Flanders. His later work, “Canela Fina” commissioned by Bale da Cidade de Sao Paulo was awarded by the most important newspaper in Brasil, Folha de Sao Paulo, as well as by audience and critics as best dance production in 2008. In 2011, he was nominated for the Golden Mask Award in Russia, for his piece “Uneven”. In 2015, Cayetano Soto was working as choreographer in residence of the Ballet BC Vancouver.

Shades

music:  Julien Tarride
choreography, stage design: Andonis Foniadakis
costume: Tassos Sofroniou
lighting design: Mariella von Vequel-Westernach
rehearsal assistant: Zoran Marković
photos: Gregory Batardon

duration: 27’
premiere: 2015, Luzerne Theater

A journey through the night, story about the power of dance itself. Passion and self-surrender, but also anonymity and vulnerability are combined in “Shades”.

Andonis Foniadakis grew up in the small city of Ierapetra in island Crete, in Greece. He began his dance training with Niki Papadaki  at the local dance school of his city. In 1990-92 he continues studying at the State Dance School in Athens and before his graduation he receives  the prestigious Maria Kallas scholarship to continue his studies in Bejart’s school in Lausanne. As a dancer he was engaged in Bejart Ballet, Lyon Opera Ballet, Saburo Teshigawara/Karas Co., and his own dance Co. Apotosoma. During the years  of his professional engagement with the above companies he has performed choreographic works of: Maguy Marin, Jiri Kilian, William Forsythe, Nacho Duato, Mats Ek, Maurice Bejart, Ohad Naharin, Frederic Flamand, Bill T Jones, Tero Saarinen, Saburo Teshigawara, among the rest. He creates his own dance company Apotosoma based in Lyon France in 2003, after he has created several works for Bejart Ballet and Lyon Opera Ballet. Fonidakis has presented his productions for Apotosoma in Maison de la Danse and Biennale in Lyon, Joyce Theatre in New York, The Place London, Dance Festival of Kalamata and Athens Festival. As a freelance choreographer he has collaborated with Geneva Ballet, Lyon Opera Ballet, National Dance Company of Wales, Cia Sociedade Masculina, Helsinki Dance Company, National Ballet of Greece, National Theater of Northen Greece, Benjamin Millepied Dance Company, Washington Ballet, Bejart Ballet, Ballet Junior Geneva, Hellenic Dance Company, Ballet of Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, Dansgroep Amsterdam, Bale da Cidade of Sao Paulo ... He has received Danza e Danza Award for the “Best Chorographer 2012” in Italy, for his creation "Les Noces" for Maggio Danza.  Since 2003, Foniadakis dance company Apotosoma based in Lyon, continues to present his work in France, Greece, Italy, Finland, Luxembourg, UK, USA… The world premiere of his work “Wisteria Maiden” took place at the 11th Belgrade Dance Festival.

Since the season 2009/10 the American Kathleen McNurney is leading the dance company of Theater in Luzern. As the artistic director of the company, she is offering a platform for young talents as well as established choreographers to create for this ensemble. The rich variety of repertoire exposes a wide range of contemporary dance styles, highlighting the surprising artistic talents. Tanz Luzerne is a company of 10 young and dynamic dancers from 9 different countries, all trained in classical ballet and contemporary dance. They like the challenge of always getting in touch with new dance styles, new influences and choreographers. Tanz Luzern collaborates with young talents as well as award-winning choreographers, such as Stijn Celis, Georg Reischl, Cayetano Soto, Maurice Causey, Patrick Delcroix and Ken Ossola. Most of the dance productions that the company performs are world premiers. With the highest standards and quality, the company is getting recognized inside and outside the country.

A gripping dance program with an excellent dance ensemble, a great celebration of the artistry and passion of dance… The audience was thrilled.
© Neue Luzerner Zeitung

Unbelievable, with what accomplishment the dancers adopted the styles of such fundamentally different choreographers such as Soto and Foniadakis.
© Neue Zürcher Zeitung

performers: Chiara Dal Borgo, Rachel P. Fallon, Rachel Lawrence, Salome Martins, Aurélie Robichon; Davidson Farias, Shota Inoue, Anton Rosenberg, Richèl Wieles, Eduardo Zúñiga

The Great Gatsby of Hristo Bojcev

A distinguished playwright, Hristo Bojcev, has turned “The Great Gatsby”, one of the most significant works of the American literature by S.F. Fitzgerald, into theatrical form.  The novel has proved its undoubted film suppleness through the same named films of Sydney Pollac (with Robert Redford in the main role) and Baz Luhrmann (with Leonardo DiCaprio as Gatsby).  Hristo Bojcev has found the real theatre key for telling a great story, in a sense- the key diametrically opposite to the one belonging to the above mentioned film scenarios.  Hristo Bojcev discovers the attraction of expensive mass parties made by Gatsby in his magnificent New York home in the period of prohibition and he finds the basis for his play primarily in Fitzgerald’s anti-war love story between Gatsby and his Daisy.  

