103 Notting Hill Gate
Fri 6 Nov · 19:30 · £20
Part of Made in Prague “ They have two faces. The smiling, perfect one the audience sees. And then the dark one that emerges behind the curtain, when the rehearsed smile falls and the face contorts into a grimace because they are choking… ” Part memoir, part reckoning, Ballerinas is a raw, darkly comic exploration of the elite ballet conservatory system and the feverish atmosphere of the 1990s. Adapted from her acclaimed autobiographical novel, performer and director Miřenka Čechová traces the often brutal journey of young girls pursuing ballet dreams, exposing a world shaped by discipline, ambition and sacrifice. Blending movement, theatre and personal testimony, Čechová creates a deeply intimate work that lays bare both the physical demands and psychological cost of artistic training. Revisiting past traumas with unsparing honesty and self-deprecating humour, Ballerinas becomes not only an examination of a toxic system, but also a powerful search for identity, resilience and catharsis. In Czech with English surtitles . Miřenka Čechová is a Czech author, choreographer, director and performer whose multidisciplinary practice spans theatre, dance and documentary storytelling. A former classical ballet dancer and co-founder of the theatre companies Spitfire Company and Tantehorse, she has built an international reputation for creating deeply personal, socially engaged works that transform autobiography and real-life testimony into powerful physical theatre. Her acclaimed books and performances include Miss America and Ballerinas, the latter receiving nominations for both the European Union Prize for Literature and the Theatre Newspaper Award. Concept, Direction and Performance: Miřenka Čechová Dramaturgy: Martina Kinská Directorial Collaboration: Janka Ryšánek Schmidtová Theatrical Collaboration: Tereza Dočkalová Set Design: Petr Boháč, Eva Matoušová Music: Martin Tvrdý Live Music: Mary C Lighting Design: Filip Horn Animation: Linda Arbanová Video: Tereza Vejvodová Costumes and Objects: Eva Matoušová Produced by: Spitfire Company With the Support of: Ministry of Culture Czech Republic
Not the same tradition as the lineage above — a genuinely different thread to pull, if you want one.