Today all around the world the Day of Dance is marked. The International Day of Dance has been celebrated since 1982 on 20 April and all over the world, people inextricably linked to dance read international and national messages. This day commemorates the birthday of one of the biggest dance reformers, Jean Georges Noverre.
The basic idea is to remind the public on dance as a form of artistic expression and enjoyment in its universality that prevails all political, cultural and ethnic obstacles. On the occasion of International Dance Day, tonight at 19:30 at the National Theatre Sarajevo there will be a performance of a romantic ballet called „Vragolasta djevojka“. Before the start of the ballet the Artistic Director of Ballet Edina Papo will address the audience.
‘’Dance is a much broader concept than what we think. Thus, dance is folklore, dance is also official dances, dance is contemporary ballet, classical ballet, dance for the alternative ballet scene. The first steps of thinking of art, as well as motion, were all those that we today call dance. 29 April is the date that is significant for the great Jean Georges Noverre, a reformer of ballet art, who was a precursor to ballet production and we today call classical ballet, as well as what we perceive in our minds, of today’s ballet that in B&H dates nearly 70 years as a professional art, as an academic art, as something that is part of our everyday life, and what is called the National Theatre Sarajevo’’, said Edina Papo.
When she speaks about the current situation in the National Theatre Sarajevo, Papo stressed that they face constant difficulties.
‘’We do not lack enthusiasm, but the difficulty we have in terms of staff is more visible. The distorted values of society are unfortunately making problems for us as well. I will state this: Even if 29 April is known in the world as ‘International Day of Dance’, it seems that we have no idea about it. A few people such as our Minister for Culture of Canton Sarajevo, and several other enthusiasts for our art truly support us’’.
Difficult Situation Reflected in the Ballet Repertoire of National Theatre
‘’As the Artistic Director of ballet, I am trying to reach novelties in this sea of discontent, problems, in moral and material crisis. I am trying to achieve production, to the staff that we do not have. And for the end this could be an appeal for us to finally begin to think whether we want art ballet and to celebrate 29 April as the ‘International Day of Dance’. But novelties and surprises will always be while I am at the forefront of this beautiful art’’, said Edina Papo.
(Source: brzevijesti.ba)
