articles & reviews

Original article in Russian language by KONSTANTIN LITVICHENKO  here

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CHOREOGRAPHER FROM ITALY LIVES IN ESTONIA:

“NOW I ALREADY DREAM OF CREATING MY OWN "ROMEO AND JULIET"

 

Cristiano Principato is a dancer and choreographer from Italy. He came to Tallinn four years ago and recently staged the ballet Cinderella, which featured representatives from five different ballet companies and fourteen nationalities. Cristiano told “Rus Delfi” about his profession, working on the project and what he likes about Estonia.

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What was your path into the world of ballet? Why did you decide to become a dancer?

My passion for dancing began in early childhood, by imitating my older sister.

I'm nine years younger than her. When she was a teenager, her friends and classmates often came to our house. We danced to the Spice Girls or Destiny's Child together. I really liked it, it was great.

A little later I started dancing myself. I would lock myself in the living room, put on something inspiring on our old stereo, and improvise. I listened to my body and followed its desire to move.

The second important factor was television. I really enjoyed watching talent shows.

And I also learned about the existence of professional dancers from television programs.

At some point I started taking dance lessons, first modern, then classical.

When I was 11 years old, my teacher suggested that I take part in auditions at the La Scala dance academy in Milan. I was accepted and spent the next eight years studying at the academy.

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You have danced in many theaters and in many countries. Do theaters have any specifics?

Are they any different from each other?

Most of the theaters listed on my website are theaters where I have danced on tour.

For a long time I danced in only three theaters: La Scala in Milan, the National Opera House in Amsterdam and the Estonian National Opera, where I still dance.

When you dance on the same stage for several years, you certainly get used to it.

You get used to the size, you get used to the audience.

For example, in the Amsterdam Opera House there is a very large stage and a very lively, emotional audience. It's easy to impress the audience there. No matter what you do, they always clap.

It's different in Tallinn. Here the stage is much smaller and the audience is completely different.

Their reactions are unpredictable. Sometimes I think I did great, but I get average applause.

Sometimes I'm not very happy with my performance, but I hear crazy applause.

Sometimes our grades coincide, and I accept the applause, realizing that I did really well.

Now I’m used to the small Tallinn scene, and when I get into some larger space during a tour, I feel like a fish out of water. However, my impressions five years ago were exactly the opposite.

When I started dancing in Tallinn after Amsterdam, I lacked space.
 

This year you staged the ballet Cinderella, which recently premiered on the stage of the Estonian National Opera. Why did you choose “Cinderella”?

It all started when I saw a film based on one of the most famous choreographic productions in the world - “Romeo and Juliet” by the Royal Ballet of London. A great ballet filmed in real life locations.

Where scenes whose plot takes place, for example, in a castle, are danced and filmed in a real castle. First of all, it looks amazing. A magnificent ballet in real historical interiors looks very advantageous. The film not only impressed me, it became a source of inspiration for me.

“What if I staged a full-length ballet in natural settings? - I thought. - I have no opera house at my disposal, no real stage. There is no company commissioning this work to me”.

This is how the idea of “Cinderella” was born. I planned to stage my choreography in real locations.

Rent, for example, a hall in the Kadriorg Palace for the ball scene and some manor for filming everything that happens in Cinderella’s house in the plot. Invite friends who are interested in filming.

Edit the movie and post it on my YouTube channel.

My manager Sander Sellin then became interested in this idea. He managed to bring it to life on the stage of the Estonian National Opera, for which I am immensely grateful both to Sander himself and, of course, to the management of the theater. They made my dream come true.

Namely “Cinderella”, because, firstly, it does not necessarily require a large troupe for production. “Cinderella” can be staged with a maximum of 15 dancers. There are few main roles: the stepmother, sisters, fairy, prince, Cinderella herself and few pairs of courtiers at the ball.

Secondly, this is my first story ballet. Most choreographers start with The Nutcracker because it's a safe choice. There are a minimum of moments where you can make a serious mistake.

