A Bouquet

• Scenario: Petr Zuska (inspired by K.J.Erben)
• Choreography and stage direction: Petr Zuska
• Music: Ondřej Brousek
• Dramaturgic collaboration: Tomáš Vondrovic
• Sets: Jan Dušek
• Costumes: Pavel Knolle
• Light design: Daniel Tesař
• Duration: 75 min.
• Number of dancers: 10 and 2 kids
• World premiere: 1. 5. 2019 - Prague Chamber Ballet

The performance primarily features the archetypes peculiar to folk poetry and ballads in general, such as love and death.

Moreover, K. J. Erben’s tales highlight the magical trinity Guilt – Punishment – Redemption. And they also indicate that there is the hope that every tragedy, horror and demise may form the roots of a “new tree of life“. That is, eternal disputation, yet also chime between life and death. These are the cornerstones on which the production stands. Of the 13 ballads constituting Erben’s collection, just three are not included in the performance. Of the 10 treated, some are afforded a greater scope, while others only appear as essences, brief inserts. The ballads are joined together so as to give rise to a bigger monolithic story, overlapping, connected in terms of meaning, action and symbol. Accordingly, Act 1 as a whole is a single compact story, depicting the fate of a woman, whereas Act 2 is a story of a man. The two stories are structurally and symbolically kindred. They are two sides of the same coin.

Foto: Serghei Gherciu