Radu Poklitaru
Radu Vitaliyovich Poklitaru
Date of birth – March 22, 1972
City – Chisinau (Moldova)
Activity – choreographer, theater director, ballet dancer
The path to creativity
Radu Poklitaru is a choreographer-director, Honored Artist of Ukraine, People's Artist of Moldova. Currently, he is the chief ballet master of the Academic Theater "Kyiv Modern Ballet", and once he was a 4-year-old boy who began his acquaintance with the world of creativity and stage art from lessons at a dance studio in his native Chisinau. Choreography and music were present in the life of the future star from early childhood. After all, his parents, Lyudmila Nedremska and Vitaliy Poklitaru, were members of the creative group of ballet soloists of the Moldovan Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet.
Radu Poklitaru studied at leading choreographic institutions. He took his first steps towards a profession at a choreographic school (1983–1984). He continued his education at the Odessa Ballet School. And later at the Stefan Nyaga Music School in Chisinau. In 1986, he entered the Perm State Choreographic School, which he graduated in 1991. He received a specialty as a ballet dancer in the class of Alexander Sakharov. It was there that the artist's unique plastic language began to take shape, which later changed the idea of modern ballet.
Creative path
In 1991, Radu Poklitaru joined the troupe of the Belarusian Opera and Ballet Theater as a ballet dancer. A year later, he made his film debut. He played in the film "Dancing Ghosts". In 1994, he continued his education by entering the choreography department of the Belarusian Academy of Music.
Poklitaru's choreographic debut took place in 1996. The miniature "Point of Intersection" to the music of Arcangelo Corelli opened a new page in the artist's career. The choreographer quickly gained popularity thanks to the apt and vivid productions created for competitive numbers of young ballet dancers. His creative collaboration with soloists of the Minsk Musical Theater Yulia Dyatko and Konstantin Kuznetsov was especially productive. The artistic trio presented ballet fans with bright miniatures and performances:
- "Bagatelle" to the music of Ludwig van Beethoven;
- "Improvisation against the background of a wall covered with ivy" to the music of Johann Sebastian Bach;
- "Three Georgian Songs", "Barcarolle" to the music of Jacques Offenbach;
- "Moments" to the poetry of Konstantin Balmont;
- "Vision of a Rose" to the music of Karl Weber and others.
In the 2000–2001 season, Poklitaru held the position of chief ballet master of the Moldovan National Opera. This period became an important stage in the formation of the choreographer's author's style and brought Radu Poklitaru wide popularity and recognition of a large audience in his homeland and abroad.
In 2001–2006, Radu Poklitaru worked as an independent choreographer. It was at this time that the artist actively created original productions on the stages of theaters in Ukraine, Belarus, and Latvia. The professionalism and charisma of the talented figure win the hearts of devoted fans. Radu Poklitaru is gaining a reputation as one of the brightest representatives of modern dance in the post-Soviet space. Author's ballets are distinguished by an innovative approach, expressive plasticity, and original interpretation of classical and modern plots. Thanks to this, Poklitaru gained recognition as one of the leaders of progressive ballet directing.
Creation of the Kyiv Modern Ballet Project
In 2006, with the assistance and financial support of Ukrainian philanthropist Volodymyr Filippov, Radu Poklitaru founded his own author's theater, Kyiv Modern Ballet. After an all-Ukrainian casting, 16 young dancers entered the newly formed troupe. At the same time, the presence of classical ballet education was not a prerequisite.
The theater loudly announced itself with the premiere of the two-part performance "Carmen.TV", which received instant recognition from the public and critics. The production brought the theater two "Kyiv Pectoral" awards: in the nominations "Best Performance of the Year" and "Best Plastic Solution". Today, Radu Poklitaru is the author of over forty ballets - both one-act and full-length, created at leading theater venues.
Among other famous works of the Kyiv Modern Ballet Theater:
- Le forze del destino / The Forces of Destiny (opera-ballet);
- one-act ballet "Rain" to music by Johann Sebastian Bach and the peoples of the world);
- one-act ballet "Bolero" by Maurice Ravel;
- two-act ballet "Giselle" by Adolf Adam;
- one-act ballet "Nine Dates" to music by Frédéric Chopin;
- one-act ballet "Discrimination" to music by George Handel and Valentin Silvestrov;
- one-act ballet "Friends" to music by Peteris Vasks.
Style and creative development
The performances of Radu Poklitaru successfully represented Ukraine at at prestigious international music festivals and during tours in France, the Netherlands, Great Britain, the USA, Japan, China, Poland, Estonia, Thailand, Spain, Turkey and many other countries.
Each production of the outstanding choreographer is a bold creative experimentrhythm and at the same time a deeply thought-out performance that fascinates with an unexpected look at classical theatrical stories. Poklitaru masterfully updates the dance vocabulary, enriches modern choreography with new forms. At the same time, he remains faithful to music and the psychological depth of human experience.
Radu Poklitaru's author's style is a complex choreographic language that combines genres, the plasticity of modern dance and the framework of the classics. As the choreographer himself admits, the basis of ultra-modern dance remains the classical plot. They exist in a single coordinate system, forming productions that seem to many to be the border of the avant-garde.
Awards and distinctions:
- National Prize of Ukraine named after Taras Shevchenko in the field of musical art (for the ballet-triptych "Crossroads" (2012), ballets "Swan Lake" (2013), "Women in D Minor" (2014) and "Long Christmas Dinner" (2014);
- the title of "People's Artist of Moldova" (2016);
- the title of "Honored Artist of Ukraine" (2017);
- the 22nd national award "Person of the Year-2017" in the nomination "Artist of the Year";
- "Kyiv Pectoral" of the 2019/20 season (nomination "Best Plastic Solution of the Performance");
- the award "Best Choreographer" (as part of the musical ceremony Gala Exсеlеntei Muzikale - 2023) and others.
