Archa Theatre

Latvian National Opera Ballet

Yellow Tango

In the framework of the festival "Riga Days in Prague", the prestigious Latvian National Opera Ballet with their outstanding dancers comes to the Archa Theatre. During this time, we will witness the best of what Latvian dance art can offer. The Latvian National Opera Ballet goes beyond the limits of traditional ballet repertoire, and moves toward contemporary dance which can be seen during this evening's gala program.
The main part of the evening is dedicated to Yellow Tango which finds inspiration in South American dance - tango expressing rhythm, passion, wild movements, human emotions and deep and dark sentiments - anything but boring. The artists dance to the ravishing music of Astor Piazolla, an Argentinean composer who finds inspiration in tango and European classical music. His compositions were originally played on the bandoneon - a typical Argentinean instrument. In our case, his music is interpreted by the world famous violinist - Gideon Kremer.

"All tangos in the performance present tales that are united by one common story. Man as a planet. Man as a world meeting another man, another world. It is interaction, mutual influences and conflicts that arise. As a result, each one having experienced relations with another one, finds himself in bitter loneliness..."
Alla Sigalova - choreography director of Yellow Tango

Tango was born in the slums of Buenos Aires in the 1880's. Like American jazz, it began as a music that was first heard in brothels and in those among those who high society called "lowlife" (somewhat similar to the development of jazz). A reflection of a difficult life was in its glass - harder women and alcohol that made things much easier to swallow.
Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992), approached tango from a unique perspective. Though Argentinean by culture and birth, he was inspired by European classical music. It was Piazzolla's dream to create a tango that would not only be dance music but also concert music. "For me," he said, "tango was always for the ear rather than the feet." The results were as audacious and innovative as they were outrageous to prevailing trends.

Gala - Evening Program:
J. Karlsons: The Silver Veil
M. Ravel: Bolero
I. Stravinsky: The Rites of Spring
A. Piazolla: Tango

Ballet is represented in Latvia by the Latvian National Opera Ballet Company or The Riga Ballet. Through the years, the company has evolved into an ensemble of the highest artistic and technical standard. Such well-known stars as Mikhail Baryshnikov, Alexander Godunov and Maris Liepa have all begun their formal dance training in Riga. They have been ambassadors of Latvian ballet world-wide. Today, a new generation of dancers (recent graduates of the Riga Choreographic School) are taking their places beside such established dancers and international competition award-winners as Zita Erss, Inese Dumpe, Lova Lubcenko and Genadijs Gorbanovs.

Presented in the framework of the festival "Riga Days in Prague".
Organised by the City of Prague and the City of Riga.

Homepage: www.music.lv/opera