Aladdin

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

This mysteriously playful and vividly Oriental ballet for children, “Aladdin,” is set to music by 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 its performances to a halt.

The libretto, based on the tale from the book “One Thousand and One Nights” and its expanded versions in films, was written by the director himself, Serhii Kon. “Miracles and magic bring delightful wonder and colour to everyday life. This ballet will draw children into an intriguing fairy-tale world, while reminding older audiences of their childhood and restoring their belief that anything is possible,” hopes S. Kon, the production’s creator.

The ballet combines classical and modern choreography, incorporating a range of styles and techniques and embellished with elements of Oriental dance. Sources of inspiration for “Aladdin” included the medieval Arabic and Persian literary classic “One Thousand and One Nights,” as well as plots from famous films and animations based on Oriental tales.

The tale of Aladdin and his magic lamp entered European translations of “One Thousand and One Nights” thanks to the French Orientalist and archaeologist Antoine Galland (1646–1715). He included the story after hearing it from the Syrian Maronite Christian and traveller Hanna Diyab (c. 1688), who was visiting Paris.

The Oriental 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 intertwined fates of Aladdin, the Genie, the charming Jasmine, and Jafar, who dreams of taking the Sultan’s place and becoming ruler of the world—figures who live in different worlds.