Carmen's Love Affairs

"Carmen's Love Affairs" is a ballet based on contemporary dance with elements of classical dance. The spectacle comes in two parts. The first one features Manuel de Falla's music El Amor Brujo as its theme. In this segment, the audience learns the story of Carmen's childhood, infused with the turbulent relationship with her parents – mother in particular – and tainted by death of her father, both of which had such a notable impact on her subsequent life. The first part ends with the wedding ceremony of Carmen and Don Hose, who is then drafted into the army.
The second part consisting of Rodion Shchedrin's "Carmen Suita", composed on the
basis of G. Bizet's popular opera "Carmen", begins with an army marching and a journey. The now adult Carmen falls in love with Escamillo despite her previous relationship with Don Hose. In the face of infidelity and immense jealousy, Don Hose kills Carmen and abandons the army. A chase begins for the deserter, who at the very end gets apprehended and punished. In the background, the audience can witness Micaela's unfulfilled love for Don Hose, which complements the whole story. The play ends with a parallel in which the departing army serves a symbolic role - it shows both the end of life and the closure of a certain episode.

The project aims at the development of the Krakow ballet stage, involving the dancers of the opera house, as well as providing a new ballet programme for Krakow audience, giving it the
opportunity to get acquainted with the worldwide cultural heritage.