National MKČiurlionis School of Arts
Eligijus Butkus
Over the last twenty years, I have been invited about ten times to Vilnius to attend various performances, including the celebration of the 90th anniversary of the founding of the national company. During these visits, I had the opportunity to observe the technical and artistic quality of the dancers. One young man in particular caught my attention and stood out from the others with a unique personality: Eligijus Butkus. I then followed his career, admiring his performances, up to his appointment as director of the M.K. Čiurlionis National School of Arts. In this role, he has demonstrated great ability and a strong work ethic. The students’ progress is evident. The architectural complex of this “City of the Arts” is impressive—a city within a city. Each artistic discipline—music, dance, painting, sculpture, etc.—has its own building, while dormitories, infirmaries, the restaurant, general education, and complementary disciplines are housed in separate facilities. Let us learn more about this institution by asking a few questions to the Director. Is the school private or state-run? Who finances it? The M.K. Čiurlionis National School of Arts was founded in 1945 in Vilnius as a music school, and the dance department was opened in 1952. Later, the art department joined the other two. Today, the school has more than 800 students. The dance department is the smallest (around 200 students), but it is the only school in Lithuania that trains dancers in both ballet and contemporary dance while also granting a secondary school diploma. The school receives full support from the State. How are students selected? Every spring, the school organizes entrance exams. Students can apply at various levels, as there are many private dance schools in Lithuania that prepare their pupils well for admission, even into higher classes. Contemporary dance programs begin in the ninth grade and last four years. How much do students pay in tuition? Is there financial aid? Education at the Čiurlionis National School of Arts is free. Students from all over Lithuania can live and eat free of charge in the school’s high-quality, recently built dormitory. Citizens of the European Union can enrol free of charge but must pay for accommodation and meals. Tuition is paid only by students from non-EU countries. How long is the course? How long is the school year? In the classical dance department, students can begin their training in the first grade and complete it in the twelfth, although students from other grades may also be admitted through entrance exams. Foreign students may enrol in the ninth grade and obtain a professional dancer diploma after two years of study, provided they meet the requirements, pass entrance exams, and have completed (or continue remotely) their secondary education in their home country. The school year, as in all Lithuanian educational institutions, begins on September 1 and ends in mid-June after the Ballet Department’s gala concert in the school theater. Following the construction of the Baltic Sea Art Education Center, all departments organize summer camps. The center can operate year-round, and in autumn, creative workshops and seminars are held for students. How is dance education structured? What subjects are taught? Are there exams? The curriculum is developed every two years and approved by the Ministry of Education, Science, and Sport of Lithuania. The classical dance department provides professional training based on the methodology of Agrippina Vaganova. Subjects include classical dance, contemporary dance, character dance, pas de deux, Lithuanian folk dances, improvisation, acting skills, gymnastics, floor barre, makeup, contact improvisation, street dance, repertoire performance, and piano (mandatory until the 7th grade). Sixth-grade students also receive physical conditioning with the school’s physiotherapist. Students undergo continuous assessment, including preliminary and final exams starting from the 11th grade, when modular professional training begins. The type of evaluation depends on the student’s level. Do students have time to rest? In truth, students have little time to rest, as they follow both general education and specialized professional programs. Art classes are also held on Saturdays, so it is very important that they use their remaining free time to rest and sleep. The department provides a massage therapist and a physiotherapist to help students recover from physical exertion. There are also rest areas within the school. During the summer, dance camps are combined with relaxation by the sea. Do students participate in performances at the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre (LNOBT)? Students from the ballet department take part in productions at the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre (such as La Bayadère, Le Corsaire, Don Quixote, Cinderella, and Harlequinade). Advanced students perform alongside company dancers. The school theater, built 14 years ago with European Union funding, hosts performances, concerts, exams, and creative evenings. Contemporary dance students also participate in projects and performances in other venues. How many graduates are hired by the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre? What about others? During final exams, students are evaluated by a panel from state musical theaters in Vilnius, Kaunas, and Klaipėda. Contemporary dance students are assessed by leaders of contemporary dance companies. Directors select dancers suited to their needs and offer contracts. Some students—especially those in contemporary dance—continue their studies abroad at institutions such as Codarts (Netherlands) or P.A.R.T.S. (Belgium). How many teachers are involved in dance training? The dance department has 39 specialized (professional) teachers, 17 accompanist pianists, 9 piano teachers, and a strong group of general education teachers. What qualifications do dance teachers have? How are they selected? Are they all Lithuanian? Most teachers have pedagogical training from the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre (Dance Department). However, foreign specialists are invited for certain disciplines. The school organizes public competitions to fill positions. Most teachers are Lithuanian because, according to national law, education in public schools must be conducted in Lithuanian. Exceptions are made for seminars or specific professional programs in which foreign participants may take part.