I think in terms of safety, Cinderella is close to The Nutcracker. There is a lot of comedy in it, a lot of fairy-tale moments and there is no such intensity of drama and passion as, for example, in Romeo and Juliet. Although now that the initial stage has been completed, I already dream of creating my own “Romeo and Juliet”.

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“Cinderella” is the first story-driven two-act ballet that you staged.

How difficult was the implementation of the project for you?

It was a great challenge and a crazy learning experience. I worked on this project in parallel with my main activity as a dancer. There are many performances, many leading roles.

I spend almost all my time in rehearsal rooms and on stage.

To be honest, at the time of the start of the project I had almost no free time left.

After the arrival of the choreographer’s full workload, it was completely gone.

I'm very tired and looking forward to the summer holidays so I can finally fully recover.

But I'm very proud that we did this job. Some things turned out even better than I thought.

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Can you identify the three most successful factors of the performance?

The three factors you are most pleased with?

Firstly, the visual design. The performance turned out very beautiful. I was thrilled to see the result.

I was seriously involved in the process of creating costumes and video projections. I was even afraid that my active position would be perceived by artists as an infringement of their creative freedom.

After all, both the costume designer and the set designer have their own view and their own vision.
There must be freedom too. This is a prerequisite for creativity.
For example, when I choreograph, no one tells me what I should do.

Fortunately, there was no confrontation. Moreover, it was a truly inspiring collaboration.

Their genius matched my vision and it was like magic again.

They were able to take into account all my wishes both in terms of colors and styles.

I, in turn, was very grateful for their vision, their expertise, their creative input.

For many artistic solutions that I myself would never have thought of.

They are both very professional and very creative.

The second factor is the style of the performance. Initially, my idea was to stage “Cinderella” as “Swan Lake”, “The Nutcracker”, “Sleeping Beauty”, all the classics staged by Marius Petipa 130 years ago. He did create his “Cinderella” too at the time, but we don’t know what it looked like.

Neither materials nor music have survived. More modern versions of “Cinderella” have reached us, set to the music of Sergei Prokofiev after the Second World War.

I decided to try, to some extent, to “return” Prokofiev’s “Cinderella” to the style of Petipa.

Rethink the structure we are used to and imagine what it would have been like 130 years ago.

For example, in most classical ballets of that time there is a “grand pas de deux” - a structured dance consisting of a duet, male and female solos and a coda. To add it, I had to rearrange the order of the original ballet score, moving some of the musical parts to a different act.

In the scene with the five fairies, I added two male gentlemen and turned it into a “pas d’action” - another dance structure typical of Petipa’s work. I also opened the second act with a “divertissement” - a dynamic, exciting parade of all the solo characters. I incorporated into the choreography some movements from each iconic ballet, combining this with the neoclassical style of movement that characterizes my productions. Ballet lovers will appreciate this.
The third factor is my personal experience. How much I got out of this work and learned in the process. For example, working with dramaturgy and acting. Or controlling the intensity of what is happening on stage. This should not overload the audience or distract their attention from concentrating on the focal things. It was a truly wonderful and developing experience for me.

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The troupe of your “Cinderella” is international. Was this planned in advance?

We wanted to try something new. As far as I know, no one has ever done this in the history of dance.

At least I have never heard of such an experience. This is common practice for gala concerts.

Dancers or couples from 5-6 different theaters are invited with their numbers, 10 minutes each.

Something like a parade of representatives of different troupes. In this case, the participants do everything themselves: they rehearse, bring their own tracks, their own costumes.

But I have never heard of representatives from five troupes getting together for one full-length ballet.

This is very difficult from a logistics point of view.

Each artist has a rehearsal and performance schedule. It is extremely difficult to get them together even for one rehearsal. I don't know how we did it.

It was hard work: complex planning, a lot of travel. I flew to Paris to work with a dancer.

