Yevgeny Panfilov Ballet Theater

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Ballet art originated in the Renaissance in the princely palaces of Italy and during its existence has repeatedly experienced crises. However, they managed to survive thanks to the emergence of talented choreographers who created new directions and performances that help attract viewers. One of these devotees of the national ballet was Evgeny Panfilov. He became a promoter of free dance in our country in the late 70s of the last century and left behind a rich creative heritage.

Today, the Evgeny Panfilov Ballet theater operates in Perm, where you can see most of the master's performances, many of which are considered classics of modern dance. This group also often goes on tour to the capital, Russian regions and abroad, so not only Permians have already been able to appreciate it.

Biography of the choreographer

Evgeny Alekseevich Panfilov was born in the Arkhangelsk region in 1955. After graduationthe future choreographer first entered a military university, where he was supposed to get the profession of a political worker, but at the age of 22 he decided to change his profession - he entered the State Institute of Arts and Culture in Perm. Later he studied at the ballet master department of GITIS, and also took a course at the International School of Contemporary Choreography in North Carolina (USA).

Back in 1979, Panfilov created his first amateur dance group, which quickly gained popularity among young residents of Perm. Later, in 1987, the choreographer presented the new professional dance theater "Experiment" to the public. The performances staged by the choreographer during this period brought him fame far beyond the borders of Perm, as they were distinguished by their novelty, which the audience, tired of endless variations on the theme of the classics, had long been waiting for. In 1991, Evgeny Panfilov's ballet was created, which after 9 years received the status of a state ballet. In subsequent years, the team won the most prestigious theater awards more than 10 times, which is a rarity when it comes to provincial teams.

Panfilov's life was tragically cut short at the age of 46 when he was killed in his apartment by a casual acquaintance. A month before, the choreographer managed to present his version of the ballet The Nutcracker, which critics called tragic, as it shows a world devoid of illusions and inhabited by evil gray mice.

Yevgeny Panfilov's Ballet

This dance group todayconsidered one of the most famous of the provincial ballet troupes of our country. And this is not surprising, since he repeatedly and with great success represented Perm at many national theater competitions. So, in 2006, the Panfilov Ballet won the Golden Mask Award for the one-act ballet Cage for Parrots, created by the founder of the troupe.

Shortly before his death, the choreographer staged the ballet "Life is Beautiful!" on the stage of the Tempodrome Theater in Berlin. It was based on the music of the 7th Symphony by Dmitry Shostakovich and the works of Soviet songwriters of the 1930s and 1950s. Then this performance was reworked for the Perm troupe and received the name "BlokAda".

"Ballet of the Fat" Evgeny Panfilov

In 1993, a unique choreographic troupe was created in Perm. Its members can be women whose bodily fullness is combined with mobility and inner fire. As Yevgeny Panfilov himself admitted, “The Ballet of the Fat” was not created at all in order to shock the public. By choosing ladies of Rubensian physique as actresses, the choreographer simply wanted to show that plump ballerinas can have no less beautiful plasticity than thin ones.

Today, this women's troupe is creating a grotesque show with the participation of girls with magnificent forms on the stage of the Evgeny Panfilov Ballet Theater. The idea of creating performances where dancers with an unusual build are involved in the main roles seemed strange at first. Many decided that this troupe would only put on comedy shows, but the team broke all stereotypes. What is one worthonly the play “Women. Year 1945", for which the troupe received the "Golden Mask"!

“The Ballet of the Fat” by Evgeny Panfilov is popular far beyond the borders of our country. In particular, he has already visited 25 cities in Germany and 40 cities in the UK, where his performances caused a real sensation.

Fight Club

Being an indefatigable experimenter, Evgeny Panfilov always strived to create something new. So, in May 2001, the choreographer founded the Evgeny Panfilov Fight Club, which included only dancers. At the same time, the premiere of the program "Male Rhapsody" took place. The next significant work of the Panfilov team was the show “Take Me Like This…”, and then the audience was presented with the one-act ballet “Surrender”, in which, by means of modern dance, they show the world mired in vice, rolling into the abyss and not even realizing how close it is to its death.

Repertoire

All three groups that perform on the stage of the Panfilov Theater have an extensive and interesting repertoire. In particular, the performances of "8 Russian Songs", "Romeo and Juliet" and "BlokAda" have been gathering full houses for more than one year. Despite the fact that the founder of the theater is no longer alive, the traditions laid down by him are carefully preserved. Those who visited the theater at the time when Panfilov was alive note that the performances he staged still look fresh, but there is a touch of nostalgia in them. It is especially recommended to watch a performance consisting ofthe best miniatures of the meter, dedicated to his memory. It is the winner of the "Golden Mask" in two categories and is held at the same full house.

Where is it

“Yevgeny Panfilov’s Ballet” (Perm) can be visited by going to the address: Petropavlovskaya street, 185. To get there, you need to get either to the stop Lokomotivnaya street by buses No. 9, 14, 10, 15, or to stop Dzerzhinsky Square on tram number 3.

Now you know what the ballet created by Evgeny Panfilov is and what he is famous for. We hope you visit one of the performances at least once and get real pleasure!