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tamaz
vashakidze
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alexander
voronkov
design
vitaly
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studio
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In 1993 Tamaz Vashakidze founded a non-repertory theatre of modern dance “New Georgian Ballet of Tamaz Vashakidze” and became its artistic director and tutors were People’s Artists of Georgia Vera Tsignadze and Zurab Kikaleishvili, and Merited Artist of Georgia Tsiskari Balanchivadze.

Tamaz Vashakidze Maka Makharadze Vera Tsignadze Zurab Kikaleishvili Tsiskari Balanchivadze

From left to right: Tamaz Vashakidze, Maka Makharadze, Vera Tsignadze, Zurab Kikaleishvili, Tsiskari Balanchivadze

The “Ballets Russes of Sergei Diaghilev” was an aesthetic guideline and organizing principle of Diaghilev's “Russian Seasons”, non-repertory project, was main direction for newborn theatre. Sergei Diaghilev's words “We stage not for grandmothers and grandfathers — we stage for our grandsons” could serve motto of this project.

The first number which was produced in newborn theatre was a number “We begin” on medley from products of Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin, Wagner, Rimsky-Korsakov, Liszt (with sound of kremlin chimes at the beginning). The performers: artistic leader of “New Georgian Ballet” Tamaz Vashakidze, artist on light Vladislav Vlasov (who is technical director of Tovstonogov BDT today), artist on suit Eka Turmanidze. The first-night took place in 1993 in Tbilisi academic theatre of the opera and ballet, the first show outside Georgia — in the same year in St. Petersburg state conservatory.

The theatre’s debut took place in 1994 with the first performance of the production “Class-Concert” at the International Ballet Festival in Aspendos, Turkey.

Aspendos

Ancient Roman Amphitheatre in Aspendos
Author of the picture Velsvuld

New Georgian Ballet in Aspendos

“New Georgian Ballet” in Aspendos
(click picture to enlarge)

The debut featured ballet artists of the Tbilisi Z. Paliashvili State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet: M. Zurashvili, E. Bezirgani, Yu. Sorokin, K. Muhashavriya, L. Bakhtadze, L. Chkhikvishvili, M. Chikovani, K. Bakradze, L. Khozashvili, O. Kuznetsova, N. Ochiauri, C. Cholokashvili, P. Khelashvili, Amaglobeli, M. Alpaidze, N. Godziashvili, N. Lozovaya, I. Fomenko, N. Kupunia, M. Aleksidze, K. Kvitsiani, N. Dzhigauri, V. Tsignadze, G. Kukuladze, A. Tsereteli, P. Godziashvili, Z. Revazishvili, V. Vlasov. This was the first tour in Turkey through the whole history of Georgian ballet.

Productions

From 1993 to 2008 the Head and the choreographer-producer of “New Georgian Ballet” Theatre Tamaz Vashakidze staged 14 ballet performances in genre of modern dance, three of which marked with * symbol were produced as part of side projects:

  • 1993. One-act performance “Loneliness” to the music by Gustav Mahler.
  • 1993. Performance “Class-Concert” to the music by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Gustav Mahler, Ludwig Minkus etc.
  • 1994. “Variations” to the theme by Alfred Schnittke.
  • 1995. “Bolero” to the music by Maurice Ravel.
  • 1996. “Improvisations” to the music by Ray Charles.
  • 1999. Suite “Iavnana” to the music by Pyotr Tchaikovsky.
  • 1999. “Anbani”* to the music by Gogi Dzodzuashvili.
  • 2000. “Morning Chant”* to the music by Gogi Dzodzuashvili.
  • 2002. One-act performance “Prodigal Son” to the music by Bidzina Kvernadze (co-directed by Kote Makharadze)).
  • 2004. Performance “Mata Hari” to the music by Sergei Prokofiev and Gogi Dzodzuashvili, and the songs by Edith Piaf.
  • 2004. Performance “The Big Waltz” to the music by Johann Strauss.
  • 2006. “Polyphony” to the music by Gogi Dzodzuashvili.
  • 2007. Performance “The Knight” — the first in Georgian history choreographic interpretation Shota Rustaveli’s poem “The Knight in Tiger Skin”.
  • 2008. One-act ballet “Shalom. The Return of the Prodigal Son”* to the music by Gustav Mahler and George Gershwin, as well as to national Georgian chants and songs by Frank Sinatra.

In 2001 the “New Georgian Ballet of Tamaz Vashakidze” Theatre became one of the sponsors of the First “Chabukiani-Balanchine...” International Festival of Ballet Art

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