29 March 2024

Friday, 19:41

BELIEF IN SUCCESS

Makar VERSTANDT: "Humanity and a bright smile are the main virtues of any human being. Everything else is secondary"

Author:

01.10.2017

A belief in success is driving the art of the theatre, opera and ballet forward, which inspires the artists for outstanding results, and keeps the art living. One cannot start any business, especially a career in ballet, without a belief in success.

Makar Verstandt is the Honored Art Worker of Azerbaijan. He is coming from one of the famous Dutch families in Baku, four children of which are related to music. Makar’s elder brother, Anton, is also the Honored Art Worker of Azerbaijan, bass-baritone of the Azerbaijan State Philharmonic. With his two sisters, Makar is a ballet dancer. His wife is also a ballerina and performs at the same theater, sometimes as his dance partner.

Makar, how would you explain your family’s love for the ballet?

That is because of my mother, who is not with us right now, unfortunately. She really wanted to dance, but she could not. By the way, her Azerbaijani relatives used to live in Lankaran. When I turned ten, I started studying at the Baku Choreography School. My teacher was the famous ballet master, choreographer Pulumb Agalijaj. At first, it was very difficult – warming up, stretching, endless training. It became more interesting when we began staging small stories. I have always believed in my success. I have been dreaming about beautiful ballet performances based on interesting stories, where I was performing the title role. I gradually left the roles in extras and started my internship in the theater. It was very exciting. Our first contact with music began in the choir of the cathedral church, where our father worked as a priest (Father Sergius). My parents were graduated from the Institute of Petroleum and Chemistry, both were air conditioning engineers. My mother did not become a ballerina and my father became a priest. I have finished my studies long ago. I have been working at the theatre for 18 years. I am 32 years old now and I perform the leading parts in performances. I am a father of two lovely little daughters - 6.5 and 1.5 years old. We have tried to instill in the older one the love for gymnastics. She was doing well, but then she somehow decided to quit. The other one still does the gymnastics. One should educate the children from a very early age to hope for success.

In which ballet performances are you busy now?

In all, which are staged in our theater, and those that will play in the near future: Don Quixote and Giselle, Carmen Suite and 1001 Nights, The Nutcracker and The Maiden's Tower, and others.

What's your favorite?"

Definitely, The Seven Beauties, because of the music of the great Gara Garayev and the plot of Nizami. For me, first and foremost, music with a story is important, then dance, choreography.

What is your daily routine?

Every day we have a rehearsal, sometimes a performance in the evening. We give several performances every month. On holidays, we have some solo fragments from the selected ballets. You cannot eat and sleep much, but you have to train daily.

Can you tell us about the forced break in your work?

I fell during one of my rehearsals and injured both knees. I had to do undergo a surgery. Everything went well, but the recovery period took longer than expected. My doctors, friends, colleagues supported and encouraged me a lot during this period. I believed that my career was not over yet, since I have not realized much of what I had planned. I think I was strong enough to not break and could resist the evil that had fallen on me. I am on my feet again and I dance the main parts. I am happy.

What is important for you to bring to the audience? The plot of the play or something else?

Everyone knows that ballet is the art of gestures, like a silent movie, so maybe that is why I am so laconic. Our gestures should be so bright and expressive that the audience, even those watching from the last rows, could correctly understand their meaning. Therefore, I attach special attention to this trying to be as much careful as possible.

Can you recall anything special from your theatrical practice?

There is a fragment in Giselle when the count dresses in simple clothes and goes to the people. One of the spectators criticized me after the performance. She told me that my character was still admiring himself although he was dressed in simple clothes. She thought it was wrong. I could not explain to her that even in simple clothes my character remained a count. Yet another incident occurred with our dancer Rafael, who had suddenly shown an interest in singing and left the ballet after a while.

The life of a ballet dancer on the stage is short. You are a young man. What are you going to do after the ballet?

If the administration supports me, I will try to dance as long as possible. Then I will be teaching. After all, I had taught classical and duet dance in a choreographic school. This summer, I taught dancing to children at a summer camp in Dashkesan. I am glad that these children, who could not dance at all, successfully performed several national dances at the concert. I like it.

How do you get into your character?

During the rehearsals. The character becomes so impressive that I often feel like himself. On the day of the performance, I wake up as a new person, I feel my character. During the whole day, I remain detached from the surrounding reality. But on the other hand, it is much easier to move away from the plot after the performance.

If you had a story with music, could you put it on stage?

Not only could I stage it but I could also play the title role in it.

 How much do ballet and figure skating have in common?

In fact, there are many common things. If you are good at skating, you can perform the same dance on the ice as well.

In which countries did you perform and where were you greeted the best?

I have been to Moscow and Minsk, St. Petersburg and Paris, Strasbourg, Istanbul and other cities of the world. Judging by the ovations, the audience has always greeted us with sincerity.

What is more important for you in a person: his human dignity or talent and professionalism?

It seems to me that the humanity and a bright smile are the main virtues of any human being. Everything else is secondary.

What do you do in your spare time?

I do not have a specific hobby, I do everything a little. I help to raise my children, in the household.

What is the most important thing for you that you will live for?

Except the ballet, these are my favorite daughters, of course. I want them to dance too. I believe in our family success.



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