 European
Ballet Forum
Hosted by: The Hungarian National Ballet Company
July 31, 2010
Hungarian State Opera Budapest
There is no denying that the European
Union and its member states join the rest of the world as it
faces challenges posed by the unprecedented current economic
climate. To date, the European tradition of promulgating their
cultures through the performing arts has been a long respected
tradition in all sectors, its future seemingly assured. With the
full impact of the crisis yet to fully manifest, European
Artistic Directors are all too aware how the financial stresses
of their respective governments might inevitably challenge their
individual capacity to navigate the coming storm.
An ability to presage the upcoming seasons is a requisite skill
for every seasoned Artistic Director. And, for those who are
used to performing full seasons with popular yet expensive full
storied ballets, budgetary impact on Opera Houses calls for
serious planning many seasons ahead of time. An artistic
director, once charged with the technical integrity and
direction of a company, has had to develop a fine sense of
accounting acumen in recent years. Now, that acumen includes
being able to properly assess business and financial trends… and
being able to do respond responsibly.
In an effort to avoid those consequences now felt in the USA
which have manifested in multi-fold closures and drastic
reductions in staff and performance schedules, European
companies have begun a dialogue amongst their Opera Houses and
umbrella organizations such as Opera Europa about courses of
action. The collective sense is that the time is now to think
out of the box. Although some ignore the signs of danger, others
regard this a time to be recalled as the calm before the storm.
The arts, everyone knows, is the first sacrificial lamb in bad
economic times. These are bad economic times, reckon industry
experts.
“Recent months have reflected an unmistakable downturn: tours
being cancelled or postponed, smaller or less expensive
productions for the next season, cheaper tickets selling more
quickly than higher priced ones, and reluctance of sponsors to
renew or sign contracts. All of this has its repercussions and
forms a serious threat….” reports FIM, FIA and Euro-Mei in a
joint prepared statement before the 2009 Employment Summit to
policy makers in Brussels. Theirs was an urgent appeal to the
European Union for immediate help in the performing arts
industry.
There are disturbing signs that once the arts programs are cut
there may be little hope of returning to an adequate budget
previously enjoyed yet required to sustain the quality and scope
of ballet and opera companies. These famous companies have not
only thrived through world wars and more than a century of
uninterrupted growth but have counted on their heritage to
provide impetus as well as appreciation. Given the financial
collapse of whole countries, pride and tradition may not be
enough steam to fuel some institutions to the coming fiscal year
much less the next one hundred. Action is required.
More nimble than the larger organizations whose membership’s
number over 100 countries like Opera Europa, are the immediate
friends and neighbours of clusters of countries who not only
have a shared history but a similar grasp of being in the same
boat with the same types of issues.
With this in mind, the Artistic Director of the Hungarian
National Ballet Company began a roundtable discussion in the
summer of 2009 in order to invite the input and the kind of
reasonable mutual cooperation that might prove an invaluable
life raft in a time of financial crisis that has yet to come to
term. In 2010, the topic of discussion will move from the
general idea of cooperation to specific ones. Already, two
countries have begun the type of cooperation that will offset
the shortfalls that can make or break a premier or production
that is labor intensive. In addition, this type of symbiosis,
ballet companies may not only survive the coming times but
thrive.
The idea is not to beg for more money or to whine about the
plight of the arts. The idea is to come up with concrete,
realizable goals that might successfully address the financial
shortfalls and do what can be done to help ensure that talent
remains intact and in place, that the artistic values are not
diminished nor the hard earned reputations of great ballet
companies be compromised in these difficult times.
“No ballet company can develop or even keep up quality
unless new challenges are present. A vibrant company must
maintain the esprit de corps, the stamina working and keep the
dancer’s learning skills sharp. Premiers that introduce new
blood into our repertory keep a company alive and striving every
way you look at it. These new styles and tasks require special
effort and are a must” comments Gábor Keveházi “if you aim at
educating new audiences or simply wish to cultivate the existing
fans of your form of art. Every art form has to satisfy the
public’s curiosity and introduce new ‘tastes’ to your ‘menu’ on
a regular basis. However, financing new productions means a
growing strain and ballet directors are drawn to employ new
strategies in their fight to be able to move on. Mario
Radacovsky, AD of Slovak National Ballet, was fast to embrace
this initiative to work towards splitting costs through sharing
productions. SNB’s upcoming premier will feature Giselle
licensed by HNBC. We also provide experienced ballet masters for
staging. Next, it may be HNBC that uses resources SNB can offer.
It is a clear win-win situation for both institutions and
audiences. Novelty will be introduced at the highest quality
and at the fraction of the usual costs. Instead of collecting
dust in a storehouse, our beautiful sets and costumes make
Bratislava ballet lovers happy while bringing us some income.
SNB is able to stage a richly designed classical piece they may
not have otherwise been able to afford. We are entering
conversations about extending this cooperation in several fields
and our theatre administration applauds our successful efforts
on cutting costs without compromising quality.“
Artistic Directors who involve themselves in the upcoming EBF
roundtable in Budapest, July 31, will have the opportunity to
collectively seek and write funding from sources hereto
unexplored or untried as a collective group who, at the end of
the day, will mutually benefit.
Through the newly established European Ballet Forum, “we are
able to make the kind of agile and flexible decisions that
ordinarily take a lot of time through other channels“
summarizes Keveházi.
On the agenda will be possible opportunities that will yield
grants for attending participants as well as other ideas. In
the interest of expanding repertory and reconciling classic fare
with an eye towards new works, exchanges of experience, stage
craft and costuming represents the initial baby steps in an EBF
strategy that benefits European ballet in new and imaginative
ways. In any case, all ideas are heard and welcomed.
For further information or an invitation to the EBF seminar in
the Hungarian State Opera House, please contact: Gabriella
Komor, HNBC International Cultural Manager at
HNBCSI@opera.hu.
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