Hristo Bojcev establishes his play on the fact that two main characters, Jay Gatsby and Nick Carraway have been the soldiers in the First World War and that war has radically changed their lives. And all other characters in the play are in their own way the victims of the war. Is there a time when speaking against the war has no sense? Is there currently any sense in pointing out something else in the master piece “The Great Gatsby” but the necessity to preserve people from the evil of war? Jay Gatsby has been prepared to give all, even his life, for the woman he loved.  The power of his love undoubtedly rises the story to touching heights that are necessary when it comes to the melodramatic genre.

In creating the exceptionally demanding roles, the cast is led by Ivan Bosiljcic as Gatsby. Tamara Aleksic is to be in the role of Daisy and Ljubomir Bulajic in the role of Nick Carraway. The audience will see on the stage Milos Timotijc, Borka Tomovic, Sofija Jurican, Milan Cucilovic, Milica Janketic, Maja Lukic, Radomir Nikolic, the girls Dunja Kaplarevic and Kristina Kesler, as well as a dog Johnny. The team of authors consists of a director, Ana Radivojevic Zdravkovic, a set designer, Dejan Pantelic, a costume designer, Jelena Stokuca and a composer, Janja Loncar.  

VELIKI GETSBI Hrista Bojčeva

Vrsni dramatičar Hristo Bojčev je jedno od najznačajnijih dela američke književnosti, roman „Veliki Getsbi“ S.F. Ficdžeralda, pretočio u pozorišnu formu. Kroz istoimene filmove Sidnija Polaka (sa Robertom Retfordom u glavnoj ulozi) i Baza Lurmana ( sa Leonardom Dikaprijem kao Getsbijem) roman je dokazao svoju nesumnjivu filmsku podatnost. Hristo Bojčev pronašao je pravi teatarski ključ za pričanje velike priče, u nekom smislu – ključ dijametralno suprotan onom koji imaju odlični pomenuti filmski scenariji. Hristo Bojčev razgrće atraktivnost masovnih skupih zabava koje je Getsbi u vreme prohibicije priređivao u svom velelepnom njujorškom domu i dolazi do snažnog uporišta za svoju dramu u Ficdžeraldovoj pre svega antiratnoj ljubavnoj priči između Getsbija i njegove Dejzi.

Hristo Bojčev utemeljuje svoju dramu na činjenici da su dva glavna junaka, Džej Getsbi i Nik Karavej, bili vojnici u Prvom svetskom ratu, a taj rat je iz korena promenio njihove živote. I svi ostali likovi u drami svu na svoj način poredni ratni stradalnici. Ima li vremena u kojem nema smisla progovoriti protiv rata? Ima li smisla u remek delu „Veliki Getsbi“ u današnjem trenutku akcentovati nešto drugo, a ne potrebu da sačuvamo ljude od ratnog zla? Džej Getsbi bio je spreman da sve, pa i svoj život, da za ženu koju je voleo. Snaga njegove ljubavi nesumnjivo uzdiže priču u potresne visine koje su važne kad je melodramski žanr u pitanju.

U stvaranju izuzetno zahtevnih uloga glumačku ekipu predvodi Ivan Bosiljčić kao Getsbi. U ulozi Dejzi biće Tamara Aleksić, a u ulozi Nika Karaveja Ljubomir Bulajić. Na sceni će publika gledati još i Miloša Timotijevića, Borku Tomović, Sofiju Juričan, Milana Čučilovića, Milicu Janketić, Maju Lukić, Radomira Nikolića, devojčice Dunju Kaplarević i Kristinu Kesler, kao i psa Džonija. Autorski tim čine reditelj Ana Radivjoević  Zdravković, scenograf Dejan Pantelić, kostimograf Jelena Stokuća i kompozitor Janja Lončar.