Riga - European Capital of Culture 2014 candidate

from classicalto avant-gardeRiga’s International “Baltic Ballet Festival”has brought in new impulses tothe aesthetic development of Latviandance. The festival’s goal is to addsome missing, yet potentially significantthemes to Latvia’s dance scene,to qualitatively and quantitatively influencethe dance art scene and to expandthe art horizons of dance in Latvia.The ballet festival’s central events will be:A new multimedia project – an original balletperformance based on the motives ofHenrik Ibsen’s play “Peer Gynt” – in cooperationwith cultural institutions and creativepersonalities from the Nordic countries.The basis of the project’s content isa reflection of contemporary value scales,based on the Norwegian author’s immortal,classic work.A symphony orchestra concert entitled“Ballet music chefs d’oeuvres”. The programmewill consist of international classicaland modern ballet music. The vastarray of ballet music to choose from willprovide the performing orchestra withample means to further expand the stylesof music that it plays.• Guest performances in Riga by a classicalballet troupe from St. Petersburg,Russia. The Saint Petersburg ballet schooland troupe continue to maintain timeless,classical ballet traditions and to producesuperb ballet dancers, whose performancesare inspiring and provide an upliftingartistic experience.• Guest performances by outstandingmodern dance companies from Europeand the USA.• Festival opening and closing events atRiga’s central railway station and in Rigacity squares.• Gala concert with the participation ofsome of the world’s brightest dancing stars— a programme of classical and moderndance.• Latvian dance marathon — a democraticdance event with the participation ofthe audience, as well as Latvian moderndance groups and invited guests fromLithuania and Estonia.• Master dance classes for practicingdancers, in order to promote the exchangeof ideas and experience and to expand thedance teaching platform in Latvia.• Exhibitions on the theme of dance withthe participation of artists from variousEuropean countries.Where: Riga theatres and concert halls,other outdoor venues in the city, as wellas the Latvian cities of Ventspils, Valmiera,Preiļi and Jelgava.When: April and September 2014.Concept author: Lita Beiris, www.balletfestival.lv.Organisers: „Litas Beires Dance ArtCentre”.Cooperation partners: Office of the NordicCouncil in Riga, Danish Cultural Institute,French Cultural Centre in Riga, GoetheInstitute in Riga, Latvian National Opera,Latvian Modern Dance Association andLatvian Fashion Dance Studio.new music +New musical compositions will be composedespecially for this unique festival,incorporating a wide range of musicalgenres ranging from electroacousticto symphony music. These works willbe created in conceptual cooperationbetween the composers and their newpartners from the visual and stage arts,film, science and other fields.In 2008, the Latvian Composers’ Unionlaunched the annual “Latvia’s New MusicDays” festival. Its principal goal is to providelive venues for musical works thathave been penned during the past fewyears by composers from Latvia. Therange of music performed at this festivalis very wide, ranging from electroacousticmusic to large format symphony andvocal symphony works. Starting in 2010,the festival plans to introduce a more activesynthesis of various art forms, includingdance, stage and visual art within theframework of the festival. The possibility oforganizing the “Latvia’s New Music Days”festival within the framework of the 2014ECC 2014 programme would provide theopportunity to continue and to expand thisinnovative festival’s activities.Outline of “Latvia’s New Music Days” in 2014:• Musical performances in conjunctionwith other fields of art, such as dance,stage art, cinematography, visual art, aswell as science (for example, Latvia’s nationalchamber orchestra “Sinfonietta Rīga”is currently cooperating with composerKristaps Pētersons, who is composing amusical piece to accompany the screeningof the Latvian silent film “Bearslayer”. Apremiere performance, with the chamberorchestra performing Pētersons’ work whilethe movie is screened, would be possiblewithin the framework of Riga’s ECC 2014programme).• Performances by some of Europe’smost outstanding musical artists, ensemblesand conductors in the presentationof new musical works by composers fromLatvia (for example, “Ensemble Modern”,the Concertgebouw chamber orchestra,“Rambert Dance Company”, HeinzHolliger, etc.).• Along with indoor concert performances,the range of concert venues wouldbe expanded. For example, in cooperationwith multimedia artists, ‘musical objects’(electroacoustic music + installations andvideo art) would be created in conjunctionwith Riga’s ECC 2014 thematic frameworkand would be displayed outdoors in variousparts of the city.What: Music festival.Where: New Riga Theatre, Cinema Rīga,Riga Art Space, Small Guild in Riga’sOld Town, as well as a number of nontraditionalconcert venues: Riga airport,Riga central train station, shoppingcentre Galerija Centrs, various parks inRiga and Port of Riga.When: March 2014.Concept authors and creative group:the composers Kristaps Pētersonsand Gundega Šmite. Gundega Šmitealso chairs the board of the LatvianComposers’ Union, www.lks.org.lv.Organizers: Latvian Composers’ Union.Potential cooperation partners: NationalFilm Centre of Latvia, Latvian Union ofArtists and Latvian Science Centre.100 101