In 1988-1989, Giorgi Aleksidze and director Guram Meliva created and carried out at Zakaria Paliashvili Tbilisi State Opera and Ballet Theatre a programme of contemporary ballets that differed from one another. They took this programme on a tour to Greece, the Montpelier Festival in France and to Moscow’s Intertheatre.
Along with other ballets, the programme included the performance entitled Connexion, staged to the music by Alfred Schnittke, one of the most distinguished composers of the 20th century, and a choreographic piece about Niko Pirosmani staged to the symphony Pirosmani by the renowned Georgian composer, Sulkhan Nasidze.
Contemporary ballets were styled according to the director’s contemporary vision and, at the same time, was an interesting example of the synthesis of classical dramaturgy, neoclassical dance and contemporary ballet.
The lead part in Connexion was performed by Irma Nioradze: a novice ballet dancer at the time, the future of a prima ballerina was predicted to her at the Montpelier Festival in France. Tbilisi Ballet soloist Tamaz Vashakidze danced the part of Pirosmani.
Connexion and Pirosmani were restored by Mariam Aleksidze and will be performed for the first time at the evening dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Giorgi Aleksidze presented by Giorgi Aleksidze Tbilisi Contemporary Ballet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kh9syLeHilQ&ab_channel=GiorgiAleksidzeTbilisiContemporaryBallet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWw5yIyeuuQ&ab_channel=GiorgiAleksidzeTbilisiContemporaryBallet
Grand Stage
Giorgi Aleksidze 80
Premiere of Giorgi Aleksidze Tbilisi Contemporary Ballet
Contemporary Ballets by Giorgi Aleksidze
Director – Guram Meliva
Costume Designer – Ushangi Imerlishvili
Giorgi Aleksidze’s contemporary ballets restored by Mariam Aleksidze
Ballet Masters – Marina Aleksidze (Merited Artist of Georgia)
and Ketevan Mukhashavria
Stage Manager – Niala Godziashvili
Act One
Alfred Schnittke
Concerto Grosso No. 1
CONNEXION
Woman – Mariam Darchia
Man – Intigam Mammadov
Babunaki – Natalia Kukuladze
Mephistopheles – Mariam Koiava
Centaur – Levan Tsintsadze
Geisha – Tinatin Mchedlidze
Toreador – David Ananiashvili
Spring – Gvantsa Gelashvili, Tinatin Baramidze
Judges – Zurab Birkaia, Roman Dvali, Nikoloz Kobakhidze, Erekle Zhgenti
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kh9syLeHilQ&ab_channel=GiorgiAleksidzeTbilisiContemporaryBallet
Act Two
Sulkhan Nasidze
Symphony No. 5 “Pirosmani”
PIROSMANI
Pirosmani – David Ananiashvili
Actress Margarita – Natalia Kukuladze
Muse - Mariam Darchia
Death – Mariam Koiava
Ballet Master – Intigam Mammadov
Café chantant dancers – Tinatin Mtchedlidze, Gvantsa Gelashvili
Jesters – Tinatin Baramidze, Levan Tsintsadze
Characters:
Zurab Birkaia, Tamar Gabunia, Sesili Davitadze, Roman Dvali, Nikoloz Kobakhidze, Anastasia Lortkipanidze, Lasha Nutsubidze, Erekle Zhgenti, Natalia Shilakadze
The performance was organized by the administrative team of Giorgi Aleksidze Tbilisi Contemporary Ballet Chamber Company
All rights to Giorgi Aleksidze’s choreography are reserved by Marina Aleksidze
(Merited Artist of Georgia)
2019/2020 Season of Giorgi Aleksidze Tbilisi Contemporary Ballet
Company Artistic Director – Mariam Aleksidze
The premiere was held on 12 November 2019
On the poster – Mariam Darchia
Photo by Tina Kazakhishvili
Design by Besik Danelia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWw5yIyeuuQ&ab_channel=GiorgiAleksidzeTbilisiContemporaryBallet