Laysan Utyasheva about the Bolero show: "When I saw the audience getting up, I decided it was a failure, everyone was leaving. But they were going to the stage ..."
In February, the famous athlete, TV presenter and young mother Laysan Utyasheva became a guest editor of HELLO.RU. In her new column, Laysan decided to write about the new Bolero show, in which she is now directly involved.
The premiere of the choreographic performance Bolero took place on October 1 last year in Kazan. Since that moment we managed to visit Minsk, St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg. The next performance will take place on February 14 in Cyprus, then in Voronezh, Rostov-on-Don and Krasnodar. In May, the long-awaited premiere of the show will take place in Moscow. We got a lot of rave reviews, but that's not what I'd like to write about. You won't believe what kind of bizarre, sometimes even absurd stories happened to us while working on the show!
At the very beginning of the rehearsals, I began to have doubts about whether I could withstand such a pace, whether I could combine filming, family and work on the show ... Probably, this is normal for a person who has not been "in the profession" for 10 years, besides, I gymnast, and gymnastics and dancing are not the same thing. I was dizzy from the abundance of new information: the score when staging a dance is completely different than in sports, it was necessary to adapt, there were other nuances. Fortunately, like-minded people helped me. Almost from scratch, but with sporting perseverance, I rushed to master new plastic and dance styles: Vogue New Way, High Heels and modern. At the very beginning of rehearsals, an old injury began to torment me. I had to work not at full strength, to watch other dancers. Later, when the pain receded, I was again able to start new modern dance styles for me. 
There was only a day left before our premiere in Kazan, and we still had not seen our costumes. Wanting to achieve maximum immersion in the atmosphere of a fashion show or a private nightclub, we ordered tailoring of costumes in London. As a result, they were brought at the last moment, when we could not find a place for ourselves from excitement.
At the premiere, we faced another problem: the organizers did not understand the format of the show and provided us with a platform that did not allow the last rows to fully see what was happening on the stage. When we arrived at the place, it was already impossible to change something, all tickets were sold. I was very afraid of the negative reaction of the audience. When in the middle of the performance I saw people getting up from their seats, I thought: "That's it, this is a failure. Everyone is leaving." But the audience did not leave the hall, on the contrary, they came closer to the stage to see us. For half the show, they stood near the stage, dancing with us. We thank them for such support! 
Fragments of the Bolero show
There were a lot of problems during the performance in St. Petersburg. Half of our team was stuck at the Moscow airport with costumes and props, the flight was delayed due to weather conditions. As a result, the dancers made it to the performance at the last moment, skipping the dress rehearsal. But the costumes remained at the airport, and our team had to get out of the situation and create new images in extreme conditions.
The very performance in St. Petersburg was also not without curiosities. We have a moment in the performance when the dancers have to move the sofa on which I am sitting from one side of the stage to the other and back. While they were pulling it in one direction, we damaged the floor on the stage, and dragging the sofa back, tore off its leg. Of course, we pretended that nothing had happened and danced on, so that the audience in the hall did not notice anything. 
On October 1, Kazan will be the first Russian city to see the theatrical and dance show of Laysan Utyasheva Bolero. The viewer is promised to be shown a sincere, passionate and, in some ways, maybe even dangerous story of the Goddess: defeated, she is ready to rise from the ashes for one thing - true love. The legend of Russian and world rhythmic gymnastics, a real business woman ─ model and TV presenter, mother of two kids, wife of Pavel Volya, admits that, in anticipation of the premiere, she is worried as if she is going on a gymnastic carpet for the first time.
Laysan Utyasheva: I have been dreaming of Bolero for a very long time, ever since I collaborated with the imperial ballet under the direction of Gedeminas Taranda. I was a soloist in his production of "Bolero", and even then I wanted to better understand the goddess - her cruelty, her actions. For ten years I have been looking for, and finally, I was able to realize my plans with my beloved and in a good way a little crazy directors and choreographers Ekaterina Reshetnikova, Igor Rudnik and the second director of the project Nika Safonova. For them, the project is also an opportunity to take on a new role. We started rehearsing in the spring and a lot depended on the music. It was important to get into “those” emotions and find the right mood. In secret, I can say that we built and broke many times, remodeled and rebuilt, but never stopped. And we have achieved the right emotions and feelings. Everything that will be on stage is the maximum truth.
