CONRAD

Celebrate Conrad Drzewiecki's birthday with us! Before us are the most famous works of the Master in the interpretation of the Ballet of the Great Theater in Poznań and music under the baton of Marta Kluczyńska — a premiere that will touch with the beauty of contemporary dance and show the avant-garde of the choreography of Poznań at that time!

The 100th anniversary of Conrad Drzewiecki's birthday will be an opportunity to recall his most outstanding choreographies performed by the Ballet of the Grand Theatre in Poznań. On the stage near Pegasus we will see: Etude in B minor with music by Karol Szymanowski (this will be a reconstruction of the work). The most famous piece from the Four Etudes, Op. 4, goes beyond the virtuoso character of a typical etude — we find here a sonorous, lyrical melody, rich harmony and a mood of melancholy, which is enhanced by the avant-garde choreographic concept. Adagio with music by Tomaso Albinoni captivates with ascetic choreography, simplicity and a huge emotional charge. The neoclassical dance movement is focused and integrated with the poignant sound of the music. There will be no shortage of Krzesane Wojciech Kilar, in which Drzewiecki intertwined exuberant highland with modern ballet: thanks to dynamic, heel-by-heel blows in the air, he turned the ancient rite of setting fire on stage into a daring dance. In the building near Pegasus, Mieczysław Karłowicz's Eternal Songs will also sound — a symphonic poem about longing, love, death and omnipresence, in which the choreographer achieved a balance between the plot, the beauty of the dance and the painterness of the mood with the help of economical means.

Conrad Drzewiecki (1926-2007) — an icon of Polish choreography, an outstanding dancer, educator, creator of the Polish Dance Theater, began his career as a soloist of the Poznań Opera ballet, and after success at international dance competitions he performed in France and Italy, collaborating with leading ballet companies. After returning to Poland in 1963, he directed the ballet of the Poznań Opera, creating high-profile choreographies, including Firebird and Miraculous Mandarin. He was a forerunner of modern dance techniques in Poland and artistic director of the State Ballet School in Poznań. In 1973 he founded the Polish Dance Theatre, to which he gave his own style combining contemporary dance, classics and folklore. He created plays to the music of, among others, Karłowicz, Kilar, Penderecki and Chopin. The band under his leadership was successful at international festivals and tours. He has won numerous national and international awards, including Gloria Artis and Terpsychory for his lifetime of work.

In the 2026/2027 season, Evelina Volodchenko takes part in the program “Resident Dancer”. The residency is co-organized by the National Institute of Music and Dance as part of the Resident Dancer Program, co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. The Residency is co-organized by the National Institute of Music and Dance as part of the Dancer Resident Program, co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.