Naia Dobrota je balerina slovenskih korenin, ki med drugim tudi pravi, da so jo naučili, da k baletu pristopa z eleganco, nepopustljivo radovednostjo in, da je umetniški vidik vedno prioriteta.
Draga Naia, lepo pozdravljena na Paradinem portalu. Se spomniš kdo pa je tebi prvi zažel baletno oz. plesno dobrodošlico in kdaj se je to zgodilo?
Najlepša hvala za povabilo. Moji prvi plesni koraki – prva, ki je opazila, da imam smisel za ples, je bila moja mama. Še vedno mi rada pove, kako sem, potem, ko sem kot 3 letna, gledala balijske plese, še dneve posnemala gibe balijskih plesalk, bila sem čisto v svojem svetu. Kmalu zatem mi je predlagala, da se vpišem v plesno šolo in jaz sem izbrala balet. (Hello, thank you for having me on here. The first person to suggest that I start taking dance lessons was my mother, when I was about 3 or 4 years old. She likes to tell me about how, after watching a Balinese dance performance, I kept repeating the steps I’d seen for days after.)
Si plesalka slovenskih korenin rojena v ZDA. Nam lahko razkriješ nekaj svoje biografije.
Vedno je bilo malo zapleteno razložiti mojo življenjsko pot! Sem Slovenka, čeprav v Sloveniji nisem nikoli živela za razliko od mojih staršev in po maminem očetu sem delno tudi Balijka. Rodila sem se v ZDA vendar od tam nimam skoraj nobenih spominov, ker smo se preselili v Singapur, preden sem dopolnila eno leto. (Background is always a bit complicated to explain! I’m from Slovenian and partly Indonesian, though I never lived in Slovenia (unlike my parents, who grew up there). I was born in the USA but barely have any memories of my time there, as my parents moved us to Singapore very quickly on.)
Je ime Naia bilo prej mogoče Naja pa si zavoljo mednarodne kariere raje j spremenila v i?
Dobro vprašanje, vendar kot vem je bilo moje imeno vedno pisano z i! Mislim, da so bili moji starši navdihnjeni s polinezijsko verzijo in pomenom imena. (That’s a good question, but as far as I know, it has always been with an I! I think my parents were inspired by the Polynesian version and meaning of the name.)
In kolikor sem uspela najti po spletu si v Singapurju začela s plesno kariero. Kako je šlo dalje do Pariza preko Munchna in sedaj, ko si postala članica Theaterhaus v Stugarttu?
Plesati sem začela v Singapurju, v zelo majhni plesni šoli. Potem sem imela nekaj let francoskega baletnega učitelja, ki mi je odprl vrata v svet francoskega baleta in me seznanil z njegovo zgodovino, stilom in tehniko. To je vplivalo na odločitev, da nadaljujem svojo plesno pot v šoli za profesionalne baletke/baletnike v Evropi in tako sem se pri 14.-tih preselila v Pariz in začela šolanje v pariškem Narodnem konservatoriju glasbe in plesa, in se po maturi, pet let pozneje, pridružila Bayerisches Staatsballet v Munchnu kot balerina v Junior Company. Tam sem imela priložnost nastopati na velikem odru v produkcijah znanih klasicnih baletov, koreografijah sodobnega plesa in se udeležiti nastopov na številnih turnejah po Nemčiji in tujini. Med tem časom sem sodelovala tudi s koreografom Ericom Gauthierjem, ki vodi Gauthier Dance v Stuttgartu, kjer trenutno plešem kot del ansambla. Glede na to, da so moje korenine v klasičnem baletu, imam v sodobnem plesu manj izkušenj, vendar je to nov in dobrodošel izziv v katerem nadaljujem svojo pot dozorevanja v umetnosti plesa. (Yes, I began dancing in Singapore in a very small school. I ended up having a French ballet teacher for several years, who opened my eyes to the history and style of the French ballet world. I became determined to attend a professional European ballet school, and ended up moving to Paris when I was 14. I graduated from the National Conservatory of Music and Dance in Paris, 5 years later (slightly longer than intended due to an injury). From there, I joined the Bayerisches Staatsballett in Munich as a Junior Company Dancer. I got to experience the big stage as a part of major classical productions, contemporary creations, and my first tours, both around Germany and abroad. During my time there, I worked with Eric Gauthier, director of Gauthier Dance in Stuttgart. He remembered me, one year later, and extended an invitation to join his ensemble. Here I am today, in a part of the dance world far less known to me, but continuing to evolve and mature as an artist.)
