Held on 29 April, this concert has been the only event in recent years bringing together the Polish dance community on its special day. As usual the gala was organized by the Bytom Ballet School and its principal Elżbieta Mendakiewicz, while the audience included representatives of many different ballet companies.
The performers were students of the Bytom school, artists from all of Silesia’s dance companies as well as guests invited from other Polish ballet companies but also from Prague and Budapest. The evening’s artistic director was, as usual, eminent choreographer Henryk Konwiński, who also received the prestigious Terpsichore Statuette from the Association of Polish Stage Artists (ZASP) for his great achievements in theatre. The programme’s main focus this year was commemorating renowned composer Wojciech Kilar. His famous Krzesany choreographed by Henryk Konwiński was performed at the gala by the Silesian Opera’s ballet company managed by Olga Kozimala.
The Polish National Ballet’s dancers have taken part in the Bytom dance galas from the beginning. Previous performers included Agnieszka Pietyra and Sebastian Solecki, Dagmara Dryl with Paweł Koncewoj and Maksim Woitiul, Dominika Krysztoforska and Wojciech Ślęzak as well as Maria Żuk with Maksim Woitiul and again with Sergey Popov. This year’s gala at the Silesian Opera saw a performance by the PNB’s principal dancers Yuka Ebihara and Vladimir Yaroshenko, who danced their brilliant Adagio from Swan Lake choreographed by Lev Ivanov and arranged by Renata Smukała, and Tristan and Isolde’s final duet from Krzysztof Pastor’s ballet Tristan.
Pictured: Yuka Ebihara and Vladimir Yaroshenko in the Adagio from Swan Lake
Photo by Michał Matuszak
