Eifman Ballet founder joins company on his maiden visit, their fifth

The Eifman Ballet founder and artistic director Boris Eifman made his first visit to Shanghai during the 23rd China Shanghai International Arts Festival.

Despite it being the renowned choreographer's maiden visit, his daring style and dazzling creations had already won him a large number of followers in Shanghai and China.

It will also be the St Petersburg-based ballet company's fifth visit to Shanghai since 2015. Their works are often inspired by classic Russian literature including Alexander Pushkin's "Eugene Onegin," Lev Tostoy's "Anna Karenina," and Fyodor Dostoyevsky's "The Brothers Karamazov."

On this visit, the ballet has again brought the always popular "Anna Karenina," which will be followed by the Shanghai debut of "Russian Hamlet," a 2017 revised version based on Russian royal historical figures Paul I and his mother Empress Catherine II.

Born in Rubtsovsk, Siberia, Eifman graduated from the Kishinev Ballet School before performing as a dancer with the Kishinev Opera and Ballet Theater. He went on to study choreography at the Leningrad Conservatory with Georgi Aleksidze.

In 1977, Eifman received permission to found his own company, originally known as the Leningrad Theatre of Contemporary Ballet. He won attention by choreographing ballet to music by Pink Floyd and using daring themes.

To date, the 78-year-old has created over 50 works and is known for his "philosophical theater" concept, which emphasizes characters' and performers' emotions. Eifman Ballet dancers' superb skills in throwing and jumping can rival acrobatic moves.

In an interview with Shanghai Daily, Eifman introduced his creative philosophy and what makes Eifman Ballet truly unique in the Russian ballet world.

Q: There are so many great ballet companies in Russia. How do you make Eifman Ballet stand out?

Eifman: Indeed, Russia already has a lot of ballet giants like the Bolshoi Ballet and the Mariinsky Ballet (both visited Shanghai last month). That's why from the very beginning, I wanted to establish a very different new company. I pay more attention to adding the emotions and personality of the characters into the ballet.

For example, the Mariinsky version of "Swan Lake" is very classic and beautiful, but it lacks emotional expression. Apart from showing beauty, works like this can no longer impress or impact the audience. Ballet should not be like exhibits in museums that remain unchanged for a century. There can be changes and audiences expect innovations.

I myself am a fan of Mariinsky, and I learned ballet at the Bolshoi. At the same time, I want to create modern and impressive ballet and attract audiences, especially the younger ones, to the theater amid numerous information and entertainment choices.

Q: You seem to like adapting classic literature a lot, such as Anna Karenina, which is being performed in Shanghai for the fifth time.

E: I like Russian literary masterpieces very much. They contain everything. When I adapt, I keep the story, but created completely new characters and a different plot. Anna Karenina is a literary character that I can relate to from my heart very well. The thing about these adaptations is that they have to move me deeply first before I can find a way to move the audience with the dancers.

Q: Is it true that the Eifman Ballet has a height standard of 180cm for men and 175cm for women when recruiting?

E: There are indeed specific height criteria and each dancer is selected by me personally. Dance should show the beauty of body lines. In addition to height, appearance, and professional dancing skills, my ballet dancers also need to have the ability to convey emotions to the audience.

Q: How do you deal with controversy when establishing a ballet company that is different from traditional ones? How do you maintain your creative passion over the years?

E: There are always difficulties, whether it's the venue problem in the early stage, the personnel issue during our development, or the choice of the themes. Some challenges come from myself, for example, some of Dostoevsky's works are very philosophical and not suitable for adaptation. I need to create a completely new story outline and structure to turn it into a dance, and make it attractive to audiences.

I feel like I was born to be a dance choreographer. For the past 47 years, I have worked from 9:30am to 10:30pm every day. I work with the dancers, and think about how to turn new ideas into dance moves. I am very encouraged that the ballet I created in St Petersburg can be loved by so many audiences all over the world, including Europe, the United States and China.

It is easy to achieve success, but it takes a lot of effort to maintain it.