History

Vakhtang Chabukiani’s masterpiece Laurencia, based on a play of Lope de Vega Fuente Ovejuna, belongs to the tradition of classical ballet. Created at a time when “choreodrama” was considered in the Soviet Union the only acceptable form of contemporary ballet, it harks back to a genuine drama, wherein movement was a vehicle for meaning, and dance could serve as divertissement as well as dramatic purpose. At the same time, the story of a peasant revolution was obviously the ideal subject for a Soviet ballet.
      Vakhtang Chabukiani was one of the first to create a new choreographic language by means of his own particular blend of folk dance and classical dance. He asserted once and for all the importance of male dance, furthering in particular the notion of “heroic” male dance.  
   Laurencia was premiered on March 22 of 1939, at the Kirov Opera and Ballet Theatre (Mariinsky Theatre). Soliko Virsaladze designed scenery and costumes. Leading parts were performed by Natalia Dudinskaya (Laurencia), Vakhtang Chabukiani (Frondoso), Elene Chikvaidze (Jacinta) and Tatiana Vecheslova (Pascuala). On November 14, 1948, Laurencia was staged at the Tbilisi Z. Paliashvili Opera and Ballet State Theatre. Georgian prima ballerina Vera Tsignadze, famous for her distinguished and unique technical style, performed the title role. In 1956 the ballet was staged at the Bolshoi Theatre. Here Vakhtang Chabukiani partnered Maya Plisetskaya.
     Laurencia had great success everywhere it was performed – in the former USSR and other countries.
         In 1979 Vakhtang Chabukiani again revived the ballet for the Tbilisi State Opera and Ballet theatre. I. Askurava designed the scenery and costumes. Irina Jandieri, Marina Alexidze, Natalia Papinashvili, Rusudan Abashidze, Svetlana Gochiashvili, Valeri Abuladze, Zakharia Amonashvili, Vladimer Julukhadze, Nukri Magalashvili, Nugzar Makhateli, and Sergei Tereschenko performed the leading roles.     

Vakhtang Chabukiani
1910-1992

     Fames ballet dancer and ballet master, founder of Georgian classical ballet, reformer of male dance – Vakhtang Chabukiani was born in 1910 in Tbilisi. At the age of 12 he entered Perini Ballet Studio. At the age of 14, during his study in ballet studio he performed miniature Fire Flame by own choreography, at the stage of Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theatre. In 1926 he left Georgia for Leningrad State Choreographic School, where he has been studying under great Russian dancers and teachers V. Semionov, A. Shiryaev and V. Ponomaryov. In 1929-1941 Chabukiani joined Kirov Ballet as a principal dancer, and became a superstar immediately after his first performance. He originated the heroic Soviet style in male dance, but also was the perfect exponent of a true classicism, sophisticated virtuoso technique and sculptured grandeur. V. Chabukiani’s art was marked with earnest sensation, dramatic talent, inner expressiveness, and impetuous temperament. He reformed the role of male dancer in Russian classical ballet, and created pas de deux and variations, which became instant classics – variations of Basil in Don Quixote, Solor in La Bayadere, and pas de deux of Le Corsaire to name a few.
       V. Chabukiani’s repertoire included Jarji in A. Balanchivadze’s The Heart of Mountains, Frondoso in A. Krein’s Laurencia, Gorda in D. Toradze’s Gorda, Othello in A. Machavariani’s Othello (he also was the choreographer of the aforesaid ballets), Bazil in Don Quixote, Albert in Giselle, Siegfried in Swan Lake, Jerome in The Flame of Paris, Solor in La Bayadere among others.
       In 1941 V. Chabukiani returned to Georgia to become Artistic Director of the Ballet of Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theatre, and his tenure totally transformed the company. Tbilisi Ballet had been performing with huge critical and public acclaim, and their productions of The Heart of Mountains (1941), Das Walpurgienacht (1942), Chopiniana (1942), Giselle (1942), Don Quixote (1943), Esmeralda (1944), Swan Lake (1945), Sleeping Beauty (1945), The Light (1947), Laurencia (1948), Gorda (1949), Othello (1957), Demon (1961), Bolero (1962), Cinderella (1966), Dawn (1967), La Bayadere (1968), Hamlet (1971), Laurencia (1978) and many others earned to the Tbilisi Ballet reputation of one of the best ballet companies of the Soviet Union.
       V. Chabukiani had been Director of the Tbilisi Choreographic School from 1950 to 1973, and nearly every Georgian ballet artist was his pupil.
       He directed a documentary to his own screenplay “Masters of Georgian Ballet” (1955) and “Othello” (1961) as a film.
        V. Chabukiani was awarded the highest state awards of the Soviet Union and Georgia for his outstanding contribution to the art of ballet – State Prizes of Georgia and USSR, numerous orders and titles – People’s Artist of the USSR – among others.

Laurensia
Synopsis

I Act
First Scene

In Fuente Ovejuna, a village in Spain, a holiday crowd has gathered on the main square. Locals dance, while waiting for return of the Commander from the battle.
Youngsters are teasing Laurencia and Frondoso. He is in love with her. Laurencia teases Frondoso herself. Mengo, the violin player, enters. Laurencia’s friend Pascuala asks Mengo to play the violin. Young people dance yet again. Military music can be heard from afar. The Commander enters. Villagers salute him obediently, but the Commander does not respond to their greetings. The charming Laurencia has caught his attention. The Commander courts the girl, but she responds with indifference. He looses his temper and, furious, leaves the village with his soldiers.

Second Scene

Bank of the river. Frondoso reveals his feelings to Laurencia, but the girl does not give him a clear answer. The sound of a trumpet can be heard. This is the hunting party of the Commander. He enters and tries to abduct Laurencia, but Frondoso defends the girl bravely from her loathed admirer. The Commander swears to seek revenge on them both.
Village girls, more interested in chatting and dance than their work, take laundry to the river. Here comes the merry violin player Mengo, too. The girls meet him with joy. After their work is done, the girls return to the village, but Jacinta is kept behind with her laundry. Suddenly the Commander’s soldiers appear and attack her. Mengo defends the girl from the soldiers fearlessly. When the Commander enters, he orders his men to arrest Mengo and punish him. Jacinta is given into the hands of the soldiers.
Laurencia is certain of Frondoso’s bravery, love and devotion now, and gives him her consent to marry.

II Act
Third Scene
   
The whole village celebrates the wedding of Laurencia and Frondoso.
Merry dances succeed one another to everyone’s delight, but the festivities halt abruptly when the fierce Commander enters the square. He is here to exercise his power, ordering the soldiers to put Frondoso in prison and to take Laurencia to his castle.
The fury of the villagers is overwhelming.  

Fourth Scene

The men of the village gather in a forest. They know that it is necessary to fight against the tyranny of the Commander, but are too afraid of him. They stand, lost in fear and despair, and only curse the tyrant.
A tormented Laurencia enters. Her heart is burning with feelings of rightful vengeance.  She shames the village men for their fear, and calls for rebellion. Her passionate voice wins over the locals. Even the village women are ready to fight together with her. People armed with knives, sickles and spears, rush to the castle of the Commander.

Fifth Scene

Villagers break into the Commander’s castle. They free Frondoso and kill the tyrant. The people celebrate their victory.