The Oneguin ballet, at the Colón: Beauty between love and misunderstanding

Ballet Oneginby British choreographer John Cranko (1927-1973), he made his debut at the Teatro Colón in 1994 – it was the farewell of the admirable dancers Silvia Bazilis and Raúl Candal – and then returned on many occasions, most recently in 2016.

It is always a celebration and a joy; both for those who have seen it many times and for those who see it for the first time. Now, fortunately, he is back and will be performing until 9/11.

Onegin, based on a novel in verse by Russian author Alexander Pushkin, describes the story of lost love between Tatiana, a young woman who lives with her mother and sister in a rich rural environment, and Oneguin, a sophisticated and cynical man from the capital who arrives at Tatiana’s family home and falls in love with this girl without reciprocating her.

After the years – years of stage, of course – the situation will turn around with an unexpected turn.

Other important characters in the play are Lenski, Onegin’s poet and friend despite their personalities being so opposite; and Olga, Tatiana’s sister and Lensky’s girlfriend, who with his somewhat innocent coquetry he will unintentionally unleash the tragedy with which the second act ends: in a gun duel Onegin kills his friend Lensky.

Another more episodic character, but of undoubted weight, is Prince Gremin, with whom Tatiana gets married.

Because it is an off-series job

What’s inside Onegin What makes it an exceptional work? On the one hand, in the wise and inspired way in which Cranko has preserved the academic tradition of the nineteenth century (basically that of Marius Petipa’s great ballets) and at the same time refreshed, renewed, made it intensely dramatic with typical choreographic instruments of the ‘900.

Cranko – whose choreography is taken up here by the French Thierry Michel, in charge of the staging – does not leave aside those purely dance scenes that in the nineteenth century were called divertissements; that means, choreographic variations that deviate from the plot to give the audience attractive moments for its not necessarily narrative beauty.

No, on the contrary; many scenes of Onegin it could also be called “entertainment”.

In the first act, Tatiana and Olga’s friends dance in the garden of the country house; the neighbors, young and old, dance during the somewhat rustic party in the living room of this very house; and at the beginning of the second act the much more elegant guests dance in Prince Gremin’s palace. I’m good entertainmentyou need to add.

But on the other hand, the dramatic actions that lead to the outcome of the story are in themselves so powerful and are so closely related to what we might continue to call “divertimentos”, that the overall structure of the work is flawlessof an unbeatable solidity.

Oneginhas always been a perfect work for the Ballet del Colón directed by Mario Galizzi today and that in the first performance he showed everything he knows how to give technically and interpretatively.

Characters

The central characters are obviously complex due to all the nuances they contain and for the changes they undergo as the emotional tension of the story grows.

Camila Bocca did Tatiana beautifully and very clearly in the transition from the naive girl at the beginning to the mature woman at the end. Rocío Agüero is a very young dancer, with a truly remarkable talent and who has interpreted divinely Olga.

Federico Fernández embodied Onegin -a difficult character if there is- slightly blurry in the first part, although it was strongly affirmed later, particularly in the final scene.

The role of Lenksy was played by Jiva Velázquez, a dancer of great condition who gave his character a certain freshness and charm. As with the rest of the main roles, there are many possible ways to play them. This is another key aspect and one that undoubtedly speaks to us of Onegin’s wealth.

This Sunday, September 4th, at 17:00, the function of Onegin with guest dancers of the Stuttgart Ballet: www.teatrocolon.org.ar

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Onegin

Qualification: Excellent

Choreography: John Cranko Music: PI Tchaikovsky To put: Thierry Michel interpreters; Ballet of the Colon Theater. Director: Mario Gallizzi Theater: Colón, Libertad 621, until 11 September.

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