Discover Modern Ukrainian Ballet in 360 degrees

Explore "Fates" - a new type of performance at the Odesa Opera House

Fragment from the ballet "Fates" by Nadiya Babich by ©2023 Odessa National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre. All rights reserved.CFC Big Ideas in association with the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy

Serhiy Kon, author of the libretto, choreographer-director

"I am sure that there is no person who at least once in his life has not wondered what fate is? Is it something that is determined at birth, or is it a series of life events in which we have the opportunity to choose? Is fate inevitable, or is there still freedom of choice?"

The ballet Fates does not give an unequivocal answer to these questions. Rather, these are reflections on the topics of human destinies, meetings and losses.

Fragment from the ballet "Fates" by Nadiya Babich by ©2023 Odessa National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre. All rights reserved.CFC Big Ideas in association with the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy

Ballet Fates is an author's project of the Odesa Opera House, an example of a unique experience of creating a performance, which can safely be called a "documentary ballet" – a completely new genre in the field of modern ballet art.

Fragment from the ballet "Fates" by Nadiya Babich by ©2023 Odessa National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre. All rights reserved.CFC Big Ideas in association with the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy

The stories presented are based on real events. These are stories from the lives of real people whose house was visited by Fate. And there are no recipes and no way out, but there is a search for a solution. And the question remains open – can we influence our destiny?

Fragment from the ballet "Fates" by Nadiya Babich by ©2023 Odessa National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre. All rights reserved.CFC Big Ideas in association with the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy

The author's choreography of the ballet is solved in a modern polystylistic manner using various dance techniques and elements of pantomime. 

Now sit back and watch some scenes from the ballet in 360 degrees.

Scene 1: "A city"

People are living their peaceful city life: a man is waiting on his beloved, cheerful students are hurrying to class, girls are walking around the city enjoying a beautiful day, a photographer is capturing the moments of a megapolis’s life that will never happen again…

Scene 2: "A Guy and a Girl"

The apartments of a Guy and a Girl. Both of them are living their own lives, with their worries and mood swings, hardly ever wondering who could be living behind the wall. Fate interferes with their lives. 

Scene 3: "Antihero"

The apartment of Antihero. A disconcerted young man enters and turns on the TV. The flow of information about recent events completely consumes him, makes him panic. Afterward, however, “sobered up” from fear, he decides to use the circumstances and become one of the “greats”...

Scene 4: "A married couple"

The apartment of a married couple that has lived together for many years. An irreparable loss, the death of their child took away all the meaning from their family life. Fate interferes here as well. A young woman with a baby in her arms burst into their apartment. 

Scene 5: "A Photographer"

The apartment of a Photographer and his Wife. Through his camera, he can see things that many cannot, although, after each trip, he gets more and more grey hair. The Photographer looks out of the window. What he sees makes him grab his camera and run outside.

Scene 6: "The ruined city"

Now, the city hardly looks like something it used to be. Antihero appears. Having mastered the art of informational influence, he lines people up as an obedient herd. The people turn into submissive “chess pieces”.

Scene 7: "The Photographer and Antihero"

In the heat of the moment, Antihero snatches the camera from the photographer’s hands. Using it as a gun, he presses the shutter button, making people disappear. He points the camera at the photographer’s wife. Only Antihero, insane from realizing his power over people, is left.

Fragment from the ballet "Fates" by Nadiya Babich by ©2023 Odessa National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre. All rights reserved.CFC Big Ideas in association with the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy

"Epilogue"

We are responsible for every moment of life that fate gives us. No one knows what awaits them tomorrow, what kind of tests will need to be passed, what kind of price needs to be paid. We need to believe that each step we take brings us closer to peace, happiness, and light.

Credits: Story

Ballet "Fates"

Odesa National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre

DIRECTOR: Nadiia Babich
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR: Nadiia Babich
COMPOSER: Yuliya Gomelska 
LIBRETTO AUTHOR AND CHOREOGRAPHER: soloist of the "Kyiv Modern Ballet" theater (2005 - 2015), laureate of international competitions, winner of the "Kyiv pectoral" prize (2016) Sergey Kon
PRODUCING CONDUCTOR: Vitaly Kovalchuk
SET DESIGNER: Tatiana Ivanova
COSTUME DESIGNER: Sergey Vasiliev
CHOIRMASTER: Ivan Gazinsky
ACTING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF THE BALLET: Honorary Artist of Ukraine, Harry Sevoyan

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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