"WE DON'T SAVE WHAT WE HAVE"

At the St Petersburg Academy of Performing Arts, he was called a "miracle dancer from Baku, who is 'Azerbai-jani Esambayev', but only of the 21st century". We also got interested. Three years ago, when the Russian drama theatre was staging Seven Beauties and needed a professional with the staging skills in choreography, the name of Tahir Eynullayev was the first to be recalled here. He worked on the production together with a Lithuanian director, first in Baku, then in Vilnius, where the world premiere of the second version of the staging of Seven Beauties was given. Participating in this international project, Tahir Eynullayev represented Azerbaijan, Nizami's homeland, and during a short period of time, while working on the production of the new version, he managed to create the impression of an Oriental man with beautiful manners and high professionalism. Tahir was born, raised and educated in Baku. He finished the Baku Choreography School, Folk Character Dance Department, taught by Xumar Zulfuqarova and Leyla Vakilova. He worked as a soloist at the State Song and Dance Ensemble, then as a soloist at the Rasid Behbudov State Song Theatre. He graduated from Baku University of Culture and Arts, Choreography Direction Department. Later he finished the Imaginative Postgraduate Training Programme at the St. Petersburg Academy of Performing Arts (master class of Professor Eleonora Odinets). On the recommendation of Xumar Zulfuqarova and Yulana Alikisizade, he created a solo programme called Dances From Around the World, which now consists of 15 dances. He teaches at the Baku Art School. In-between, he performs his programme in the army and participates in charity concerts. He does not dance in the restaurants though, as he believes that art must not be traded at the barbecue.

- Tell me, Tahir, haven't you been hurt by the fact that Petersburgers called you "Esambayev"?

- I cannot say that I was hurt, rather embarrassed. Because Esam-bayev was not just a talented person, he was a genius, perhaps unsurpassed. I have a way to go to reach his level!

- Let's do without a banal question: why have you become so enthusiastic at choreography? This was your choice and, as life has shown, it was not accidental. Maybe it's just a dynasty. After all, your father, Ramiz Eynullayev, was a well-known expert in this art. Don't you regret that you have chosen this path? Given that the professional life of a dancer is short...

- I do not regret. You yourself said about the dynasty, though my father has never told me anything about my success. I didn't understand his attitude to what I was doing. Only when he was on the point of passing away, he said that I would be a success. Dance is a language that requires no translation. The art of dance is what not only attracts and moves me as a human being, but also attaches a meaning: the importance of the path chosen. Dance is part of the unique culture of each nation: as a way of self-expression, a way of conveying feelings, thoughts, attitudes and moods. Our folk dance has its specific features. It doesn't look like any one dance of the South or the North Caucasus. This pattern reflects the character of the people, their attitude towards life and its peculiarities. But we don't care about saving it for future generations.

- Can you explain your idea?

- Yes. There are original folk dances, but they are not kept in repertoire of ensembles. Dance of the Shepherds, Saki Dance, Zorxana, Salaxo, Azerbaijani Lezginka. All of these are male dances. But they have never contained the aggressive and expressive origins which appear today. We have always had our own lezginka! It is not by chance that Niyazi, Soltan Hacibayov and Rauf Haciyev composed music for the national lezginka! Just listen to it. Can you hear there this aggressive pressure? Or at least anything close to aggressive dynamics? Aggressiveness, belligerence are elements that are not inherent in the dance traditions of our culture.

- But aren't our dances being kept in repertoire of ensembles?

- They are not performed on tours. And this worries me because we do not save and protect what we have, what is brilliant in nature. And what is intrinsically valuable as a cultural truth about the character of our people. That's why we have everything stolen. For example, our neighbours argue that Fikret Amirov's Karabakh Pearl and Brilliant Dadasova's Vocalise are products of their art. What have we done to protect our authorship? Brilliant at least did try. As time passes, these dances will be attributed to someone else's culture, too.

- But isn't the culture of folk dance studied in the relevant institutions?