Tvoja baletna izobraževalna pot je kar bleščeča in raznolika. Kdo vse je vplival na tvojo razvojno pot, si komu posebej hvaležna za to?
Predvsem sem najbolj hvaležna svojima staršema, ki sta mi od samega začetka ves čas stala ob strani in me spremljala tudi na nekaterih baletnih tekmovanjih. Včasih me še vedno čudi, da sta zaupala odločni deklici in podprla njeno želji, da sledi plesnim sanjam in se preseli na drugo celino, brez da bi sama veliko vedela o svetu baleta. Hvaležna sem tudi svojemu učitelju Jonathanu Guillarmeju in svoji profesorici baleta Isabelle Ciaravola iz CNSMDP, pri kateri sem maturirala. Od njiju sem se naučila, da pristopim h baletu z eleganco, nepopustljivo radovednostjo in, da mi je umetniški vidik vedno prioriteta. (Above all, I’m most thankful to my parents, who were ready to support me from the very beginning. Sometimes I’m still surprised that they trusted the dreams of such a determined little girl to move to a new continent on her own, without them knowing anything about the dance world themselves. I’m also thankful to my teacher in Singapore, Jonathan Guillarme, and my graduating professor, Isabelle Ciaravola. They taught me to approach this profession with elegance, with relentless curiosity, and with a value on artistry above all else.)
Lahko napiševa, da si klasična plesalka, z odlično baletno tehniko, ki obvlada tudi moderni plesni izraz ali bi ti kako drugače definirala stil s katerim se ukvarjaš?
Do pred kratkim, mislim, da bi se identificirala tako. Danes, ko plešem v ansamblu sodobnega plesa, in v negotovosti, kaj bo prinesla prihodnost, bi se raje klicala plesalka ali umetnica plesa. Čeprav vem, da ni mogoče obvladati vseh žanrov plesa, vidim vrednoto v raznovrstnosti in dovzetnosti za različne interpretacije, ki jih prinese vizija posameznega koreografa. Kdo ve kam me bo popeljala plesna kariera naslednje leto, kje bom plesala naslednje leto. (I believe that’s how I would’ve defined myself previously. Today, working in a contemporary-based company and unsure of what the future holds, I just call myself a dancer or artist. Although I know I can’t possibly master all styles, I value versatility and open-mindedness. Who knows what or where I’ll dance in the next seasons of my career?)
Glede na koreografe s katerimi si delala je to vrh svetovnih umetnikov, ki pa nekako ne sodijo med klasičarje. Kaj prinaša ustvarjati pod imeni kot so Cunningham, Brown, Charmaz, Montero?
Z vsakim novim koreografom, ki ne ustvarja v okviru klasičnega baleta, se soočim z novim stilom in novim koreografskim besednjakom kar pomeni nova pravila, nove koncepte, nov način gibanja. Občutek imam, da so meje mojih plesalskih zmožnosti neprestano testirane. Trudim se razumeti kako posamezen koreograf dojema človeške izkušnje in kako te interpretirati na svoj način. Koreografi velikokrat zahtevajo, da posvetimo temu dojemanju čas, da vložimo v to ure in pogosto dneve, preden sploh začnemo s prvimi koraki določene koreografije. V tem poklicu se neprenehoma učiš, z vsako novo koreografijo/koreografom odrivaš nova obzorja. (With every new choreographer (who isn’t classical), there is a new style or ‘choreographic language’ to be learned. New rules, new concepts, a different way of moving. I feel that I am constantly being pushed to test and push my limits, to understand how the human experience is understood differently by each choreographer, and how I can interpret their vision in my own way. That’s why, often, choreographers sometimes demand you take hours or days just to learn their style before attempting to learn any steps. It teaches you that you never stop learning in this profession; there is always something to explore.)