LIEU - Vilnius
Review by: Margarita Medina Morales
Date line: July, 2023
THE PLACE
ASTITVA
Jaivant Patel Company
A journey of South Asian Gay Identity, Desire and Love.
PERFORMANCES
ASTITVA, meaning existence, is a powerful and evocative dance production by award-winning choreographer Jaivant Patel, offering a rare and moving portrayal of British-Indian gay men. This ground-breaking work explores the complex realities of balancing tradition, culture, and identity, shedding light on the struggles and triumphs of navigating sexuality, cultural expectations, and love in a world that often doesn’t make space for you. Delving into universal emotions, ASTITVA brings queer South Asian stories to the forefront, inviting audiences to connect, reflect, and celebrate the beauty of being human. From navigating sexuality under the weight of cultural expectations to the yearning for love, belonging and embracing oneself, these personal stories come alive with a gripping intensity and grace that resonate deeply with the human condition. Whether you’re drawn to dance, storytelling, or the exploration of diverse identities, ASTITVA offers something profound and deeply relatable. It holds up a mirror to our own lives, our families, and our shared values, while daring us to imagine new possibilities. The performance on 3 March will be followed by a Post Show Talk hosted by Ben Wright.
Choreodrome: Making Progress
Every summer, The Place, London’s leading centre for dance and performance, is excited to welcome a new annual cohort of Choreodrome artists to its building for two-week long residencies, to research and work on new ideas.
Choreodrome is one of the most important dance development programmes in the UK, enabling artists to explore new territories and have access to tailored support. It’s part of The Place’s range of artist development opportunities designed to nurture talent and facilitate the growth of independent artists’ creativity and sustainability. The 17 artists selected this year are researching ideas across a wide range of practices, from Hip Hop and South Asian dance practices to circus, and playing with ideas around poetry, ancestry and identity, generational conflict, family ties and human relationships in all their forms.
Eight dance makers share works-in-progress in a series of short performances, developed through The Place’s Choreodrome residency in Summer 2025. Expect beautiful, bold and bonkers experiments as these artists try new things in our intimate studio theatre! Choreodrome: making progress (previously known as Touch Wood) takes place across two evenings, both of which end in a facilitated feedback session with the choreographers and performers. Choreodrome residency and commission programme provides dance makers with a nurturing space, time, and resources to develop new ideas. Artists:Bea Bidault, Gary Clarke, Shanelle 'Tali' Fergus, Christopher Matthews, Oluwatosin Omotosho, Max Revell, Christopher Reyes and Darcy Wallace.
