Vlasta – Ultra-minimal-ballet

Description

The new theater project by the dance group Ultra-minimal-ballet Vlasta is a docudrama and also site-specific. Three dancers, one actor, and projections will bring us images from the extraordinary life of Vlasta. Vlasta, who jumped out of a window, who was raped as a child, who was wrongfully accused, who spent her youth in a concentration camp, who was rejected by her own father after the war, who fell in love, who got divorced, who also jumped out of windows, who swallowed diazepam, who became a terror to her neighbors, who heard Jožin from the Swamps everywhere, everywhere. Texts from period official documents, real letters are worked with, and a recording of an interview with the daughter of the titular character is used. Time here does not have to flow linearly; 'high' and 'low' art mix. Situations can be viewed from different perspectives and may appear tragicomic. For Vlasta and the observer, it is often not entirely clear who is whose mother, daughter, man, son, father, tormentor... or who she is to herself. The themes are very contemporary, actually timeless, although they are shown to us through a past era so that we can look at things 'from elsewhere.' This is the goal and intention – to let the audience look at themselves 'from elsewhere.' To offer an external perspective and the resulting tolerance as a solution to their own and others' pains. And therefore, we do not find any visual attributes of the given era. Everything happens now... in many places in today's world... still... unfortunately. Divadelní noviny – Jana Bohutínská “Facing such a topic requires enormous courage, processing it into an artistic work demands fundamental respect (also for what is not known in the story, what remains a mystery), empathy, and sensitivity. In Alena Pešková's production, I find all of this in abundance. As a creator, she does not take the path of scenic detours, subtle hints, and elusive symbolism. She tries to convey the unembellished rawness of the story in a documentary manner, including heightened emotions.” Taneční zóna – Tomáš Kubart “In Vlasta, the maturity of Alena Pešková's authorship meets the need for quietness and a return to the essential. After years when her work oscillated between expressive theatricality and stylized grotesque, this time she turns her attention to simple, almost liturgical gestures. The dancing body in her conception becomes a bearer of memory and guilt, but also of purification. It is not a reconstruction, but presence – quiet, concentrated, and painfully beautiful.” Taneční aktuality – Roman Vašek “The production Vlasta does not deviate from Alena Pešková's artistic path so far. The chosen theme, theatrical vision, urging often to overly expressive acting, the desire to risk, to search and discover. I admit, this path, driven by a strong creative engine, entertains me.” Opera+ – Lucie Kocourková “Vlasta is impressive without crossing the line of parody or disgust. The cadence of its dynamics never lags, it works with details, the timing of actions goes hand in hand with atmospheric changes in light and music. And the fact that the audience is within arm's reach of the performers is also crucial.” The performance is not suitable for audiences under 12 years old. It contains depictions of violence. Premiere: 12.10. 2025