The Ukrainian-born dancer Ivan Putrov created Men in Motion at London's Sadler's Wells theatre in 2012. It's a varied collection of short dance pieces, seeking to redefine what the male dancer can do on stage. Now the show is returning to Kyiv after its successful premier show at Ukraine’s capital National Opera House over a year ago.
Over the past couple of years Men in Motion concept has attracted an impressive range of male dancers from major companies in Britain and elsewhere. The fact that pieces in the show are choreographed exclusively for men inevitably changes the dynamics from more traditional staging.
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Previously the role of the male dancer was very much to support the ballerina but that has been changing and what Men in Motion are doing is part of that process. Putrov insists the idea is not to eliminate female dancers but to explore more deeply what men can do on stage.
There is also a full orchestra and choir and the evening shows will include choreography to classical pieces by Weber, Mozart and Stravinsky.
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Ivan Putrov has been based in London for more than 15 years but he's aware of his Ukrainian origin and the way it influenced him. He comes from a family of ballet dancers; his mother, Natalia Berezina-Putrova, was a star of the Ukrainian National Opera and Ballet Theatre and his father, Oleksandr, was a soloist. “I was pretty much born in a theatre,” Ivan says. “This is the world I love and want to be part of.”
Men in Motion in Ukraine will take place under the patronage of Ukrainian Minister of Culture Eugene Nishchyk.
Photo source: PR Department; Photo by Kseniya Panchenko.