Performing on 9 and 10 September
« Je danse donc je suis »
Trois spectacles chorégraphiques organisés par MulVaBé Danse et Cyberdanse Paris
Dimanche 18 mai 2025 13h00 à14h00 = Flamenco et Danse classique 14h30 à 15h30 = Atelier d’expression et Danse classique 16h00 à 17h00 = French cancan et Danse classique
Gymnase Vaugirard-Littré 87 rue de Vaugirard 75006 Paris
Entrée gratuite Informations : benedicteohara@gmail.com Mulvabe Danse Cyberdanse Paris Programme : Danse classique, French cancan, Flamenco, Contemporain et Ateliers **************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** Royal Academy of Dance: Celebrating 70 Years of Karsavina By: Amy Growcott Tamara-Karsavina-as-Giselle-(1910) The week commencing the 28th October was a very artistic and ballet-ful week for me. I took a five-day trip to one of my favourite cities, London for the first time in over a year and I returned to the Royal Opera House, now known as the Royal Ballet & Opera for the first time in several years where I attended a wonderful performance of Christopher Wheeldon’s Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland. But in this article, I am writing about another event that I attended. On Wednesday 30th October, a special event took place at the Royal Academy of Dance, Celebrating 70 Years of Karsavina, a celebration marking 70 years of the establishment of the Karsavina syllabus, a teaching syllabus that was established and developed by British ballet dancer, choreographer and teacher Keith Lester and the legendary Prima Ballerina Tamara Karsavina. For the majority of the attendees, all of whom (except for myself) were RAD graduates, this was a visit to the past and the resurfacing of beautiful memories. For me, it was something brand new. Firstly, this was my first time visiting the Royal Academy of Dance, a place to which I have a connection because for the four years that I did ballet, I was taught the RAD syllabus by my teacher Rana O’Brien. Secondly, I was a newcomer learning about something I was unfamiliar with. Of course, I have long known about Karsavina herself, but I was unaware that there was a syllabus named after her that she had contributed to, so to be introduced to this syllabus was very exciting. Like everyone, I am familiar with the world-famous teaching syllabuses of Balanchine, Bournonville, Cecchetti and Vaganova. However, I must confess that I would be lying if I said I was an expert in all of them because I certainly am not. It was refreshing to learn about another syllabus, especially one that is not universally known and has its roots stemming to the greatest artists in all of ballet. The RAD studio in which the event took place The event began with an introduction by Dr Michelle Groves, Director of Education and Labanotation practitioner and teacher, who was a student of Keith Lester and the later Dr Ann Hutchinson-Guest. Then, we had a Karsavina class taught by Virginia Parkinson, a student of Keith Lester, and Louise Jefferson, an RAD graduate and teacher, to current RAD students with Martin Cleeves on the piano. The syllabus is technically difficult and is made up of elements of Fokine, the Imperial Ballet and Cecchetti, though as time went on, new elements were incorporated. Some notes that I made about the syllabus when watching the class: The barre work is repetitive, which is essential for building technique, and repetition is a primary element of the whole syllabus because it is stronger than choreographed exercises for muscle memory development. Some of the barre exercises included battement frappé au terre, I think (please forgive my bad French) and rond de jambe en l’air done full circle, mid-calve. Développé allongée Grand battements - 1 slow, 2 fast There was also a lot of use of port de bras at the barre for perfect balance between the arms and legs. In the centre, the Karsavina syllabus uses four port de bras: 1st port de bras is in the style of Fokine; 2nd port de bras is in the style of Imperial Ballet; 3rd port de bras in the style of Cecchetti, and the 4th port de bras, known as Solo Seal, was introduced in 1998 by Rachel Cameron, a student of Keith Lester, and is in the style of the Romantic Ballet. The syllabus has seven pirouettes and we were shown the 2nd pirouette, which is Romantic-styled, especially with the use of the arms where one arm moves and the other follows. Musicality is a key element of the syllabus and it includes different dance rhythms, e.g. Mazurka. There is also no musical introduction for the exercises, especially for the barre exercises; they start on the first note. The syllabus originally contained 15 enchainements, but now, it has 27. The enchainements are short in length, which was Karsvaina’s intention; she intended to focus on certain steps rather than throwing in everything but the kitchen sink. She also nicknamed the enchainements based on what they seemingly represented, e.g. “Spanish”, “Bournonville”, etc; we were shown a coupé balloné nicknamed “Giselle”, which is performed to the music of the Valse from Act 1 of Giselle. It was also interesting to hear the teachers quoting Karsavina, for example, when Battement tendus were performed at the barre, Louise Jefferson said that Karsavina had said, “You can never do enough tendus.” Hearing quotes from Karsavina made one understand the syllabus, but they