Premiere DOGMA & CHECKMATE

Balázs Baranyai & Raza Hammadi

Dogma

The abstract ballet implies a performance not burdened by a story and free from a concrete, i.e. final meaning. On the other hand, one of the original meanings of the Greek word dogma, next to decision and decree, is also opinion or view (i.e., what we consider to be true). This is exactly what our performance will deal with, namely, ranges of meaning of the word dogma, but also with ranges of the ballet and dance movement between abstract and concrete. With the use of contemporary technology of video mapping, which provides a new, often incomprehensible and magical dimension to the art of dancing, we will encourage different views and interpretations of the movement and attempt to merge possible with impossible – the movement that is abstract with the movement which for each viewer bears a clear meaning and individual sense.

Checkmate

Chess Story (Schachnovelle) by Stefan Zweig from the year 1942 is a story of isolation and escape from madness into geniality thanks to a small book on past masters’ chess games. How fine and thin is the line between madness and genius, between love and obsession, salvation and damnation? The story follows a chess championship on the passenger boat that sails to Argentina. There is a completely unknown Dr. B. who, to everyone’s amazement, beats the world champion, but captivated by his success he agrees to a return game… This unusual story together with the overwhelming music of Strauss and Shostakovich have prompted one of the most successful, but also most demanding jazz choreographers in France, Raza Hammad, to stage the Checkmate ballet. With his choreographic style, a fusion of classical ballet and Mat Matoxx jazz technique, he will pose entirely new challenges and expressions to our dancers. The public will be able to enjoy a ballet that has rarely been seen in Rijeka before.