Theater "Baikal" following the results of its performance at the show "Everybody Dance!" shared first place with other competitors and advanced to the next round. For the second performance, the theater presented a waltz to the jury and, as the artists themselves admitted, it was not easy for them to perform in this unusual technique.
A ballet troupe of 20 artists, choreographer Arsalan Sandanov and artistic director of the theater Zhargala Zhalsanov went to the Russian capital to film the project on March 1. Theater artists will compete for the title of winner with 11 teams from different parts of the country. They will take the stage to surprise and amaze the audience and prove to the whole country that they are true professionals. The task of the participants is not only to adequately present their own style, be it folk or ballroom dancing, hip-hop, breakdancing or contemporary, ballet or flamenco, but also to become the best in someone else’s field, that is, to constantly transform and reincarnate. The winners will receive one million rubles and the title of the best dance group in the country. The performances are assessed by choreographer, actress, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation Alla Sigalova, theater and film actor, director, choreographer Yegor Druzhinin and ballet dancer Vladimir Derevyanko.
Spirit of ancestors
In the first, debut performance at the show, the Baikal Theater presented the national dance legend “The Spirit of Ancestors.” “We tried to convey our ethnicity, the spirit of our ancestors,” said theater artist Ekaterina Kukshinova, “we were worried that the jury would somehow criticize us or that these would not be very pleasant comments.”
However, the jury was delighted with the dance, although Alla Sigalova expressed concern whether the theater would be able to transform for the next number, as required by the conditions of the show.
You are beautiful, but I am very worried about you, how will you continue, because you are so original, how will you transform? I wish you good luck,” she noted. Presenter Evgeny Papunaishvili emphasized that the Baikal Theater is the custodian of the unique traditions of folk dance and a laureate of the Russian government award.
As the director of the theater Dandar Badluev noted, after the first round the ensemble had many serious competitors, because the strongest remain in the show. He emphasized that the theater troupe must “try to surprise the jury and audience.” For this purpose, the artistic director of the theater, Zhargal Zhalsanov, chose the most famous European style and decided to prepare the performance based on the Viennese waltz. Note that the Viennese waltz is considered one of the most difficult dances to perform among the entire ballroom program, although it has the fewest figures. The waltz has a completely different technique, standards, figures and requirements for performance - compared to the national dances that the Baikal Theater is used to performing.
And the Viennese waltz
The performance turned out to be spectacular: the Baikal ensemble performed in an unusual role, presenting a real swan dance. The men came out in tailcoats, and the girls in swan costumes. The artists themselves later admitted that it was difficult for them to dance, and the most difficult thing was working in pairs.
Of course, when there are teams of ballroom dance professionals, you don’t want to lose face, it was scary,” the ensemble members said after the performance.
The performance caused a strong reaction from the audience in the form of prolonged applause, and the jury noted that the ensemble managed to surprise them.
The few waltz steps that the artists made were not ideal, but the attempt at change is magical, says Sigalova.
Elegant, subtle,” Vladimir Derevyanko appreciated. – Although stylistically we still need to work.
The vocabulary of the previous number was much more complex and varied, there is nothing supernatural here,” noted Yegor Druzhinin, commenting on the Viennese va in the performance of the Buryat dance, “we all know that dancing quickly is much easier, we know that a tailcoat does not suit everyone. It still doesn’t suit all of you, but you know how to wear it.
The Baikal Theater received the highest ratings for this number - 8, 9 and 10, and in the end, with 27 points, it shared first place in the intermediate final table of the show along with another group. The theater will continue to fight on the federal television show.
According to Zhargal Zhalsanov, the Baikal Theater, founded in 1942, is the oldest and only professional song and dance theater that preserves and promotes the Buryat-Mongolian national culture.
This is a very dangerous experiment for us,” says Zhalsanov about performing on the show, “but I clearly understand that we have such a message, a movement towards change.
Marina Denisova, Vostok-Teleinform.
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Screenshot from YouTube / WeiT Media channel
And again the team from Buryatia was among the best
The day before, the third episode of the Russian TV show “Everybody Dance!” was aired. on channel Russia 1.
The Baikal Song and Dance Theater takes part in it. Just like other groups from all over the country, they must show their professionalism in different genres - move away from the usual style of performance.
In the last broadcast, “Baikal” surprised the jury with the “Viennese Waltz” and took first place in the standings. And last Sunday, TV viewers watched “Chinese Dance” performed by a Buryat group.
Maybe they will say that the number is easy for us, because the Chinese have narrow eyes, we have narrow eyes and it seems like everything is the same. But this is not the folk dance that we are used to dancing, it is still a stylized dance, so this is also a certain challenge,” the artistic director of the theater Zhargal Zhalsanov explained in his profile.