also explained her intentions, saying that the syllabus is a personal presentation of the body and mind of each dancer, allowing them to showcase their own individualities. This syllabus is still very relevant today and carries the same philosophies as those of Balanchine and Cecchetti. Tamara Karsavina as the Firebird (1912) After the class, there was another class for the attendees. I, myself, didn’t participate, but many of the others guests, the RAD graduates, did and for them, this was a wonderful trip down memory lane. After lunch, there was a historical presentation by Andrew Foster about Karsavina herself, with Andrew giving an insight into her life and career. Andrew is a brilliant ballet historian with wonderful knowledge of Karsavina and the Ballets Russes. He is also the author of Tamara Karsavina: Diaghilev’s Ballerina, of which he was also signing copies in the RAD library. To see him give a presentation about Karsavina was a real pleasure. After Andrew’s presentation came another by Rosie Gerhard, RAD lecturer in Dance Studies and founder and co-owner of the blog British Ballet Now & Then, about probably Karsavina’s most famous role, the Firebird. Rosie gave a very interesting presentation and insight into the character of the Firebird, bringing attention to the fact that she is not really a heroic character. Rosie touched on comments from Karsavina that state the Firebird is a bird of prey, a fierce, proud, man-eater, who does not assist Ivan out of kindness, but for herself, for her freedom. Rosie even drew up some similarities between the Firebird and another character from Karsavina’s Ballets Russes repertoire, Queen Thamar, an evil Georgian queen, who murders a young prince, in regards to Karsavina’s portrayal of the two characters and how she coached others for the Firebird, most notably, Margot Fonteyn. Of course, it’s always a pleasure to hear and learn more about Tamara Karsavina, but there was another name that was often mentioned and spoken of - Keith Lester. An overlooked figure in the ballet world, Lester was a ballet dancer, choreographer and teacher; he was trained by Serafina Astafieva, Nikolai Legat and Mikhail Fokine. He also partnered some of the greatest ballerinas and dancers, including Karsavina, Olga Spessivtseva and Ida Rubenstein. In 1935, he was recruited by the Dolin-Markova company and for their company, he revived and recreated the Pas de Quatre, inspired by the famous Chalon lithograph the original 1845 ballet by Jules Perrot and Cesare Pugni. He later worked at the Windmill Theatre before becoming a much loved and respected teacher at the RAD. There is fierce loyalty to Lester within the RAD, but he is a figure who deserves more recognition and credit for being the real reviver of the Pas de Quatre. Hearing his students speak of him, what sort of teacher he was and learning of his role in the establishment of the Karsavina syllabus only adds to the thirst to want to know more about this somewhat mysterious figure in ballet history. Tamara Karsavina and Keith Lester (London, 1928) To sum up, this was an event and experience I really enjoyed as it saw me entering some unknown territory and learning more about Keith Lester, someone who I had been unaware of until July 2024, added to the excitement. The Karsavina syllabus is a beautiful, but technically difficult syllabus and it is currently only taught at the RAD, though many of its students, who are now teachers, use many of its aesthetics in their teachings. The Faculty staff, however, expressed the desire to open more doors to enable the syllabus to be introduced to more people within the field. I hope that more doors will open and more people will be introduced to the Karsavina syllabus because it is a treasure that should not be kept confined to one place. There are two missions to be done here - to get more people (students, dancers, choreographers, teachers, etc) introduced to the Karsavina syllabus and to bring more recognition to the long neglected legacy of Keith Lester. ************************************************************************************************************************************************************************* « Les filles mal gardées » Spectacle chorégraphique organisé par MulVaBé Danse et Cyberdanse Paris Dimanche 25 juin 2023 1 ère séance : 12h00 2 ème séance : 14h30 Gymnase Vaugirard-Littré 87 rue de Vaugirard 75006 Paris Informations & réservations : benedicteohara@gmail.com www.mulvabe.com www.cyberdanseparis.com Programme : Danse classique, French cancan, Flamenco, Contemporain et Ateliers ************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
benedicteohara@gmail.com
Programme : Danse classique, French cancan, Flamenco, Contemporain et Ateliers
Royal Academy of Dance: Celebrating 70 Years of Karsavina
By: Amy Growcott
Tamara-Karsavina-as-Giselle-(1910)
The week commencing the 28th October was a very artistic and ballet-ful week for me. I took a five-day trip to one of my favourite cities, London for the first time in over a year and I returned to the Royal Opera House, now known as the Royal Ballet & Opera for the first time in several years where I attended a wonderful performance of Christopher Wheeldon’s Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland. But in this article, I am writing about another event that I attended.
