This year's season of the National Theatre ballet in Prague is characterized by dramatic ballets. Another great literary character has appeared in the repertoire after Faust (of the Czech origin) – Othello by choreographer Youri Vámos who can be considered Czech author as well; the NT ballet stages his two ballets and the State Opera and the National Theatre in Brno stage his pieces as well. A regular visitor of theatres knows the style of this dance narrator and a new artwork is not surprising. But the choice of music is quite surprising – it is compiled from Leoš Janáček's works. After some time, there is also live music for a piece that is not classic in the National Theatre. Youri Vámos built the majority of his performances on symphonic suite Taras Bulba but the viewers can also hear fragments from other pieces (Suite for String Orchestra, Sinfornietta and others).
The choreographer has chosen the Shakespearean topic as if it was ordered. He created a ballet on Petr Zuska's demand with a story that is not staged very often but it is very attractive for viewers. As we already know, there were only a few things left from Shakespeare in Y. Vámos' staging. He focused on the story of four main characters in the whole drama: Othello, Desdemona, Yago and Roderigo. The other heroes – general Cassio, his fiancée Bianca, Yago's wife Emilia – become episode players. Original simplification could surprise or distemper a viewer who expects Shakespeare's tragedy as we know it. The performance is suitable for a person who has never seen or read Othello as a play. If we look for Shakespeare, we will not succeed but if we disengage ourselves from searching for the original shape, the performance does not lack impressiveness. Some scenes seem to be unclear or ambiguous if a viewer does not go through the brochure. Or s/he is later surprised what scenes and situations were supposed to take place on the stage although s/he did not see them.
The race difference is not important in Vámos' Othello; his hero is exceptional because of his uneasy and wild character. When we see them in the prologue, there is something predacious and lurking in his movements, his almost naked body that is partially covered with ornaments on arms and shoulders evokes certain primitivism. According to the brochure, the beginning of the performance should display a scene called "The Moor on the run is bound" but Othello's run seems to be crawling and crossed arms are the source of energy. Other scenes are not clear either, for instance an image when Yago lures Othello to a trap and Cassio should be his saviour is portrayed by some folding construction-railing Othello hides beneath and gets out of without any problems (the scene is accompanied with disturbing buzz of an electric engine).Othello experiences success of a general appointed by people and is enchanted by meeting Desdemona – and the other way round. Her character is symbolically dressed in white like girls' company. Her partner Roderigo suffers from unhappy love and he is devoured with jealousy Yago wants to make profit of. The white scarf given before the wedding is a foreshadow of a catastrophe. A classic plot with the mean murder of Rodrigo and an exchanged veil leads to tragedy. Othello eventually remains alone with his conscience and heart.
The character of Yago is grateful like any other negative characters. Glibness mirrors in his motions from the first steps on the stage although his hatred of Othello is unreasonable. He is the one who plays the role of a criminal and nobody asks about the reason. Roderigo has his opportunity in several solo variations, his inner feeling is despair and frustrated anger. Cassio participates in the plot like a victim, he has less dance space and he merges with the company. Bianca and Emilia are identified with their partners by seeing them as a couple but we cannot assume from choreography that Emilia is married to Yago. They do not get so much space on the stage to become equal partners not only with their partners in the performance; interpretation defines in what extent a viewer remembers them. Edita Raušerová and Klára Jelínková danced the premiere – both are outstanding personalities who can establish themselves. Ondřej Novotný played Cassius, Viktor Konvalinka enjoyed the role of Yago and Roderigo was played by Alexandre Katsapov.
Othello – Richard Kročil in the first cast – retains his manly charisma for the whole time. Othello is literally tailored for Richard Kročil. His movement does not lack predacious provocativeness and he can improvise thanks to his natural temperament. We need to work with energy in places where there is seemingly no plot but we can sense essential tension radiated by the whole body. Desdemona – Zuzana Susová – is a shy, tenderly longing person who is attracted by Othello's strength. Othello reduces his wilderness in duets with Desdemona but he is completely overruled by at in the end. Fear and terror Desdemona uses to calm him down, to run away from him probably stimulates him even more to behave brutally. Naturalistic interpretation of their physical love and Desdemona's tragic end did not have to be so realistic – especially in the scene of dying, the portrayal of lethal spasms is almost too much as well as audible sighs during the first encounter of both characters. Zuzana Susová's Desdemona is fragile and vulnerable but her living the key moments is exaggerated. But there is a question in what extent this is given by specific instructions of the author of the performance...
Vámos' choreographic dictionary is typical again, he shifted from neo-classic towards a more contemporary interpretation but he still dresses the dancers in pointe shoes and he preserved many elements he works with all the time (for instance arms in open positions with more or less bent elbows etc). He emphasizes gestures, motions with arms they use for making a dialogue – usually the only one because their often look in the auditory even when they react to their partner on the stage. The choreographer does not deal with the company much; it usually fills the space between solo performances (it applies mostly to girls).
The set (Pet Halmen) is almost empty but there is a big shining circle on the back screen that changes colour according to the situation on the stage during key moments. Two components dominate the scene almost all the time – a huge brown man's fist and a woman's hand downcast in a conciliatory gesture – a kind of materialization of a male and female principle but it has quite a morbid effect. It serves as a functional element – dancers can hide, climb and observe, the man's fist hides the famous scarf but it is disputable if we need to work with these symbols when the idea of the performance is clear and if the stage is not filled for no reason. Pet Halmen is also the author of costumes: he let the central couple be superior to the others, he dressed the girls in white clothes (and wigs with long blond hair), the soldiers wear close-fitting dark costumes: they dance in heavy long coats in one scene; the men (except for Othello and Yago who is dressed in wide trousers with suspenders) wear close-fitting undershirts with sheen leggings that are quite cheap.
The orchestra does a good job and it is possible that some viewers want to see Othello because of music. The set is quite shocking and we should call the story inspiration by Shakespeare or a ballet inspired by Othello. Dancers perform with great energy so it is worth coming because of their effort but only time will show if viewers are touched by Othello.
Written from the premiere on 1st April 2010.
Translation: Eliška Hulcová
Josef Bartos
Thank you for your thoughts. One got stuck in my mind – that passion makes us different from AI. Just yesterday I read…I am a dance critic. I am a member of an endangered species