Культура України (Feb 2020)
The Stage Achievements of T. Popescu (1935–2008) in Evolving the Male Dance on the Ukrainian Ballet Stage
Abstract
The purpose of the article is to present the specific features T. Popescu’s interpretation of the leading roles of the male repertoire in classical and contemporary ballet works in the historical retrospect and from the point of view of the present. Research methodology of the study is based on the interdisciplinary combination of cultural and art criticism methods, involving historical, comparative and hermeneutical methods. Results. Among the artists, who have determined the cultural determinants of the male dance in the making of the Ukrainian ballet of the twentieth century, the former soloist of the Kharkiv Opera and Ballet Theater of the People’s Artist of Ukraine T. Popescu took one of the leading places. The author analyses the stage achievements of T. K. Popescu on the academic ballet stage of Ukraine in the period of 1960–1990, when the representatives of the post-war generation were featured and there was a change of ballet master’s eras. T. K. Popescu’s role in its making was considered by the representatives of A. Vaganova school: K. Tikhomirov, V. Kaminsky, S. Sheina and the masters of the Leningrad-St. Petersburg’s stage N. Dudinskaya and K. Sergeyev. T. Popescu’s performance for the iconic roles of the Ukrainian ballet determined the ways of developing the choreographic performance in Ukraine towards the complication of the technique of the male dance, the development of its figurative diversity and emotional content. The inseparable connection with the school of classical dance of A. Vaganova has been proved and the general evolution of socio-cultural reference points in the characteristics of the male modern dance and his stage–performing practice. Novelty. The author raises the issue on the study of T. Popescu’s contribution into the treasury of the male dance both in historical and artistic and practical aspects. The practical significance of this article goes beyond the usual introductory study because it determines the evolution of cultural reference points in the characteristics of the male modern dance and its modifications on stage-performing practice.
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