On Wednesday 30th October, a special event took place at the Royal Academy of Dance, Celebrating 70 Years of Karsavina, a celebration marking 70 years of the establishment of the Karsavina syllabus, a teaching syllabus that was established and developed by British ballet dancer, choreographer and teacher Keith Lester and the legendary Prima Ballerina Tamara Karsavina. For the majority of the attendees, all of whom (except for myself) were RAD graduates, this was a visit to the past and the resurfacing of beautiful memories. For me, it was something brand new. Firstly, this was my first time visiting the Royal Academy of Dance, a place to which I have a connection because for the four years that I did ballet, I was taught the RAD syllabus by my teacher Rana O’Brien. Secondly, I was a newcomer learning about something I was unfamiliar with. Of course, I have long known about Karsavina herself, but I was unaware that there was a syllabus named after her that she had contributed to, so to be introduced to this syllabus was very exciting. Like everyone, I am familiar with the world-famous teaching syllabuses of Balanchine, Bournonville, Cecchetti and Vaganova. However, I must confess that I would be lying if I said I was an expert in all of them because I certainly am not. It was refreshing to learn about another syllabus, especially one that is not universally known and has its roots stemming to the greatest artists in all of ballet. The RAD studio in which the event took place The event began with an introduction by Dr Michelle Groves, Director of Education and Labanotation practitioner and teacher, who was a student of Keith Lester and the later Dr Ann Hutchinson-Guest. Then, we had a Karsavina class taught by Virginia Parkinson, a student of Keith Lester, and Louise Jefferson, an RAD graduate and teacher, to current RAD students with Martin Cleeves on the piano. The syllabus is technically difficult and is made up of elements of Fokine, the Imperial Ballet and Cecchetti, though as time went on, new elements were incorporated. Some notes that I made about the syllabus when watching the class: The barre work is repetitive, which is essential for building technique, and repetition is a primary element of the whole syllabus because it is stronger than choreographed exercises for muscle memory development. Some of the barre exercises included battement frappé au terre, I think (please forgive my bad French) and rond de jambe en l’air done full circle, mid-calve. Développé allongée Grand battements - 1 slow, 2 fast There was also a lot of use of port de bras at the barre for perfect balance between the arms and legs. In the centre, the Karsavina syllabus uses four port de bras: 1st port de bras is in the style of Fokine; 2nd port de bras is in the style of Imperial Ballet; 3rd port de bras in the style of Cecchetti, and the 4th port de bras, known as Solo Seal, was introduced in 1998 by Rachel Cameron, a student of Keith Lester, and is in the style of the Romantic Ballet. The syllabus has seven pirouettes and we were shown the 2nd pirouette, which is Romantic-styled, especially with the use of the arms where one arm moves and the other follows. Musicality is a key element of the syllabus and it includes different dance rhythms, e.g. Mazurka. There is also no musical introduction for the exercises, especially for the barre exercises; they start on the first note. The syllabus originally contained 15 enchainements, but now, it has 27. The enchainements are short in length, which was Karsvaina’s intention; she intended to focus on certain steps rather than throwing in everything but the kitchen sink. She also nicknamed the enchainements based on what they seemingly represented, e.g. “Spanish”, “Bournonville”, etc; we were shown a coupé balloné nicknamed “Giselle”, which is performed to the music of the Valse from Act 1 of Giselle. It was also interesting to hear the teachers quoting Karsavina, for example, when Battement tendus were performed at the barre, Louise Jefferson said that Karsavina had said, “You can never do enough tendus.” Hearing quotes from Karsavina made one understand the syllabus, but they also explained her intentions, saying that