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12 i vienna deluxe i FacES
mayerling mit maria Yakovleva
© Wiener Staatsballett/ Axel Zeininger
a dancer
His most recent leading role was that of the commissioner in the ballet drama
‘LeConcours’. Gregor Hatala is not only a solo dancer at the Vienna State Ballet,
but is also one of the few Austrian ballet dancers who does not allow himself to
be pushed out of the limelight by his Eastern European colleagues. Vienna Deluxe
in an interview with a dancer whose good looks resemble those of Patrick
Swayze and for whom family is of the utmost importance in life.
In classical ballet, Russian dancers are clearly in the majority. Are you
the only Austrian amongst the solo dancers at the Vienna State Opera?
Yes, for the past seen years i have been the ‘last mohican’ so to speak. my
eastern european colleagues have dominated since then.
How hard do you have to practice as a ballet dancer, or in your case, as
a solo dancer?
the most difficult part is becoming a solo dancer, and then to keep going
everyday despite the usual ups and downs and regardless of whether one
is performing at the time or not. through maturity and personal dedica-
Im Ballett „Le Concours“ an der Wiener Volksoper traten Sie zuletzt als
der Kommissar auf. War es schwierig, diese Partie zu tanzen?
ich gehe bei meinen rollen immer an meine physischen grenzen. das
Publikum erwartet vollen einsatz, und dem versuche ich gerecht zu
werden. das Anstrengende an dieser rolle ist die fast dauernde Präsenz
auf der Bühne, noch dazu kettenrauchend. Für mich als nichtraucher
besonders schwierig, vor bzw. nach einer Variation, mit einer
„Kippe“ im mundwinkel, rauch in der nase und tränen in den Augen.
Die Wiener Volksoper und die Wiener Philharmoniker haben Sie mehrfach
als Choreograph engagiert.
ich hatte das glück, für die Wiener Volksoper Olivier tambosis inszenierung
der Operette „der Vetter aus dingsda“, sowie Alfred Kirchners
Version der Oper „die lustigen Weiber aus Windsor“ als choreograph
zu gestalten. durch die einladung der Wiener Philharmoniker, große
teile des „sommernachtskonzerts schönbrunn“ 2011 und erneut 2012
choreographisch umzusetzen, hatte ich die gelegenheit, mich einem
millionenfachen Publikum zu präsentieren.
Wie lange kann man als Balletttänzer auf der Bühne tanzen?
sofern man von Verletzungen verschont bleibt, ist mitte vierzig realistisch.
mad
tion, it becomes easier to tackle new tasks such as being the head of the
‘Vienna state Opera Ballet union’ or being the president of the ‘Austrian
dancer’s Association’.
Alongside your sex appeal and stage presence you are also very charismatic.
Your trademark is your handsome figure. Your body is considerably
more masculine in comparison to the bodies of your more androgynous
colleagues.
thank you for the compliment. it is my goal to underline masculinity in classic
ballet. through my athletic stage presence it is easy for me to embody
strong personalities in a credible manner. i believe the audience appreciates
watching a more virile man dance these parts, as it is more plausible.
You are known for being a master of the more difficult lifts. How much are
your female partners permitted to weigh?
When my partner weighs 50 kilograms it is possible to master even the
most difficult lifts. moreover, it is irrelevant how strong one is, lifts are
very dangerous for the spine and back muscles. it is an art to make every
partner look like she is only a feather and not to make any effort visible
during lifts.
What is beauty to you? Are you vain?
Beauty is relative and ones personality influences the face. to me, beauty
is about aesthetics and grace in movement. Of course i am vain. One has
to be a narcissist to be a dancer.
Have you ever been afraid of not doing enough justice to a certain part
that you were to dance? Have you experienced stage fright?
Yes, this is mostly the case when preparing for a part. self-confidence
emerges only once you become more familiar with the piece you are dancing
in during rehearsals. i am not amongst those people that become nervous
before going on stage, as this is the moment that i have worked so hard for.
Can you imagine a day without dancing? What makes your most enthusiastic
about your job?
With age, priorities change and it is clear that not too far in the
future i will be looking at a career off the stage. the audience’s appreciation
is what drives me.
by Passion по призванию
© Gregor Hatala
© löffelmann
Is there anything that you dislike about being a ballet dancer?
classic ballet is underestimated a lot of the time. everything has
to be light and elegant and mostly, people forget that it is a highperformance
sport. imagine having to pick up a bag of cement with
one hand with a smile on your face and then having to balance it
over your head while running across a brightly lit stage.
In the ballet ‘Le Concours’ at the Vienna People’s Opera, you last
danced the part of the commissioner. Was this a difficult part?
i go to my physical limits every time i dance a part. the audience expects
full dedication and i try to fulfill their expectations. the most
difficult thing about this part was that it requires an almost constant
presence on stage while smoking profusely at the same time. As a
non-smoker, it was especially difficult for me to dance all the figurines
while having a cigarette in my mouth and smoke in my face,
nose and eyes.
The Vienna People’s Opera and the Vienna Philharmonics have
hired your as a choreographer on numerous occasions.
i was lucky to be able to choreograph Olivier tambosis’ production
of the operetta ‘der Vetter Aus dingsda’ at the Vienna People’s
Opera as well as Alfred Kirchner’s version of the opera ‘die lustigen
Weiber aus Windsor’. through an invitation on part of the Vienna
Philharmonics, i was able to choreograph a majority of the summer
night’s concert at Palace schoenbrunn in 2011 and received
the opportunity to present myself to an audience consisting of millions
of people.
Till which age can a ballet dancer keep performing?
As long as one remains spared from grave injury, mid fourty is a
realistic age at which to stop.
artist i 13
"le concours" mit Olga esina, maria Balzano
© Wiener staatsballett/ dimo dimov
Недавно он исполнял главную партию детектива в балетной драме „Конкурс“.
Грегор Хатала не только солист балетной труппы Венской государственной
оперы, но и один из немногих австрийских артистов балета, который ничем
не уступает своим восточно-европейским коллегам. Журнал Vienna Deluxe взял
интервью у танцора, который поразительно похож на Патрика Суэйзи, и для
которого самое главное в жизни – это любовь и сплоченность его семьи.
В классическом балете в настоящее время ведущую позицию занимают русские.
Являетесь ли Вы единственным австрийцем среди солистов балета Венской государственной
оперы?
да, уже семь лет я являюсь, так сказать, „последним из могикан“. все ведущие позиции
в балете занимают мои коллеги из стран восточной европы.
Как много нужно работать артисту балета, в Вашем случае – солисту балета?
Самое трудное – это стать солистом, а потом, несмотря на все взлеты и падения,
каждый день нужно продолжать работать, независимо от того, насколько плотно
артист задействован в текущих спектаклях. когда у человека зрелое, сознательное
отношение к своему делу, ему легче осваивать новые задачи, так, например
я исполняю обязанности председателя „балетной ассоциации венской государственной
оперы“ и президента „австрийского совета танцоров“.
Кроме сексапильности и несомненного исполнительского таланта, Вы обладаете
неотразимым обаянием. Ваш имидж – мужественность. Вы выглядите гораздо
мужественнее, сильнее, чем многие Ваши андрогинные коллеги.
Спасибо за комплимент. я всегда стремился подчеркнуть мужественность в
классическом балете. С моим атлетическим типом сложения мне не трудно достоверно
изобразить на сцене сильного героя. я думаю, что зрителям нравится
видеть на сцене настоящего мужчину, который органично смотрится в той роли,
которую он исполняет. –>