- It is studied, indeed. But this is not enough. Not only it should be studied, but also included in the repertoire of different troops, both professional and amateur. And we must take it on our tours and show it in other countries! Otherwise, we will gradually lose this special flavour, peculiar only to our people. The same applies to women's lyrical dance. It acquired certain dynamics not characteristic of this dance. Lyricism, the smoothness of gesture, a turn of the head, the play of eyelashes and eye movement, the expressive elegance of female hands are gradually fading away. All this is lost! Instead, we have uncharacteristic swiftness, impetuosity, and rhythm. The peculiarity of the character of the Azerbaijani woman is vanishing! Smoothness, deliberateness and languor created an image of the woman who felt like a Woman from birth!

- Is it so because the attitude of men to women has always been respectfully condescending? 

- Condescending and admiring. There is a huge culturological stratum of traditions, world outlook and other things that we can lose under the pressure of "approximate " knowledge of the subject of folk dance. 

- But we do have female dance performers in this country who are bearers of this traditional culture, don't we? 

- Yes, we do. We have masterly performers of the lyrical female dance, but not so many as we would like to have. 

- Do you personally teach your pupils to dance male folk dances at the high school of arts? 

- I do. But this is teaching process. All this remains in the classroom. I was speaking about propagating our traditional and originally folk male and female dances at a world level. 

- Then maybe the time has come to create a dance theatre? 

- I don't know. I haven't thought about it. Such a theatre would need a director for body movement on stage that we have none. We need culturologists to provide actors with theoretical knowledge about the nature and peculiarities of other cultures. And then we need somebody to deal with scenic culture teaching: how to do makeup, wear a costume and others. This is also becoming a thing of the past today. Nowadays, both in TV programmes and at music venues, for instance, performers step on the stage looking as they like: some with a beard, others without any, while still others with a slight bristle. And we cannot tell who is dancing before us: Dagestanis, Georgians or someone else. Our males traditionally wear a makeup: each dancer will have a moustache. It doesn't matter whether it is his own or pasted. It is part of the Azerbaijani image. The rest is supplemented by the dance. The negligence of today's performers is just killing me. 

- Have you ever dreamt of creating a dance theatre?

- No, I haven't. I dreamed of a music hall. It would be exciting for me to work with a music hall team. And if I were invited to stage a show somewhere, I'd gladly go there. 

- Didn't you find it exciting to work with dramatic actors? After all, you've got some experience of staging at drama theatres, haven't you? 

- I do have experience. My impressions are diverse. It is exciting where actors perform their professional duty honestly. And it is great if they have a good ear for music, a sense of rhythm, if they can dance and sing. It is interesting to work with such actors because they are ready for co-creation. They have the excitement and passion to try their hand at something new, maybe even difficult for someone. Others are unable and don't want to be able, they just serve their time at work. This has nothing to do with creativity. Such "professionalism" is of no interest to anyone, above all the audience. 

- As a matter of fact, people having no ear for music, no voice and cannot dance are not admitted to the acting department. This is a must. If one has no such abilities, they are deemed professionally unfit. Today, the theatre needs synthetic actors - actors who can do everything. 

- This is just what I mean to say. But I didn't see such actors at all the theatres. I've seen enough actors to compare as I happened to work at the Musical Comedy Theatre, the Irevan State Drama Theatre, the Russian Drama Theatre and the Russian Drama Theatre of Lithuania. Actors are not always prepared to dance. 

- So which of the theatres has dramatic actors best prepared for co-creation? 

- I cannot give an unambiguous answer. But probably those at the Lithuanian theatre are predisposed for this the most. 

- Do you have any other dreams apart from the music hall and preserving traditions of the dance culture?  

- I dream of making a music hall-styled solo show. I have an idea for the show. I have the script. But I have no actors, no costumes and no stage. And most importantly, I have no sponsors. Still I'm sure to make it. And only then will I quit the stage. One should leave on time. Although it is very hard to do: the stage, the audience, the art of dance - all these things fill you life with meaning and joy.  

- You are going to Lithuania again. Is it new project? 

- No, it is not. I'm going to continue work on the released Seven Beauties show. The stage director, Jonas Vaitkus, wants to finalize the scenes with the Dervishes. Generally, he is a very interesting director: he's in the process all the time. He is adored by his actors and students. He is their genius and god in the theatre.  

- Then I whish you good luck. And to us as well. Because Nizami's successful march to the dramatic stage is our common success.