The touching love story of a composer and writer now has a ballet

Text Susanna Poikela
Photos Rünno Lahesoo / Teater Vanemuine

 

The ballet December Rain, dedicated to the 85th anniversary of the Vanemuine Ballet, was inspired by the music of Frédéric Chopin. It tells the love story of the composer and the French writer George Sand.

Composer and pianist Frédéric Chopin’s life was shaped by his unwavering dedication to music, as well as an illness that plagued his later years. In the background, his romantic relationship with the female author who used the pseudonym George Sand, emerges as a recurring underlying theme.

“My mother told me about the beautiful and tragic love story of Chopin and Sand. I was deeply moved. I researched and read more about their lives, and it touched me so much that I decided to realise it on stage,” says Kristina Paulin, the writer and director of the ballet.

The story of the ballet does not follow the historical truth in all respects, but interprets moments from their lives. “I try to understand what these people might have felt during certain events, and with the help of imagination I colour their story,” adds Paulin.

You can read more about the December Rain ballet and its creator on the Vanemuine Theatre website  and buy a ticket at Piletilevi. The next performance is on March 9, with the final performance on May 18.

 

 

 

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Ballet Dance December Rain Kristina Paulin Tartu Vanemuine Ballet Vanemuine Theatre