Carmen

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Following its six sold-out performances in February, along with the rave reviews from the audience, the production of Carmen choreographed by Johan Inger and performed by the Greek National Opera Ballet returns for three extra unique performances. The successful ballet production, conducted by Konstantinos Terzakis and Ektoras Tartanis, will be presented in the Stavros Niarchos Hall at the SNFCC, on 11, 12 and 14 July 2024. The production is made possible by a grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) [www.SNF.org] to enhance the Greek National Opera’s artistic outreach.

Internationally acclaimed choreographer Johan Inger created a new fascinating choreography for Bizet’s heroine –considered a symbol of love and freedom– and his prime concern was to offer up a new take on this famous story. In an effort to inspire audiences to see the action through a filter of innocence, Inger presents the story through the eyes of a child.

The choreographer notes: “My Carmen is not only based on the female protagonist of the story; like Mérimée’s original, my ballet also focuses on Don José’s love sickness – on a man who, unable to accept the freedom of his beloved, sets forth on a path down to hell, driven by his primal instincts: passion and revenge. There is an element of mystery in this character: it could be a child, it could be Don José. It could even be us, with our primeval goodness lacerated by the experience of violence which, though short-lived, may have negatively influenced our lives and our ability to relate to others forever.”

Carmen was first presented by the Spanish National Dance Company (Compañía Nacional de Danza) where it was met with resounding success. An evidence of its global appeal is that it has already been successfully presented in Monte Carlo, as well as in Sydney by Australia’s National Ballet, and in London by the English National Ballet.

Born in Stockholm in 1967, the Swede Johan Inger joined Nederlands Dans Theater 1 in 1990 and was a high-profile dancer of the company until 2002. His debut as choreographer (1995), also for Nederlands Dans Theater, quickly became promising with immediate recognition. Johan left Nederlands Dans Theater to take on the artistic leadership of Cullberg Ballet in Stockholm in 2003 where he created numerous works. Since 2008, Johan works as freelance choreographer and creates for many companies around the globe such as GöteborgsOperan, Ballet Basel, Swedish National Ballet, Compañía Nacional de Danza, Aterballetto, Lyon Opera Ballet, Les Ballets de Monte Carlo and of course Nederlands Dans Theater, holding the position as Associate Choreographer from 2009 to 2016. He has been honoured with several awards, including the Lucas Hoving Production and the Danza & Danza awards, as well as the Benois de la Danse Prize. In 2022, Johan Inger also became artistic director of Take Off Dance, a training programme for pre-professional dancers between the ages of 18 and 24 based in Sevilla.

In this choreography by Inger, the ballet version of the Carmen story by Rodion Shchedrin – Georges Bizet, in a new orchestration by Álvaro Domínguez Vázquez, enters into dialogue with original music written by Marc Álvarez. The production features dramaturgy by Gregor Acuña-Pohl, sets by Curt Allen Wilmer and Leticia Gañán (AAPEE) with studio deDos, costumes by David Delfín (revived by Maria Luisa Ramos Corrales), and lighting by Tom Visser.

The Orchestra of the Greek National Opera will be led by two highly active and emerging conductors, Konstantinos Terzakis (11/7) and Ektoras Tartanis (12, 14/7).

With the Orchestra, Principal Dancers, Soloists, Demi-Soloists and the Corps de ballet of the Greek National Opera.