the syllabus is a personal presentation of the body and mind of each dancer, allowing them to showcase their own individualities. This syllabus is still very relevant today and carries the same philosophies as those of Balanchine and Cecchetti. Tamara Karsavina as the Firebird (1912) After the class, there was another class for the attendees. I, myself, didn’t participate, but many of the others guests, the RAD graduates, did and for them, this was a wonderful trip down memory lane. After lunch, there was a historical presentation by Andrew Foster about Karsavina herself, with Andrew giving an insight into her life and career. Andrew is a brilliant ballet historian with wonderful knowledge of Karsavina and the Ballets Russes. He is also the author of Tamara Karsavina: Diaghilev’s Ballerina, of which he was also signing copies in the RAD library. To see him give a presentation about Karsavina was a real pleasure. After Andrew’s presentation came another by Rosie Gerhard, RAD lecturer in Dance Studies and founder and co-owner of the blog British Ballet Now & Then, about probably Karsavina’s most famous role, the Firebird. Rosie gave a very interesting presentation and insight into the character of the Firebird, bringing attention to the fact that she is not really a heroic character. Rosie touched on comments from Karsavina that state the Firebird is a bird of prey, a fierce, proud, man-eater, who does not assist Ivan out of kindness, but for herself, for her freedom. Rosie even drew up some similarities between the Firebird and another character from Karsavina’s Ballets Russes repertoire, Queen Thamar, an evil Georgian queen, who murders a young prince, in regards to Karsavina’s portrayal of the two characters and how she coached others for the Firebird, most notably, Margot Fonteyn. Of course, it’s always a pleasure to hear and learn more about Tamara Karsavina, but there was another name that was often mentioned and spoken of - Keith Lester. An overlooked figure in the ballet world, Lester was a ballet dancer, choreographer and teacher; he was trained by Serafina Astafieva, Nikolai Legat and Mikhail Fokine. He also partnered some of the greatest ballerinas and dancers, including Karsavina, Olga Spessivtseva and Ida Rubenstein. In 1935, he was recruited by the Dolin-Markova company and for their company, he revived and recreated the Pas de Quatre, inspired by the famous Chalon lithograph the original 1845 ballet by Jules Perrot and Cesare Pugni. He later worked at the Windmill Theatre before becoming a much loved and respected teacher at the RAD. There is fierce loyalty to Lester within the RAD, but he is a figure who deserves more recognition and credit for being the real reviver of the Pas de Quatre. Hearing his students speak of him, what sort of teacher he was and learning of his role in the establishment of the Karsavina syllabus only adds to the thirst to want to know more about this somewhat mysterious figure in ballet history. Tamara Karsavina and Keith Lester (London, 1928) To sum up, this was an event and experience I really enjoyed as it saw me entering some unknown territory and learning more about Keith Lester, someone who I had been unaware of until July 2024, added to the excitement. The Karsavina syllabus is a beautiful, but technically difficult syllabus and it is currently only taught at the RAD, though many of its students, who are now teachers, use many of its aesthetics in their teachings. The Faculty staff, however, expressed the desire to open more doors to enable the syllabus to be introduced to more people within the field. I hope that more doors will open and more people will be introduced to the Karsavina syllabus because it is a treasure that should not be kept confined to one place. There are two missions to be done here - to get more people (students, dancers, choreographers, teachers, etc) introduced to the Karsavina syllabus and to bring more recognition to the long neglected legacy of Keith Lester.
« Les filles mal gardées »
Spectacle chorégraphique organisé par MulVaBé Danse et Cyberdanse Paris
Dimanche 25 juin 2023 1 ère séance : 12h00 2 ème séance : 14h30
Informations & réservations : benedicteohara@gmail.com