On October 5 and 6, for the first time in Armenia, with the support of Ruben Vardanyan Foundation Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg presented Rodin, Her Eternal Idol, a ballet by Boris Eifman, at the National Academic Theater named after G. Sundukyan. The performances were shown within the program of the 20th High Fest International Performing Arts Festival.
Boris Eifman’s ballet Rodin, Her Eternal Idol tells us about the life and work of two great sculptors: Auguste Rodin and his disciple, lover and Muse – Camille Claudel. The story of their love is truly a tragic one. For over 15 years Rodin and Claudel were one integral whole, both sensuously and creatively. The eventual breakup of the couple was a fatal blow to the mental health of Camille leading to her tragic end. Half-forgotten, isolated and impoverished, Camille becomes insane. Her mind, damaged by mental disorder, is constantly filled with tormenting paranoid belief in a conspiracy against her being lead and inspired by Rodin himself. She spends 30 long years in a mental clinic where she dies in 1943, abandoned and completely forgotten.
Rodin, Her Eternal Idol is a comprehensive creative study of the tragic path of a genius. By resorting to the distinctive plastique of modern psychological ballet Boris Eifman not only offers a new interpretation of the world of human passions, so masterfully portrayed by Rodin and Claudel, but also through his work explores the incomprehensible mystery of the creative process.
“The story of life and love of Auguste Rodin and Camille Claudel is an amazing tale of an incredibly dramatic alliance of two artists where everything was entwined: passion, hatred and artistic jealousy. Spiritual and energy exchange between the two sculptors was an outstanding phenomenon: being so close to Rodin, Camille was an inspiration for his work, helping him find a new style and create masterpieces; and as her own talent matured at great pace, she developed into a great sculptor herself. Her beauty, her youth and her genius – all was sacrificed for her beloved”, notes Boris Eifman, Artistic Director, People’s Artiste of Russia.
The premiere of Rodin, Her Eternal Idol took place in 2011 in St. Petersburg, after which it was presented at theatre venues in New York, Paris, London, Madrid, Budapest, Vienna, Berlin, Beijing, Moscow, and other cities. The performance was awarded the Golden Mask and Golden Soffit awards.
Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg was established by Boris Eifman in 1977 (the original name of the company was Leningrad New Ballet). The concept of the New Ballet was above and beyond innovative for its time: from the very beginning, the vision was to develop it as an experimental laboratory, a ballet theatre of one choreographer. Today ballet enthusiasts in Europe, Asia, the Americas and Australia admire productions of the Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg: Red Giselle, Russian Hamlet, Anna Karenina, Eugene Onegin, Rodin, Her Eternal Idol, Beyond Sin, Requiem, Up & Down, Tchaikovsky. PRO et CONTRA, The Pygmalion Effect, Molière Passion, or The Mask of Don Juan, The Seagull. A Ballet Story. These widely acclaimed works not only represent the highest level of artistic achievement in Russian contemporary ballet but also introduce international audiences to the spiritual heritage of Russia and the best of world culture – the inspiration behind the work of the choreographer and his dancers. For several decades Eifman Ballet enjoyed success when performing in top venues across the globe. The Company’s ability to immerse their audiences into the boundless world of human passion, to build a strong spiritual bond, to amaze and sometimes overwhelm them by the intensity and energy of its plastique, defined and ensured its recognition.
Ballet show partners: TimeTo creative agency, GoToArmenia tour operator.
GoToArmenia is a tour operator that creates a new image of Armenia through the development and sale of authentic tours with maximum immersion in the culture and life of the country. The slogan of GoToArmenia is Armenia as a conscious choice.
TimeTo is a creative agency focused on carrying out large-scale festivals and other leisure activities in Armenia.