Na svoji plesni poti pa si se ustavila tudi na baletnem tekmovanju Prix de Laussane in osvojila nagrado. Kako pomembno je bilo to prestižno tekmovanje za tvojo kariero?
Udeležiti se Prix de Lausanne so bile sanje mojega otroštva. To, da sem lahko sodelovala na tekmovanju, je predstavljalo pomemben mejnik v mojem plesnem razvoju. Na žalost sem prisostvovala na tekmovanju s poškodbo, tako, da mi ni uspelo plesati tako dobro, kot sem upala. Kljub temu, je bila to pomembna lekcija o notranji, duševni pripravljenosti, ki je prav tako ali mogoče še bolj pomembna kot fizična. Mislim, da je bil to tudi neke vrste začetek mojega osebnega razvoja, kako se preko interpretacije predstaviti in projicirati na odru. Izbor talentov, ki prihajajo iz celega sveta, tako med tekmovalci, sodniki in gostujočimi plesalci, je bila neverjetno navdihujoča. V retrospektivi, je Prix de Lausanne definitivno imela vpliv na današnji pristop k mojemu delu in razumevanju vrste umetnosti kot je ples. (Prix de Lausanne was a dream for me since childhood. To be able to even participate marked a huge milestone for me. I was unfortunately injured when I competed and didn’t perform as well as I had hoped. However, it was an important learning lesson about the importance of mental resilience. I feel that it is since that moment that I truly began the personal work on how I present and carry myself as a performer. The congregation of talent from across the globe, both among the young competitors and the jury or guest performers, was also incredibly inspiring. The competition changed the way I work and understand this art form.)
Kako pa sploh izbiraš kompanijo v kateri bi rada plesala? Se odločaš na podlagi programa, koreografov, gre to preko avdicij ali kako drugače?
V idealnem svetu, mislim, da bi vsak izbral ansambel na podlagi svojega lastnega kriterija in preferenc o plesnem programu, načinu dela, velikosti, lokaciji itd. Na žalost je to svet, ki je zelo kompetitiven. Vsako sezono zaposlitev išče na tisoče plesalcev, medtem ko je novih mest v plesnih ansamblih zelo malo ali pa sploh ne. Danes imajo vsi večji plesni ansambli, opera in balet, avdicije za nova mesta. Proces je lahko zelo dolg and pogosto vključuje potovanje v tujino. Meni osebno je zelo pomembno, da imam neke vrste svojo pre-selekcijo preden se odločim in zaprosim za avdicijo. Na primer, prednost dajem Evropi, prvič zaradi vrste plesnih programov in koreografov, in drugič zaradi bližine domu. Zelo veliko mi pomeni okolje katero vidi potencial v mojem umetniškem stilu in ga podpira, v nasprotju z okoljem, kjer prevladujeta kompetitivnost in posledično velik pritisk. To je tudi eden od razlogov zakaj sem sprejela mesto v Gauthier Dance v Stuttgartu. Ponudbo sem dobila od direktorja, ki me je angažiral kot plesalko ki z svojo osebnostjo in plesnim stilom ustreza njegovemu ansamblu in viziji. (In the perfect world, I think we’d all pick companies based on our own criteria of programs, lifestyle, country, size etc! It is, unfortunately, an extremely competitive world. There are thousands of dancers searching for jobs, and a company may only have a couple of openings each season, if any. Today, every large company holds auditions. These can have very lengthy processes and often require international travel. As such, it’s important for me to have somewhat of a certain selection process when deciding where to apply. For instance, I’d prefer to stay in Europe, both because of the nature of the programs and choreographers, as well as the proximity to my family’s home base. I need to work in an environment where my artistic style is valued and I feel supported rather than under constant stress and competition. That’s why I took the chance to work in Stuttgart, in a place where I knew the director wanted me personally and where he saw I would fit in without having to change myself.)
