There probably isn’t a single soul who hasn’t enjoyed Master Shakespeare’s The Tempest in some form or another. For those who liked it (and even more for those who didn’t), we have a little culture-gourmet bite to share with you! The 20-year-old Central Europe Dance Theater is now rehearsing the English master’s drama and translating it into their own ‘language’.
And what language is that, you ask? Csaba Szögi, proud director of CEDT, explained how The Tempest arose (apart from Prospero, of course) amongst the walls of their theater, a sound spot in the Magyar contemporary dance scene and a hub for lovers of dance theater.
Is it true that there’s not one but three choreographers working on The Tempest?
Yes; József Hámor, Melinda Virág and Zsuzsa Jónás are young, talented choreographers of our company and the specialty of this piece is that they all work on the play simultaneously. The fact that there’s more of them makes the artistic processes like games and even more fun. As I’ve mentioned before, here at CEDT, we try not to interpret situations, or we try not to explain stories, but only to transmit feelings… so, when there are multiple choreographers, these feeling might differ to a great extent.
So, how do you imagine blending them at the end?
You should imagine our work as a puzzle. The choreographers were first left to work on their own to understand their feelings about the play, then they carried on with the dancers. After that – we are actually at this very exciting stage at the moment –, they can watch their colleagues’ ideas and see how they affect each other.
Do they have some outside help, too?
Sure, myself and Krisztián Gergye (much-acclaimed contemporary dancer and choreographer, eds.) are supporting them during their work, so at the end they can ‘interlace’ their pieces so they form a complete whole.
Why would you recommend that people come and watch the play?
Much like the process, the results of this artistic cooperation will be very exciting. Based on three different frames of emotions – with an increased diversity of both male and female sides – , the audience will get to know a completely new side of this masterpiece.
The Tempest – Premiere, March 19
Central Europe Dance Theatre
1071 Budapest, Bethlen Gábor tér 3.
Tel.: +36.1.342.7163