Then to Helsinki. Then returned to Tallinn, where a ballerina from Amsterdam arrived, and a little later prince from Madrid came too. Very difficult logistics. At some point, I even began to doubt that this plan could be realized. But in the end, somehow miraculously everything worked out.

Like magic. As, in fact, everything happens in the story of Cinderella.

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What was your journey to Estonia like? Why did you choose this particular country?

After finishing school in Milan, I decided to gain international experience and moved to Amsterdam.

I had a contract with the Dutch National Opera, one of the most important ballet companies in Europe. I danced there for six years. After a long collaboration, I had the opportunity to take a year's sabbatical, freeze my contract for a year and try myself in another troupe.

“OK,” I thought. - Maybe my work here is done? Each troupe has its own style, and I may have already learned everything I could learn from this one. Maybe it's time to try something new?

And if it doesn’t work out, I’ll just come back.” This decision brought me to Estonia.

At that time, the Tallinn theater was looking for dancers. There were many interesting parts here that I had not yet performed. I decided to try it. As soon as I came here, I got the roles I dreamed of.

I got a lot of opportunities, both as a dancer and as a choreographer. After some time, all the projects that I had long nurtured in my head began to be realized. That's why I decided to stay.

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Do you like living in Estonia?

It's actually quite funny. I never thought that I would live in Estonia.

And, as I already said, I ended up here solely for professional interests.

I dance at the Estonian National Opera, every day I have to be in the theater.

But after living here for four years, I fell in love with Tallinn. And if I imagine that in the future I will be able to work remotely, I would probably still choose Tallinn as my base city.

I lived in Milan, I lived in Amsterdam. I have visited many cities. In London, Paris, and many others.

I think Tallinn is the perfect balance of a capital, but not a metropolis. It's very clean and tidy here.
Everything is convenient and accessible. For example, in London or Moscow you may need more than an hour to get from one place to another. And even Amsterdam, or Milan, or Rome... for me there is too much chaos there. In this sense, Tallinn is an ideal place.

I live on the seashore in the northern part of the city, and I really like it there.

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Is there anything you don't like about Estonia?

I can't say that I don't like anything very much. The climate, of course, is harsh, spring comes late.

In Italy and the Netherlands, everything around is green already in March. It would be great if spring came faster here too. In spring, Tallinn blooms and becomes absolutely beautiful.

Although I'm not from Sicily, I'm from northern Italy and I lived in Amsterdam. I'm used to winter and don't suffer as much from the weather as perhaps other expats coming from Mediterranean countries.

I would like to see more flights available. Tallinn is not yet very well connected to the world logistically.

The situation is certainly improving, but for now, travel planning remains not the easiest task.

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Before Estonia, you lived in the Netherlands for six years. Is the process of everyday and cultural integration in Amsterdam different from the integration process in Tallinn?

Are there differences or, conversely, common things?

Many things related to bureaucracy are very similar. The government systems of both countries are technologically advanced and very fast. It is very comfortable.

If you are coming from the European Union, or you have a contract, immigrating is very simple.

In this sense, Estonia and the Netherlands are similar. Everything is very fast and transparent.

Culturally there are many differences. The Netherlands is a super multicultural country.

Everywhere you see different colors, hear different languages, meet different habits, different religions. I would say that Estonia is more homogeneous in this regard.

But this is logical and understandable. Due to its central European location, the Netherlands is well connected logistically to many countries around the world.

Estonia is smaller and further north, and fewer foreigners come here.

There is, of course, less multicultural diversity here. However, in Estonia, just like in the Netherlands, I did not encounter any signs of racism or any kind of state or public bias, including towards the LGBT community. Estonia recently approved same-sex marriage. This is a very big step compared, for example, to Italy. In this sense, Estonia is a very modern country, keeping up with the times.

In the Netherlands I didn't experience a language barrier at all. Everyone there speaks English: every doctor, every cashier, practically everyone you meet.

