A fresh image for legendary Bolshoi Ballet
A quarter of a century ago he had the Herod Atticus Theater audience transfixed as he interpreted one of the roles that have marked his highly successful career as a solo dancer. In the role of Rothbart, the evil magician in Tchaikovsky’s timeless classic «Swan Lake,» Boris Achimov was one of the greatest stars of the State Academic Bolshoi Theater of Russia. As the artistic director of the legendary ballet company in the last two years, Achimov’s mission is to the keep the troupe’s flame alive. The Bolshoi returned to the Athens Festival and the Herod Atticus Theater earlier this week, with performances of Aram Khachaturian’s heroic «Spartacus,» and Adolphe Adam’s great classic «Giselle.» Both ballets had put a spell on their Athenian audience before, at the same theater, back in 1977. Do things change as time goes by? Or is it perhaps that some things stay the same? Kathimerini met Boris Achimov in Athens and asked him about the path followed by one of the world’s most important companies of classical ballet. When the Bolshoi ballet came to Athens in 1977, you were one of its leading dancers. What kind of memories do you keep from that so-called golden age of the Bolshoi? So many years have gone by, yet I feel that it was only yesterday. Those memories are indeed extraordinary. I would say that they are some of the most powerful feelings I have ever felt in my entire life. When I interpreted Rothbart on the Herod Atticus Theater’s stage, for instance, I was a young dancer. Now, I am returning to Athens as the company’s artistic director. What is the company’s current situation and how are things looking for the future? As the Bolshoi’s artistic director, my principal aim is to develop a good atmosphere for all the members of the troupe. On the one hand, I want to transmit a creative energy, while on the other, I want to build on the repertoire. This means inviting established choreographers and teachers from all over the world, in order to make the dancers’ life more exciting. The company’s historical heritage is on stage once again, while works of classical European choreographers have been added to our repertoire. Recently, we organized an evening with works by French choreographer Roland Petit and British choreographer Frederic Ashton, while we have already invited John Neumeier as well as the New York City Ballet’s renowned choreographer Christopher Wheeldon to stage their own works with the company. Furthermore, it is interesting to note that we have been touring extensively recently, with performances in London, Washington, Finland and Italy. We are currently preparing for more performances in Japan and the USA. Meanwhile, a series of rave international reviews are pointing to the Bolshoi’s revamped image. What about the new theater which is currently under construction? The plan was to close the old theater and renovate it entirely. Unfortunately, time has gone by and the work will be carried out within the next two to three years. This is the reason why we decided to build a new theater, right next to the old one, for it to operate during the revamping period. No one knows, however, how this will turn out. What is important is that the new venue will be a place where new choreographers will test their skills. Then and now What are the differences between today’s and yesterday’s stars? What made the dancers of my generation stand apart was their personalities, the kind of soul-searching they did when preparing their roles. This demanded an incredible amount of work, which was not obvious to the others. Today’s dancers are greatly talented, but there is a certain lightness when it comes to their work. They pay more attention to technique. Life is very different today, there are greater opportunities and dancers have other interests besides dancing. What makes this company special, however, is the heritage, the cultural tradition which unites one generation with the next. Does the State support dance? The Bolshoi is not solely funded by the State anymore. The reason behind this is that Russia has greater financial difficulties today and therefore we need the support of various sponsors. Finding the appropriate sponsors is a job undertaken by Anatoly Iksanov, the Bolshoi Ballet’s general manager. Do you believe that classical dance is an art that transcends time? The basis of all dance is classical ballet. Whether they like it or not, all the different kinds of contemporary choreography stem from the classical ballet tradition. Does the Bolshoi Ballet operate under strict rules? There is discipline, certainly, and I always stress to my students the fact they are the ones carrying the torch of the unique tradition of the Bolshoi Ballet. At the same time however, I do believe in freedom, and in positive and conscious relationships between people. A dancer will figure out what he has to do without any kind of pressure. I do not agree with the politics of enforcement. We must trust our artists.
