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Principal dancers Ohm Jae-yong and Hwang Hye-min will perform the tragic love story of Onegin and Tatyana in the Universal Ballet Company’s ``Onegin.’’
/ Courtesy of UBC |
By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter
A tragic and romantic tale of two lovers will heat up the stage this fall, as the Universal Ballet Company plans to bring ``Onegin'' to South Korea next month.
Onegin is based on the novel ``Eugene Onegin'' by Alexander Pushkin and is considered one of the best-known Russian works in history.
Previously adapted into various art forms, including operas, plays and movies, the new ballet work from the UBC will be choreographed by the world-renowned John Cranko.
"Seventeen years ago, we contacted the John Cranko Foundation to stage the work in Korea, but being a lesser-known ballet troupe at the time, the foundation refused our request," Julia H. Moon, the general director of UBC, said at a press conference last week in Seoul. "After touring North America and Europe, the UBC garnered fans among ballet lovers, and we finally were given the permission to stage `Onegin' in Korea."
The ballet version is different from the well-known opera in various aspects. When working on the music, Cranko visited German composer K.H. Stolze to ask for rearrangements of Tchaikovsky's work. While the opera uses many of Tchaikovsky's famous pieces, the ballet offers some of his lesser-known numbers rearranged by the composer. This subtle change is Cranko's way of separating the two art genres based on the same story. The choreographer also added and changed several scenes to make the ballet more romantic and dramatic, such as the scene where Onegin rips apart a love letter, and a dream sequence of one of the main characters.
It is the first time for a local troupe to stage this particular work in Korea, and only the second Asian troupe to win the rights to reproduce it, following the National Ballet of China.
Reid Anderson, the casting director of Stuttgart Ballet and director of the performance, visited the troupe last year for casting, according to Moon. He chose Ohm Jae-yong, Ivan Gil-Ortega and Rhee Hyun-jun as Onegin and Hwang Hye-min, Kang Ye-na and Kang Mi-sun as Tatyana. Gil-Ortega, the former principal dancer from the Stuttgart Ballet, will appear as a special guest for local fans.
``Cranko brings strong choreography and manages to translate the distinctive personalities to every movement. He's a genius in storytelling,'' Moon said.
Unlike other romantic and classic works like ``Giselle'' and ``Swan Lake,'' ``Onegin'' is a drama ballet.
``In drama ballets, you cannot find any pantomimes, which are the main communication tools in both romantic and classic works. It's more creative and tends to focus on the flow of the storyline,'' Moon explained.
Not being able to communicate with certain gestures may be seen as a burden by dancers, as they have to work on their techniques as well as concentrate on their acting.
``I personally believe that our UBC dancers have seen great improvement in their techniques, and now I think the last, most important aspect they must perfect is the acting. It's the mountain they must overcome,'' said Moon.
Jane Bourne, the producer of ``Onegin,'' said she enjoyed working with the UBC. Cranko's work wasn't about comparing a ballet troupe or dancers with others, but focusing on the work itself, she said.
``Each (performance) is new and fresh. It's not about learning the steps first and then learning the drama or acting. The drama is in the choreography,'' she said.
Moon added that ``Onegin'' is indeed ``a work where dance and acting is one.''
``Onegin'' will be on stage from Sept. 11 to 20at the LG Arts Center. Tickets cost from 40,000 won to 100,000 won. For more information, visit www.lgart.com.
sanghee@koreatimes.co.kr
Onegin, the Ballet
Onegin is a Russian gentleman who is bored with life. He moves to the country and befriends a poet named Lensky. His fiance's sister, Tatyana, falls in love with Onegin and sends him a love letter, hoping for a romantic happy ending.
However, the arrogant Onegin rips the letter apart showing his disinterest for the naive girl, and the heartbroken Tatyana leaves town for the city and marries an older duke.
Onegin and Tatyana meet again in St. Petersburg, and Onegin instantly realizes the mistake he made. Determined to undo his actions toward Tatyana, Onegin sends a love letter ― this time Tatyana is the one who refuses his pleads.
The ballet ends after Onegin leaves and Tatyana unleashes her repressed emotions in solitude.
``The last scene is very dramatic. It shook the audience when Kang Sue-jin, from the Stuttgart Ballet, burst into tears while portraying a Tatyana who was torn between two loves,'' Moon said.
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