Kaj se ti zdi, da je najbolj pomembno v tem trenutku tvojega življenja? In niti ne vem koliko si stara, nam poveš?
Stara sem 21 let in mislim, da sem v fazi raziskovanja, iskanja mesta, kjer bi se lahko ustalila za daljše obdobje. V zadnjih letih sem se veliko selila in jasno mi je, da ta del plesne poti prav gotovo ni za mano, vendar bi želela najti plesni ansambel s katerim bi se lahko poistovetila. To pa pomeni, da je pomembno, da ostanem odprta novim priložnostim in hkrati ostanem proaktivna v svojem delu. (I’m 21 at the moment! I think I’m at the stage where I’m exploring and looking for a place that I can settle in for a bit of time. I’ve done a lot of moving, and I’m aware that it’s certainly not over, but I’m looking forward to finding a place where I feel truly comfortable. This means that it’s important for me to remain open to any new opportunities and be proactive in my work.)
Ali si oseba, ki načrtuješ ali pustiš življenju, da gre svojo pot?
Če sem odkrita, oboje. Verjamem, da kar mi je namenjeno, se bo tudi zgodilo, in, da ne morem biti fiksirana na to, da oblikujem neko določeno prihodnost ali izid. Po drugi strani pa sem tudi vrsta osebe, ki je anksiozna in vem, da sta posvečenost mojemu delo, vztrajnost in organiziranost, to, kar me bo usmerjalo na moji poti in jo delno tudi oblikovalo. (Both, to be honest. I trust that what is meant for me will happen, and that I can’t be too fixated about curating an exact future. But I’m also an anxious person, and I know that my work and organisation are what will keep me on the right path, wherever it may lead to.)
Ti selitev iz mesta v mesto predstavlja problem ali je to pač življenje plesalca, ki ste kar nekakšni nomadi, kajne?
Mislim, da sem sprejela to kot del življenjske poti plesalca. Tovrstno življenje je seveda lahko naporno in stresno in ni izbira, ki bi jo sprejela z lahkoto. Seveda pa sem pripravljena na potovanja in selitve, če je to neizogibni del procesa. (I think I’ve accepted it to be a part of the life I chose to lead, so I don’t fight it too much. It can be tiring and stressful, so it’s not something I would do on a whim. However, I’m always prepared to travel or move for my work if that’s what needs to happen.)
Kateri trenutek na tvoji plesni poti ti je pa za vedno spremenil pogled na oder in zakaj ravno ta?
Težko je reči, kdaj je bilo to. V spominu pa mi ostaja trenutek, ki je spremenil moj pogled na prisostvovanje v večjem plesnem ansamblu, ko sem nastopala v Sencah v La Bayadere z Bayerisches Staatballett v Munchnu. To je bilo prvič, da sem nastopala, z vsemi člani baletne skupine, brez da bi enkrat samkrat vadila na odru. Glasba tega baleta je ceremonialna, temačna in na oder smo plesalke vstopale po nestabilni rampi, skupina štiriindvajsetih deklet, ki morajo biti v gibih popolnoma usklajene. Potrebna koncentracija, da skupina pleše kot eden, je neverjetna. Ko smo se spuščale po stopnicah, ki so vodile na oder se je čutila neke vrste napetost, posvečenost. Takrat sem dojela, kako izjemno in hkrati strašljivo je biti plesalec v ansamblu take velikosti. Pomembno je odplesati brezhibno, da se čarobni urok za gledalce ne razblini. (It’s very difficult to pinpoint just one. But one moment that transformed my outlook on this company was while performing Shades in La Bayadère with the Bayerisches Staatballett in Munich. It was my first time dancing among all the corps de ballet members, without ever having rehearsed it on stage. The music is solemn, it’s dark and foggy, you come down a precarious slope, and you’re in perfect unison with the other 23 girls. The concentration required to dance on stage to dance as one, and execute perfectly placed steps, was overwhelming. There is a certain tension, like a silent prayer, that is shared by the dancers as we ascend the steps to make our entrance. It made me realise how truly breathtaking but also daunting of a task it is to be a ballerina in a company of this size. For the first time, I grasped how important it was for me to perform my job so perfectly, so as not to break the magic spell that is sold to the audience.)
