Ballet
Synopsis
This contemporary ballet reimagines Bizet's iconic opera Carmen through the lens of choreographer Jiří Bubeníček, building on the legacy of Roland Petit's groundbreaking 1949 ballet adaptation. The work draws from multiple musical sources—Bizet's original opera score alongside compositions by Manuel de Falla, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, and Bonolis—to create a fresh orchestral tapestry. The narrative follows the passionate and defiant Carmen, a cigarette factory worker whose magnetic allure and fierce independence captivate the soldier Don José, leading him down a path of obsession and ruin. Through dance, the ballet explores themes of desire, freedom, and the destructive power of unchecked passion, translating the opera's dramatic intensity into kinetic movement. Bubeníček's choreography channels the sensuality and drama of the source material while offering a distinctly balletic interpretation of this timeless tale of love and tragedy.