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This ballet has been in Laterna Magika’s repertoire since 1995, the performance was directed by Juraj Jakubisko, the choreography was the work of Jean-Pierre Aviotte, who was also artistic director of Laterna Magika for several years.

A performance with a story

Casanova is the only true performance with an actual story in LM’s repertoire. The production is inspired by the real-life experiences of the famous adventurer and diplomat Giacomo Casanova. However, in this version he becomes more stylized and loses his historical limitations. Not only does he go through the peripety of life of the real Casanova, but also many other surroundings and historical eras up to the end of WWI.

Merta interlaced with Bach

The music for the performance was written by Zdeněk Merta, with the exception of Bach’s Concerto in E Major, used for the main love scene. Casanova and his loves interchange like a kaleidoscope before the eyes of the audience. The seducer is portrayed rather as a victim of fate, as a person who spreads wrong-doing even against his will. As a person who longs for feelings, but is himself unaware of them, so is unable to maintain them, his romantic escapades are more of an escape from himself. His life ends in ruin and obscurity, but the question of the fairness of such a fate is left open to the audience at the end of the performance.

A top dancer’s achievements

The first soloist of the National Theatre Ballet, Alexandr Katsapov is known to audiences throughout the theatre repertoire. In this year’s season he performed the title role in the premiere of the ballet Faust, he appeared as José in Mats Ek’s Carmen, in the leading role in Petr Zuska’s popular performance of Brel-Vysockij-Kryl’s Solo For Three, as well as in classical dance repertoire, for example as James in the ballet La Sylphide. He was nominated for a Thálie award this year for his portrayal of Von Rothbart in Swan Lake.

Source: www.praha.eu