Review of Contemporary Choreography Pieces in the Second Round (April 19–21, 2026)

The contemporary choreography competition, as always, was anticipated with mixed feelings of hope and frustration. Hope—because one wanted to believe in encountering real talent; frustration—because previous competitions had left a disappointing impression, and, unfortunately, that is what they were remembered for.

So, what did Arabesque–2026 present? Most of the pieces resembled close relatives, sharing a “standard set” of movements. These were primarily the inevitable attributes of what is commonly called contemporary: a number of acrobatic tricks (various splits, rolls over the head and knees, headstands, shoulder and neck stands, handstands, cartwheels, bridges, flips, somersaults, etc.), mixed with familiar elements of classical dance. The ratio of acrobatics to classical technique varied, but the essence remained unchanged. The result was a depressing uniformity and lack of individuality, despite the performers’ skill.

In compositions typically created for specific dancers, the performers themselves appeared free from constraint—bold and uninhibited. Yet no matter how inventive choreographers were in technical complexity, no matter how flexible and mobile the seemingly “boneless” bodies of the dancers, the pieces that stood out were those containing at least some meaning, a clear artistic concept, not to mention a coherent сюжет and dramatic development.

Let us admit: a solo piece (a monologue) is not an easy task. Yet it was successfully handled by T. Dzhanabekuly — “The Spider” (choreographer S. Kassimbayev), N. Ryzhkova — “Chimera” (choreographer Yu. Repitsyna), A. Gribkova — “Echo” (choreographer V. Podolyan), E. Mokhotaeva — “Flame” (choreographer D. Kurochkina), Shinichiro Ebe — “Syrinx” (choreographer K. Semenov), A. Khoroshilova — “Orchid” (choreographer T. Suleimanova), “Eve” (choreographer S. Raevskaya), A. Gracheva — “Swan” (choreographer N. Chetverikov), E. Tumkevich — “Ear of Grain” (choreographer V. Podolyan), B. Dandagariev — “Detective” (choreographer S. Kassimbayev), S. Dmitrieva — “Waiting Without News” (choreographer E. Selivanova), and A. Asatryan — “Song of the Moon” (choreographer A. Khasanov).

Special mention should be made of “The Gambler” set to music by S. Rachmaninoff, choreographed by N. Chetverikov and performed with technical assurance and нервная expressiveness by N. Paradashvili. A burst of energy that relieved the generally austere atmosphere came from Brazilian contestants P. Pereiro de Sousa — “Samba Vokalizado” and A. Libertini (both choreographed by G. Almeida), as well as Perm dancer L. Kachaev in “Americano” (choreographer A. Sushin).

Rare but always welcome comic sketches—echoing one another—were delightfully presented by A. Grachev — “First Date” (choreographer D. Shalaeva) and A. Kaverznikov — “First Flowers” (choreographer D. Zalessky).

K. Gorodnova intrigued the audience with the dance pantomime “Exit” (choreographer M. Kafanova). The tense interaction with a chair and a red cloth ended with the cry of a newborn child. Only then did it become clear whom the performer was portraying—a child fearful of the unknown world, whose time had come to leave the mother’s womb.

Unlike solo creators, choreographers and performers of duets have far greater expressive possibilities. Let us recall George Balanchine’s idea that once a man and a woman step onto the stage, a narrative inevitably emerges. However, not all narratives are equal. This was evident at the competition as well. The duets varied in their vocabulary and dramaturgy, being more or less engaging: A. Kalitina and V. Serkov — “Memories” (choreographer V. Arbuzova), T. Timoshenko and N. Kachaev — “I Am the Center of Attention” (choreographer A. Taranov), K. Belova and A. Baranovsky — “Talk to Me” (choreographer N. Madan), A. Morozova and D. Vedernikov — “Challenge” (choreographer D. Salimbayev), E. Nasyrova and D. Tsertsvadze — a duet from the ballet “Tesla” (choreographer O. Gabyshev).

A. Rastorguev presented three works: “Postscript”, “Elegy” (though nothing particularly elegiac was observed), and an especially inventive and poetically erotic duet set to the song “Strawberry”. In all of them, the performers demonstrated high-level mastery: S. Mordvinova — P. Kharlamov, A. Timergalieva — R. Lobas, A.-J. Pineiro — A. Mikhalev. (Rastorguev himself did not participate in the choreographers’ competition.)

Brazilian performers M.-E. Cabral and V. Santos — “Arena Castle” (again choreographed by G. Almeida) — brought a заряд of spontaneous joy, while E. Zubairova and R. Anvarov amused the audience with playful charm in “Banished from Paradise” (choreographer R. Abushakhmanov).

It is encouraging that participants have become more discerning in their choice of music: works by Lyadov, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Handel, Liszt, and Mozart were heard. However, when it comes to titles, there is still much to criticize. Here are a few examples of unsuccessful, unhelpful, or simply awkward titles: “Instructions for Maintaining Calm”, “Breaking Point”, “Whisper of a Duet”, “Light Within”, “Protected”, “Primary Movement”, “Beauty-Braid-Infection”, “Other People’s Thoughts in My Head”, “The Swan’s Touch”, “A Cloud on Me”, “The Line of Care”, “Wasteland”, “Emptiness”, “Empty House”, “The Tragedy of Turnout”, and so on.

Wise people learn from mistakes. Those who take offense at criticism do not. Let us learn—and thus become better. The pursuit of perfection is the surest path to success, even if it has no end.

Olga Rozanova
PhD in Art Studies
Member of the Press Jury