3/04/2017

The end is a new beginning - a chat with Jiří and Otto Bubeníček

Otto & Jiří © Rebecca Hoppe
When I first saw Jiří and Otto Bubeníček on stage in Bari (Italy) for the re-opening of Teatro Petruzzelli late in 2009 I would have never thought that many years later, I would have met the twin brothers in Hellerau - European Arts Centre, Dresden before the German Première of #LesBalletsBubenicek #Orfeus (shows March 3-4, 2017). Please check here the reactions on Orfeus.

After completing their long career at the Hamburg Ballett (Otto) and at the Semperoper Ballett (Jiří) a totally new life opened up for the multi-talented brothers.

"For dancers, the age limit is a constraint but we still love dancing. The passion and the fulfilment we feel when we are on stage help us to push our limits a step further" say the twins. "We will perform on stage as long as we can experience the deep connection between soul and body. It is this connection that makes us feel one with the piece we perform and experience a sort of Stendhal syndrome" says Jiří. "Love and passion must never fail. They are indispensable for gaining the complete control over body and emotions, and dancing for so long" Otto goes on.

In the future, the twin-brothers will reduce their active appearance on stage and concentrate more and more on the creative creation part. I (Jiří) will work to create the choreographies and Otto, thanks to his love and skills for technologies, will create the music and the 3D design for costumes and stage-setting. Like in a puzzle, all parts (choreography, music, costumes and stage-setting) will then come to life on stage. We have already many projects that will bring us to different countries in Europe as well as overseas.

Now that a completely new chapter of their life is starting they cannot avoid thinking back at the first steps of their career. "We own big thanks to the excellent teachers we had in school. Our success started in those days. This is one of the reasons why teaching is so important for us and we will give classes in Japan and in Spain later this year" say Jiří and Otto.

Jiří: "We both believe that dancing in the studio, where our body and soul come for the first time in contact with a new piece, is like dancing in a "safe area". Here the mistakes play an important role and can be fixed. In the studio our skills are tested, our body stretched and our soul gets ready for the real performance on stage. It is a little bit like a newborn. The life at home with parents, relatives, and friends is like a test-bed for the real life. On stage then you get all the answers you cannot find in the studio".

Otto: "We are also very grateful to the Hamburg Ballett. When we entered John Neumeier's Ballett Company we were among the few Czech dancers performing in Germany. At that time there was a generation change in the Company which allowed us to perform principal roles, testing our skills and pushing our limits".

Orfeus scene © Pavel Hejny
During all these years Jiří and Otto nourished their passion for active creation. In their pieces, they always want to stay true to themselves. "It can seem strange to say it but even by playing a role we never lose the connection with our values and with the reality, we believe in. It is this belief and this connection that we want to transmit to our audience, to remain honest to oneself, even when the subject we deal with like in Orfeus (the idea of the loss) or in Faun (a desire stuck in the head) is not an easy one" say the twin-brothers.

 
Please check our website or follow us on Facebook to know more about our new projects and come to see our work. The connection we create with the audience is difficult to describe and lasts for a long time.

My big thanks to Jiří and Otto for their time (a few hours before the German Première). It has been a great pleasure and an honour to talk to you. I 100% enjoyed Orfeus yesterday.