Kam se ti zdi pleše svetovni ples? Jaz sem na trenutke prav zbegana v smislu količine sodobno plesnih predstav na eni strani in klasike ter neoklasike na drugi strani. Kako doživljaš plesne trende ti kot soustvarjalka?
Mislim, da smo prišli do točke, kjer se išče profil plesalcev, ki so sposobni versatilnosti. Dandanes plesni direktorji stremijo po brezhibni tehniki vendar iščejo plesalce ki so hkrati sposobni improvizacije, obvladovanja različnih plesnih korakov, sodelovanja z številnimi koreografi modernega plesa, itd. To je velik pritisk na mlade in tudi bolj zrele plesalce, kateri so bili morda izurjeni izključno v klasičnem baletu, vendar danes vidijo potrebo, da gredo v korak s časom in se prilagajajo spremembam. Jaz prav gotovo opažam porast v neoklasičnih baletnih koreografijah in mislim, da je pomembno, da se zavedamo te nove realnosti, v kateri samo tehnika tradicionalnega klasičnega baleta ne zadošča in to tudi sprejmemo. Ne glede na to, klasični baleti so priljubljeni z razlogom and ne verjamem, da bodo kmalu opuščeni. (I think we’re at a point where there is a demand for dancers to be able to do everything. Directors today want impeccable classical technique, but a capability to improvise, master floorwork, collaborate with modern choreographers, etc, etc. It’s a lot of pressure for both young and old dancers, who were maybe purely classically trained but feel the need to keep up. I definitely see a rise in neoclassical works, and I feel it’s important to accept the reality that you can no longer keep to purely traditional classical ballet if you want to move with the times. Nonetheless, the old masterpieces are beloved for a reason, and I don’t believe they will die out.)
Je življenje plesalca dandanašnji velik izziv ne samo v smislu preživetja ampak tudi v smislu umetniške ekspresije?
Res je, da preživeti kot profesionalni plesalec ni najlažje. Sodeč po mojih lastnih izkušnjah je ostati zvest svojemu osebnemu stilu umetniške izpovedi velik izziv. Kot prvo, včasih moraš najprej postati viden kot interpret in šele potem kot ustvarjalec. Kot nekdo, ki dela v ansamblu, ki bazira na določenem repertoarju, je pomembno, da si versatile in pozoren na koreografovo vizijo. Včasih, posebno, kadar je delo radikalno in iza meja tvoje ‘cone komforta’ to pomeni, da se lahko počutiš extremno neugodno in negotovo. Vendar je ta aspekt dela potrebno sprejeti. Današnji svet usmerja žaromete na vedno bolj raznolika dela in stile. V tem smislu obstaja sedaj več svobode za raziskovanje in odkrivanje. Hkrati pa je tudi neizogibno, da vsako delo ne bo po okusu vsake publike. (It’s true that the survival aspect of a dancer’s life isn’t the easiest. But also in my experience, I’ve found that staying true to your personal style of artistic expression can be a challenge. Firstly, you need to distinguish yourself as an interpreter rather than a creator at times. As someone who works in a repertoire-based company, it’s important to be versatile and attentive to a choreographer’s vision. At times, especially when a work is particularly radical or out of your comfort zone, this means feeling extremely uncomfortable and unsure of yourself. But it’s an aspect of our work you just need to embrace. Also, today’s world puts the spotlight on an increasingly diverse body of works and styles. So in that sense, there is more liberty to explore. But it’s inevitable that not everything is to every audience’s taste, and you have to accept that.)
Stereotipno vprašanje. Kaj bi si želela plesati in s kom delati v prihodnje? Kaj bi ti pomenil velik izziv?