It was even quite difficult for me to practice Dutch. When I tried to speak it, the locals immediately switched to English. Nevertheless, I learned it, although from an everyday point of view it was not at all necessary. Unfortunately, I don’t speak Estonian yet, and from time to time I encounter the problem of the language barrier. For example, I had several bad doctor visits.
There was information on the medical institution’s website that the doctor spoke English. I came to an appointment and was faced with the fact that the doctor did not speak English.
Of course, in some ways it's my fault. I also think it’s generational influence. I am seeing the same thing now in Italy. Representatives of the older generation do not always know English, although among young people there are practically no such examples. So, I am sure that over time such problems will disappear on their own. And not only here, but throughout Europe.
 

Do you consider yourself a person who has successfully integrated into Estonian society?

Most likely, yes. I feel good here. I have many local friends. We often go somewhere together.

We visit cultural events and interesting places. In this sense, I feel very comfortable.

Of course, I really miss knowing the local language. When I moved, I was determined and started studying. I soon realized that I didn’t have time. Since my move, I've just been moving from project to project. I tend to say “yes” to every new professional opportunity that comes my way, because I fear that there may not be the same opportunity in the future. However, I want to learn the language.

This is my goal for the coming years. Ideally, I would like to learn both Estonian and Russian.

Then I will feel completely at home here. I would also like to see more interest in foreigners in Estonia.

I think the media focuses primarily on the achievements of local people. The achievements of foreigners often go unnoticed. In this sense, I support the idea of such interviews, talking about successful expats living in Estonia. who have achieved some success.

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Is there anything you miss here in Estonia?

First of all, this is, of course, my family. Most of it remained in Italy, and I miss them very much.

I also miss my motorcycle. In Amsterdam I drove it all year round, even in winter.
If you have the appropriate equipment, rain is not a problem. But the Estonian winter with snow and ice lasts too long, and there is no point in having a motorcycle to use for three to four months.
 

Based on your extensive experience in integration in other countries, what advice would you give to those who have just moved to Estonia?

First of all, meet interesting locals. I noticed the importance of this step back in Amsterdam.

At first, after moving there, I communicated mainly with foreigners. Quite a lot of Italians live there.
I lived there for six years and I even bought an apartment there. But it seems to me that during this time I could have gotten to know the country and its culture much better if I had not primarily hung out with newcomers like myself. Friendship with local residents gives a lot. It introduces us to new people, allows us to see new interesting places, and helps us cope with many important little things.
It helps us get to know the culture better. And of course, if possible, learn Estonian.
 

2024 has been declared the Year of Cultural Richness in Estonia. Do you think Estonia needs multiculturalism? And if needed, then for what?

Of course it is needed. And not only Estonia. The more different people come together, the greater the opportunity for them to learn from each other. There are so many countries, many nationalities, many languages in the world. It's amazing! I often encounter the effect of the positive influence of multiculturalism. For example, in the troupe of the Estonian National Opera, which, by the way, has become more international over the past five years. Or in the “Cinderella” project, where representatives of five different ballet troupes and fourteen nationalities participated.

Or in the Eesti Laul competition, which I recently participated in. The team for our performance consisted of two international duets: an Estonian singer, a foreign singer, a local ballerina and me, a foreign dancer. Each artist brings their own story. A piece of the country in which he grew up, plus the country where he studied and trained. There is a huge combination of different things, views, approaches. It's amazing to compare and add them up. Find out how it is done in one country and another. In the end, it becomes possible to find and accept what is more convenient, what is more productive, what works best. The more we learn about each other, the better we become.

Moreover, I’m not just talking about positive examples. There are many people whose behavior I simply hate. But I understand that they also teach me something.
When we are surrounded by diversity, we learn a lot and learn a lot. When we come together, when we look at each other, when we communicate, we grow. We are growing in all aspects: professional, artistic, human. Otherwise we are limited. We are constantly only within our little box. We are unable to see what is happening outside of it.

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