And our artists really amazed the audience and judges with new facets of their talents, showing a colorful and spectacular performance, which jury member Alla Sigalova compared to Cirque du Soleil. As a result, “Baikal” received a high score of 27 points. Yegor Druzhinin gave it an “8” and not a “10”, explaining that this performance reminded him in energy of a dance from a business card - a fragment from the play “The Spirit of Ancestors”.
However, Baikal advanced to the next round without any particular difficulties. And the Sevastopol Academic Dance Theater left the project at this stage.
City: Ulan-Ude
Compound: 20 people
Supervisor: People's Artist of the Republic of Buryatia Zhargal Zhalsanov
Date of foundation: 1942
Dance styles: folk Buryat and modern stage choreography
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Read with this article:
The Buryat National Song and Dance Theater "Baikal" is the custodian of the culture and traditions of the Buryat-Mongolian nation, which were formed under the influence of Buddhism and shamanism.
The group included ballet dancers, solo vocalists, and an orchestra of folk instruments of Buryatia. Over the 75 years of the theater’s existence, not a single fan of their creative work has stopped admiring the talent of the artists; moreover, the army of fans is growing larger every day.
Among the troupe there are artists who have been awarded titles and high awards of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Buryatia. The repertoire includes numbers for concerts, songs and dances, as well as large-format projects, for example, ethno-ballet and ethno-opera, performances based on the myths of the Mongolian people.
In addition, the theater holds charity children's New Year's parties for orphans, disabled children, who find themselves in difficult life situations, and helps young performers develop their potential.
Every fan of the Baikal Theater can count on a new portion of the rhythms of nature and life, ceremonial acts, shaman rituals, hunter’s dance, birds and animals at the concert. All performances are accompanied by a live, authentic song that cannot be deciphered using traditional notes.
All theater participants treat the performance of the repertoire with care, and therefore watching their performances is incredibly interesting and exciting. The theater actively takes part in festivals and competitions and receives high awards. But the participants of “Baikal” admit that the only thing that is dearer to them than all the awards is the love of the audience.
Among the theater's awards, it is worth noting the first prize at the International Festival called "Fashion of the Mongols of the World" in 2005, a year later the highest award at the International Festival "Altargana -2006" in Ulan-Ude, "Golden Heart" in 2006, the Russian Government Prize in sphere of culture and art. Not a single participation in competitions takes place without the well-deserved highest award from Baikal.
The solo program of the Baikal Theater is worthy of performance in the Kremlin, because this is the opinion of the Minister of Culture of Russia A. Avdeev. Participation in the show “Everyone Dances” will help the theater to open up for the viewer from another new side and discover special facets and possibilities in itself.
The Buryat National Song and Dance Theater "Baikal" appeared in Ulan-Ude in 1942. Initially it was a Philharmonic ensemble; it left its composition in the early 2000s. A new story began in 2005, when, together with the orchestra and the dance theater, the ensemble was transformed into a theater.
Dance Theater "Baikal" on the show "Everybody Dance!" 2017 was a special year for the theater, when the team won a television project where professional groups competed. 3 teams reached the finals; the victory of the Baikal Theater in “Everybody Dance!” was brought by the votes of the audience. During the project, the group performed in different genres. The final dance of the Baikal Theater was the Buryat folk dance, which included elements of ballet, vogue, and hip-hop.
At the performances of the Buryat theater "Baikal" you can feel the folk cultural traditions of the Buryat-Mongols. The performances are based on the folklore of local residents, which arose under the influence of Buddhism and shamanism. Here you can see the embodiment of ideas about the meaning of nature for the Buryat-Mongols, originating from the times of nomadic life, colorful scenes with hunters and animals.
The songs of the Baikal Theater, which are performed during performances, are very original, they cannot be deciphered in the usual musical way. They always accompany national dances, the elements of which are intertwined with modern choreography. Sometimes the songs imitate the voices of animals and birds.
Poster
On the official website, the poster of the Baikal Theater is presented for a month. Here are the performances and concerts that the theater organizes at various venues, including in other cities. The fact is that now the Baikal Dance Theater does not have its own stage. The construction of the building is not planned by the regional leadership, since the city already has three theater venues. Fundraising for design documentation for the building of the Buryat Song and Dance Theater “Baikal” was initiated on crowdfunding platforms. Performances can often be seen on the stage of the Russian Drama Theater in Ulan-Ude.
The poster of the Baikal Theater includes theatrical concerts, solo and anniversary evenings of artists, dance shows, and orchestra performances. It is especially interesting to attend concerts of the Baikal Theater with ethnic ballet or opera: this is the elemental play “The Spirit of Ancestors”, the production “Myths and Legends of Lake Baikal”, etc. Such performances are staged on the basis of local folk myths and tales. At some concerts, modern choreography is also performed.