Na to je težko odgovoriti. Želela bi si plesati v baletu Romeo in Julija, poleg tega pa tudi nastopati v delih Christiana Spuka, Maura Bigonzettija in Hofesha Schechterja. Kot je razvidno, bi želela sodelovati v zelo raznolikih koreografijah. Nastopati v delih teh avtorjev so moje sanjske želje in upam, da se mi bo nekega dne ponudila ta možnost. Veliko pomeni nastopati v koreografiji, ki te je nekoč kot gledalca/gledalko navdahnila. Menim, da ji potem pristopiš iz drugačnega vidika, jo drugače vrednotiš in spoštuješ. (This is very difficult! I’d love to dance Romeo and Juliet, but aside from that, also any piece from Christian Spuck, Mauro Bigonzetti, and Hofesh Schechter. As you can tell, I want to do it all! It would be a dream to perform pieces from those choreographers, but I’m young and I have hope it will happen one day. It always means so much to embody a choreography you know has inspired you in the past when you were merely a viewer. I think you approach it with a different kind of reverence and appreciation (which is why it’s important to also watch productions you’re not a part of).
Nam zaupaš še kaj iz privatnega življenja, prosim. Se le ta zelo prepleta s tvojim poklicem? Ali tvoj partner prihaja iz sveta plesa ali pač ne?
Ni mi težko povedati, da imam partnerja, ki prihaja iz baletnega okolja. Čeprav delava na različnih projektih, je za oba lepo imeti ob strani nekoga, ki razume svet baleta, njegovo zahtevnost, način življenja in to s tabo deli. (I don’t mind saying my boyfriend is also part of the dance world. And although we may have different projects, it is definitely really nice to have that level of understanding and support when your partner shares this very particular profession.)
Ali o plesu premišljuješ 24 ur na dan ali počneš tudi kaj čisto neplesnega?
To pa nikakor! Če sem poštena, mislim, da je nezdravo razmišljati o plesu 24 ur na dan. Seveda je to določena vrsta življenja in bo vplivala nate tudi izven dela. Vendar si jaz vzamem tudi čas za potovanja, srečanja s prijatelji, obiske muzejev, parkov, kadarkoli je to mogoče. Vzporedno s plesom tudi študiram Mednarodne odnose na University of London. Študij je moj osebni interes, želim se izobraziti in si razširiti obzorje tudi izven sveta baleta. (Not at all! To be honest, I think it’s a bit unhealthy to be thinking of it 24/7. Of course, it is a lifestyle and will affect your time outside work. But I try to travel, go out, or see friends whenever I can. I’m also currently studying International Relations at the University of London. More for my own interest than anything else, I want to further my knowledge outside of my work.)
Kaj prinaša ples v tvoje življenje in zakaj plesati in zakaj hoditi na plesne predstave?
Ples je zame način dojemanja človeških doživetij, lepih, grdih in vseh vmes. Priložnost razvitja karakterja v katerem lahko postanem nadgrajena ali spremenjena verzija same sebe na odru, ti da občutek, da si živ in mogočen. Ta ponotreni občutek je to kar privlači gledalce predstav. Mislim, da tradicionalno povezujemo obisk gledališča z razvedrilom ali pa s časom, ki ga posvetimo lepoti, umetnosti. Prav gotovo, vendar pa ti predstava lahko tudi prinese občutek vznemirjenja, navdušenja, ali preprosto možnost, da si opažen, morda ti vzbudi vprašanja, te ponese v drug svet – meni kot gledalki to veliko pomeni. (Dance for me is a way of understanding the human experience – the beautiful, the ugly, and everything in between. I love being able to develop a character and become a heightened or altered version of myself on stage. It comes with a feeling of being alive and powerful. After all, this visceral feeling is what I believe draws people to watch performances. I think traditionally we associate a visit to the theatre to a lighthearted distraction, or a time to sit and appreciate beauty. Which can be the case. But a performance that leaves you with a thrill, or the feeling of having been seen, or maybe full of questions, is equally, if not more valuable to me as an audience member.)
Hvala, da si si vzela čas za tale intervju po mejlu in upam, da te srečam kdaj tudi v živo in še bolje, da te občudujem na odru.
Hvala, tudi tebi.