What audience is the show aimed at? How and why did the age limit 18+ appear, and does this mean that children are not allowed to enter?
Yes! "Bolero" is not for the child's psyche. There will be many undertones and understatements: we want to give the audience the opportunity to think, to think... This story is the story of a woman, strong and powerful, but at the same time very lonely. Everyone admires her strength and article, but everyone wants to get something from her. Left alone, this woman feels her uselessness, and loneliness turns her inside out. She could be a good mother and wife, but... she is alone and is putting herself back together again.
In "Bolero" we will be dancing (that's right!) about serious adult relationships, so it was better to introduce an 18+ limit. In addition, you will need to immerse yourself in the history of Bolero without being distracted by trifles.
Bolero announces bold, daring suits. How can you characterize the overall style of the show?
At first, the costumes may seem strange to you, but this is exactly the fashionable fashion party that you need to plunge into. Especially for each hero, we have developed a unique modern look, avoiding stereotypical concert costumes. It is better to see everything with your own eyes in the final version. So far, I can only hint that at some point the viewer will feel like they are at a fashion show.
Why is the premiere taking place in Kazan? What other cities in Russia would you like to bring the show to and why (perhaps you have special moments or memories associated with some of them)?
Kazan is my friend city, the city where I was supported at the most important moment of my sports career. I came there to perform after two years of walking on crutches and six operations, and was, to put it mildly, not in very good shape. Kazan met me incredibly warmly, and it gave me strength. The audience gave a standing ovation: "Thank you for coming back and thank you for fighting." On October 1, I will show Kazan my adult project. And after the premiere on November 5 we will perform in Minsk, on December 1 we will be in St. Petersburg, on December 5 ─ in Cyprus, after which we will go to Australia, and on December 10 we will show a show in Yekaterinburg. You can see our poster and learn more about Bolero on the website.
I've been working towards this for so long that I can't wait to get on stage. For those who did not catch me in gymnastics, the Bolero show will be a big revelation, because they have no idea what physical capabilities the body can retain after 15 years.
Judging by the commercial, the Bolero color scheme is restrained, but at the same time expressive: black, red, gold. How harmonious is it for you in terms of perception and acceptance, and what colors do you prefer in everyday life?
On ordinary days, I also choose black and red, so the colors of Bolero are very close to me. In fact, when creating the color scheme of the show, we were inspired by the film "Neon Demon": the color scheme of this film is very powerful, and it was it that formed the basis of our color scheme. We have also abandoned complex graphics and lighting solutions: "Bolero" does not require unnecessary decorations ─ the emotions from music and dance do not need any cover.
Tell us about your spouse's participation in the project: what role did he play in its implementation?
A traditional question for a business woman: how do you manage to keep up with everything? Give our readers a couple of life hacks - the keys to good health, mood and attitude.
I have special secrets for waking up and a healthy morning, which can be found in my online Willpower Courses. This is not just another weight loss project, but a special technique that can change the perception of your own body. Among the main life hacks: always get up at the same time without an alarm clock ─ best at 8-9 in the morning (on weekends you can add lunchtime sleep with children), exclude flour from the diet (it makes the body clumsy and viscous) and do a 15-minute morning complex exercises that suit any posture and age.
Does your soul (and body) require restoration after some large-scale projects, launches, participation in advertising campaigns, etc.? How long does it take, and how do you like to recover?
After serious filming, I try to relax tete-a-tete alone with myself: a day without a phone. The second day I spend in pleasant household chores with my family: I try to have time to wash, cook something tasty, sort out the wardrobe - this distracts the brain and body from the load. In times like these, I really relax.