Another colorful show of the Baikal Theater is called “The Shine of Asia”. Here you can see dances and songs of different peoples of Asia, including China, Korea, Japan, Bali. As can be seen in the poster of the Baikal Theater in Ulan-Ude, this multicultural project is touring various cities of Russia.
The victorious performance of the Baikal Theater caused a surge of interest in dance in the republic.
Last weekend, Buryatia rejoiced: our dance and song theater “Baikal” became the winner of the show on the federal television channel. Now many in the republic know what “contemporary” is, how to dance the fashionable “vogue” and that a child who learns to dance will probably not only be able to find a job in the future, but also become famous throughout the country.
Dancing Republic
Dancing is fashionable now; there are now a lot more guys in the choreographic departments of universities and colleges, in dance studios and even on dance floors. If in the mid-90s all boys went to martial arts, boxing and wrestling sections, today there are boys in both, without distortions.
Compared to the beginning of the 2000s, there are now significantly more dance studios and groups in Ulan-Ude. There are more than 20 dance studios in the capital: children's, adults, ballroom, street, and social. There are many directions, there is plenty to choose from. Young children, young people, older people, and older people all dance. You can take up dancing from childhood, become a professional, fortunately in the city there is a choreographic school and a dance department at VSGAKI, you can become a professional choreographer and member of a dance group, such as our famous song and dance theater “Baikal”.
Everyone dances when they are young, but they rarely dedicate their future to dancing. But there are also those who do a couple of steps for the first time in their youth, and then can no longer imagine their life without dancing. Many young people start dancing after becoming interested in K-pop culture or so-called “street” culture (hip-hop, locking, popping, etc.).
Last year, young Ulan-Ude resident Alexei Borkhonov was one of the five finalists in an international dance competition organized by the Korean agency JYP Entertainment. A career as an intern at an agency opened before him, and then the opportunity to become a K-pop star and become famous throughout Asia. Our Buryat finalist of the Korean casting is one of those who first started dancing at a dance school and then developed independently. Then he and his friends created the famous team “ADR enalin crew” in Ulan-Ude; it often takes part in various city events and participates in interregional dance competitions.
Dancing is communication
Those who want not only to dance, but also to communicate through dance, go to social dance studios. Social dancing is dancing where communication is a priority. Social dances include many types of partner dances that do not require complex patterns. Salsa, bachata, kizomba, Argentine tango, reggaeton and others.
It's not just dancing. Here people find their friends, start families, travel to other cities and meet an incredible number of interesting people. Among our dancers you can find doctors, engineers, machinists, accountants, bank employees, and the list is endless,” says Lisa Tsoi, founder of the Latino Baikal social dance school.
It doesn’t matter at all what your age, height, weight, or whether you have danced in the past, the most important thing is desire, she adds. Famous townspeople also came to dance at Latino Baikal: deputies, athletes, chief doctors.
In most clubs that practice social dancing, along with the dancing itself, many dance parties, joint holidays and birthdays, outings and similar events are regularly held. And this summer “Latino Baikal” is organizing a large-scale project - an international dance summer camp on Lake Baikal. The program includes parties and master classes from leading social dance teachers in Russia and Mongolia. The organizers emphasize that anyone can take part - from beginners to pros. You can immerse yourself in the atmosphere of dance, improve your dancing level, make new friends and just have a great time on Lake Baikal this summer from July 13 to 16.
Buryaton - Buryat reggaeton
The Baikal Theater showed at the federal show not only the Buryat culture and the beauty of the national dance, it was able to show that we can and do perceive another culture. And at the same time we rework it, creating a kind of mixture of classics and ethnics, resulting in mind-blowing explosive numbers.
The same thing is now happening in Buryatia and with youth street culture. Now, in the wake of preserving Buryat culture, traditions and language, many young guys are creating something incomparable in dance and music. The projects of Aldar Dugaron - Dze and Saryun, Sergei Biliktuev - "Hathur Zu" have long been known not only in Buryatia.
And our choreographers also picked up this wave. In Buryatia they created their own dance direction - Buryaton. This is a mixture of reggaeton, hip-hop and Buryat and Mongolian dances, explains teacher of the movement Lisa Tsoi:
I myself danced in the Bulzhamuur ensemble for 10 years, and about two years ago I created a new dance direction, Buryaton. Now my group is very actively developing and today we shot another video.
A video in which the members of her dance group will perform Buryaton will appear online just the other day. So far on Youtube you can see a couple of videos recorded in a studio on Lake Baikal, and a presentation of the project at a dance festival in Krasnoyarsk.
Vera Chistova, Central Newspaper