Aladdin

ALADDIN — a two-act ballet for children. Libretto by Serhii Kon. Premiere: 29 October 2022.

Mysteriously playful and vividly coloured with an Eastern flair, the children’s ballet “Aladdin” is set to music by the renowned Ukrainian composer Oleksandr Rodin. The production at Kaunas State Musical Theatre was created by the same Ukrainian artistic team that had already staged the project at the Kyiv Municipal Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre for Children and Youth in 2021, but the outbreak of war in Ukraine brought the performances to a halt.

The libretto, based on a tale from “One Thousand and One Nights” and adaptations of it in films, was written by the director himself, Serhii Kon. “Wonders and magic bring delightful surprise and colour to everyday life. This ballet will draw children into an intriguing world of fairy tales, while reminding older audiences of their childhood and restoring their belief that anything is possible,” says S. Kon, the production’s creator.

The ballet combines classical and modern choreography, incorporates a variety of styles and techniques, and is adorned with elements of Eastern dance. Its sources of inspiration include the medieval Arabic and Persian literary classic “One Thousand and One Nights” and the plots of famous films and animations based on Eastern tales. Notably, the tale of Aladdin and his magic lamp entered European translations of “One Thousand and One Nights” thanks to French orientalist and archaeologist Antoine Galland (1646–1715), who included it after hearing it from Hanna Diyab (c. 1688), a Syrian Maronite Christian and traveller, during his visit to Paris.

The Eastern tale of Aladdin has captivated generations because it explores important moral and ethical themes: the desire for power and profit, the triumph of good over evil, the superiority of wisdom over cunning and hypocrisy, and the power of a pure heart. At the heart of the ballet are the stories of Aladdin, the Genie, the enchanting Jasmine, and Jafar, who dreams of taking the Sultan’s place and becoming ruler of the world—each living in a different world.