News of the JINR Cultural Centre "Mir"

Moments of Alma

The JINR Cultural Centre "Mir" currently prepares for an unusual dance and drama show by the Al-Andalus Flamenco Dance School, headed by Margarita Perez. The project involves the dance studio "V Element" (headed by Varvara Gorlanova) and dramatic images are embodied by Diana Krumbmiller, an actress from the theater laboratory "Kvadrat".

"Alma" in Spanish means "soul", in this case, the soul of a young and brave woman. As Margarita said, the making of this show was inspired by those moments in life when there is an opportunity to learn and develop. The performance consists of a series of choreographic productions that tell about the various stages of Alma's life: victories and trials.

Margarita Perez

We talked to the dancer, choreographer and the mastermind behind the show Margarita Perez, a graduate of the Spanish school (Havana, Cuba) that has been teaching flamenco at the JINR Cultural Centre "Mir" for several years.

Margarita, who came up with the idea of a dance-drama show and how did it develop?

- The idea to combine Spanish stylized dance, modern dance and drama in Russian in one show, framed by flamenco as the main style, was born in our dance school. Each of our productions is a story from Spanish culture that we want to convey through dance in a dramatized form with the help of Diana. She interprets each of them, already translated into Russian. This is what seemed very interesting to us and we hope that the audience will like our idea.

What will "Moments of Alma" tell us - a completely fictional story or a real one?

The show has both. A bit of fictional history - something we always dreamed of but never achieved. And real history - history and life experiences from which we learn every day.

Alma contains the dreams and stories of every woman in Al-Andalus. Who among us has not fallen in love? Who has never been disappointed? Personally, I see myself reflected in Alma that had the opportunity to go out into the world and gain new experiences. I hope that everyone will catch a moment for himself, see his reflection in the performance.

The show features two dance schools - Al-Andalus Flamenco and "V Element". How did you manage to combine and intertwine these two styles?

- It was a challenge for us, it became interesting to combine both styles. Our goal is to elegantly present how modern dance and stylized Spanish dance are combined using common features. Its movements consist of a free and smooth expression of emotions, metaphors or abstract ideas. And we worked with these features. At the moment, we are pleased with the results we have achieved in two choreographic productions.

What features are needed to convey a story told through dance to the audience?

- There are several factors that are important in conveying a story to the audience. Such as, emotional movements: dancers use gestures, facial expressions and movements to convey their emotions to the audience. From joy to sadness and anxiety. The choice of music plays an important role in performance. Rhythm, melody and lyrics can emphasize the story and evoke strong emotions. Costumes complement the story, creating the right atmosphere. The color scheme and every detail are important here. The audience also participates in creating the story through their perception and imagination. They can interpret the dance in different ways, creating their own stories.

The implementation of such a project is probably the fulfillment of your dream as a school director, teacher and dancer?

- Of course, yes. The implementation of such a project is my dream. Drama and dance have much in common and the work on their development is wonderful. They allow not only to demonstrate the level of the technical base, but also to fully reveal the plot component, to show the inner world of the characters and to present the audience with a complete dance performance.

Let's talk about the participants of the show. Diana Krumbmiller is a director of theatrical performances and holidays, a host of special events, a scriptwriter and an actress of the theater laboratory "Kvadrat". What will be her role in the play and how does dramaturgy combine with dance?

- There are different genres of performing arts. If we are talking about a dramatic performance, then the main instrument here is the actor's play and for dance, such an instrument is the movement of the dancer's body, through which he reveals his emotions to the audience. Dramatic art is a verbal art, so it can prepare the audience for the perception of choreography. The format of a dance and drama show implies a close interweaving of acting and choreographic features. The dramaturgy of our work is based on the fate of a woman, her thoughts and feelings. Two genres merge together to tell us about the life of Alma, whose ardent heart knows no barriers in moving towards destiny. I play the role of Alma, telling her story, experiencing the events of her life.

Varvara Gorlanova, Head of the dance studio "V ELEMENT", teacher, ballet master-director, choreographer, author of training programmes in dance art, expert consultant on choreography for rhythmic gymnastics. How will the style of modern choreography performed by the studio's artists be presented in the performance?

- Modern dance embodies in its choreography topics and images drawn from the reality around us and using the main choreographic systems and techniques, plastic skills inherent and used at a given time. It is supposed to use various styles and techniques, such as contemporary, jazz, modern and improvisation. Within the framework of the performance, these areas will be presented through dynamic and expressive movements, cooperation of dancers with each other and with the audience.

We wait for everyone at our premiere that will be held on 2 June at 4:00 PM on the stage of the JINR Cultural Centre "Mir".

Interviewed by Eleonora YAMALEEVA,
Member of the Union of Theatre Workers of the Russian Federation,
photo by Elena TROYAN