(32) is a legend of Russian gymnastics, who has repeatedly proved to herself and the world that there are no barriers to doing what you love. In 2002, she suffered a foot injury, which led to serious problems with her legs, then she was told that the path to big sport was forever closed. However, Laysan not only returned, but also won another gold medal - in the team competition at the European Championship in 2004.
And now Utyasheva is preparing to conquer another peak: on October 1, Kazan will host the premiere of her first own dance show with elements of gymnastics. And we were the first to come to the team for training and see how the guys are preparing for the premiere.
Why Kazan? The thing is that it was there that Laysan was supported at the most important moment of her sports career - at the first performance after two years on crutches and six surgeries. “To put it mildly, I was not in the best shape,” says Utyasheva. – But Kazan met me very warmly, and it gave me strength. And now, on October 1, I will show my friend city my adult project, on which we have been working for so long. This will be my confession." They plan to bring Bolero to Moscow only in the spring, but after the premiere in Kazan, the Laysan team will fly to Minsk (November 5), in early December it will already be in Cyprus, and then it will even reach Australia!
Few people know that in the mid-2000s, Laysan was a soloist with the Imperial Ballet under the direction of Gediminas Taranda and danced Bolero directed by Androsov. “It was always not enough for me that I danced in a classical production. I always had many questions for the Goddess: why is she so cruel, what does she hide? I always wanted to live her life in my own way and convey her emotions and experiences to the viewer. Bolero by Liasan Utiasheva is a modern version of the same story. There will be a lot of dances in the show, including elements of rhythmic gymnastics, the author's style of Vogue New Way, High Heel, modern and much more,” says Laysan.
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She gathered the team for 10 long years: “And now I was finally able to realize my plan with my beloved and in the good sense of the word crazy choreographers Ekaterina Reshetnikova and Igor Rudnik and a team of dancers: Maxim Nesterovich, Ulyana Pylaeva, Nikita Ansimov, Anton Panufnik, Ivan Mozhaikin, Oleg Klevakin, Aykhan Shinzhin and Snezhana Kryukova.
Concert company "ALL STARS NN" presents:
LAYSAN UTYASHEVA
With dance show BOLERO
Bolero by Liasan Utiasheva is a theatrical and dance show that will take the audience into a world where beauty and audacity of lines rule. Where words are not needed for mutual understanding, and emotions are read between the lines and expressed by body language. Where there are no boundaries, and love can turn the world upside down, throw it off the throne and raise it from the ashes.
This is the story of a woman, strong, powerful, but at the same time very lonely. She hides her loneliness behind parties in a noisy society. Her strength and article are admired, everyone wants to get something from her without thinking about her. Left alone, the Goddess feels her uselessness, loneliness turns her inside out. She could be a good mother and wife, but she is alone. She picks herself up again and again...
The show dances about an adult, about serious relationships and modern problems.
The action takes place in a closed nightclub with its own World and its own rules. It is here that she hides from her loneliness and can feel strong, desirable and beautiful.
In the Bolero show, rhythmic gymnastics will not appear as a sport of the highest achievements, but will cross that fine choreographic line between femininity and sexuality. For the first time author's elements of Vogue New Way style, high heels, modern and elements of gymnastics will gracefully intertwine in one dance. Under the original music of Ryan Otter, specially created for the project, previously incompatible styles will become a single whole, and fantasies will become a reality.
Only the most talented choreographers of our country, Katya Reshetnikova and Igor Rudnik, together with the best dancers of Russia, can combine them.
The audacity and boldness of the outfits of Laysan and her team of first-class dancers are able to destroy any stereotype. No less impressive will be the digital graphics that turn what is happening on stage into an unforgettable performance.
Laysan Utyasheva is the host of the rating show "Dancing" on TNT and several programs on NTV, a legend of Russian and world gymnastics, a six-time winner of the World Cup, a world and European champion, who found the strength to stand up on her feet, even when they were literally broken... Several of the most difficult elements of rhythmic gymnastics are named after Laysan Utyasheva.
