In September, one of the most famous national groups in Russia – the Moscow State Academic Dance Theater “Gzhel” will perform in Germany. Recitals of the group, recognized as the visiting card of Russia, will be held as part of the Special Folk Edition festival, which is part of the program of the international cultural project Russian Seasons in Germany.
Gzhel will open the Special Folk Edition festival on September 20 with a concert at the Russian House of Science and Culture in Berlin, and on September 22 it can be seen in the New Town Hall of Dresden.
Artists will present complex stunt performances, lyrical round dances, mass costumed scenes of folk festivals.
The Moscow State Academic Dance Theater “Gzhel” was founded in 1988 by one of the most iconic Russian choreographers, People’s Artist of Russia Vladimir Zakharov. Thanks to the art of dance, the team develops and glorifies the creations of masters of folk art crafts created in the traditions of the famous Russian painting – such as Gzhel, Palekh, Zhostovo, Pavlovo-Posadsky pattern, etc.
The originality of the Gzhel dance theater consists not only in preserving the choreographic heritage, but also in its integration into the modern world, in experimenting with new forms and in creating dance performances.
The main choreographer of the theater is Honored Worker of Culture of Russia, laureate of the State Prize of Russia Valentina Slykhanova. The director of the theater is Honored Worker of Culture of Russia Marina Kuklina.
Special Folk Edition will be the first large-scale festival of Russian national groups in Germany. It will be held from September 21 to December 12 in six cities of Germany and will unite more than 20 concerts with the participation of six renowned groups.
Among the participants are the Moscow State Academic Dance Theater “Gzhel” (Moscow), the Academic Honored Dance Ensemble of Dagestan “Lezginka” (Makhachkala), the State Academic Ryazan Russian Folk Choir named after E. G. Popova (Ryazan), State Academic Siberian Russian Folk Choir (Novosibirsk), State Song and Dance Ensemble of the Komi Republic named after Victor Morozov “ASYAKYA” (“Morning Dawn”) (Syktyvkar), State Academic Northern Russian Folk Choir (Arkhangelsk )
“Special Folk Edition Festival is a special project for Russian Seasons. For the first time, we have gathered concerts of Russian national groups in one program: from the Moscow Gzhel Dance Theater to the Siberian Russian Folk Choir. Each group will give three or four full-length recitals in several German cities. This is a unique opportunity for German viewers to feel the richness of the Russian soul through the language of dance and song, to get acquainted with the traditions of the peoples of Russia thanks to the masters of performing art, ” Rector of ANO “Russian Seasons” Alexei Lebedev.