The premiere of the ballet performance Carmen. 5 tangos will take place at the Latvian National Opera on February 14.

The LNO’s new production combines two one-act ballets, created by internationally recognized choreographers. The classic story of Carmen is clothed in contemporary and expressive choreography by Polish choreographer Krzysztof Pastor. 5 tangos is one of the most beautiful ballets of the Netherlands's living legend Hans van Manen. The world famous ballerina Ulyana Lopatkina stars in the premieres.

Krzystof Pastor about Carmen: “My interpretation of the Carmen story is based on the novel Carmen by Prosper Mérimée as well as on Bizet’s opera with the same title. In my ballet I decided to concentrate on the most essential points of this story: love, passion, jealousy, and the destiny which is so important to Carmen’s beliefs. Both Carmen and Don Jose know their destiny, they know that the doomed passion will bring them to a tragic end and yet they go further and deeper towards the unhappy, moving finale. In my version of Carmen Destiny and the Toreador are performed by the same person because the last drop which overflows the cup of Don Jose’s jealousy and guids him to killing of Carmen is her fatal attraction to the Toreador, which thus become their destiny.”

Hans van Manen about 5 tangos: „People said at the time – the critics, of course – that what I had done in 5 tangos wasn't „real tango”. But that was never my intention. I had made a ballet to Piazzolla's music, so it had the mood of tango but I had put the girls in pointe-shoes. Because nothing can spin faster than a dancer on pointe. Even the women who dance tango in Argentina, or on-stage in very high heels, can't quite match that quick, precise quality. And of course, like very high heels, pointe-shoes make the legs look really long, elegant, glamourous. And without eroticism, everything would be boring. In my ballets, the dancers always look at each other. They connect. I'm very bad at telling stories, that's why I never make full-length ballets. But the moment you deal with people you have a drama, and tango is full of it.”