On November 5 and 6, 2024, the premiere of the flagship project of the XII season of the Context festival—"White Room"—took place in the Zaryadye hall. Vladimir Martynov, a living classic, philosopher, and already cult-status contemporary composer, composed a musical work specifically for the project. Pavel Glukhov created the choreography for the performance, which was executed by dancers from the festival troupe. The costumes for the production were designed by Maria Smirnova, a designer and founder of the INSHADE brand. INSHADE is known for its use of avant-garde textile techniques and experiments with dyeing and altering material texture. For the costumes in «White Room,» Maria Smirnova also utilized a special fabric treatment—fine ruching—which gives the non-elastic fabric stretchiness and elastic properties, allowing it to contract and expand with movement.
The core idea for the costume drew inspiration from the image of a sheet of paper—a carrier of emotions and thoughts. The concept of paper that was folded or crumpled and then smoothed out, yet still retained creases and compressed strips, inspired the designer to use a corrugated texture in the dancers' costumes. The color palette was based on the range of calligraphic ink and dyes—the idea of pattern distribution is inextricably linked to the choreography of the performance: «semantic clusters of graphic messaging are distributed among 10 dancers—each bearing a separate fragment. Through interaction, they assemble different variations and varying concentrations of new messages, gathering sometimes into more saturated and colorful groups, sometimes into more anxious and contrasting ones, and at times into almost black dramatic groups.»
Outfits are composed of interchangeable pieces—tops, skirts, tank dresses, leggings, culottes, t-shirts, and removable asymmetrical details. The masculine and feminine looks are conceptual and interchangeable—many items can be part of either a masculine or a feminine ensemble.
White Room — a new project for the Context Festival. Diana Vishneva. Vladimir Martynov composed a piece for drums and organ. The composition is performed by organist Sofia Iglitskaya and percussionist Yevsey Zubkov. Filling the entire space, the music creates a condition for the viewers, artists, and musicians to harmonize into a single ensemble organism.
The repetitive principle used in music directly influences dance—in choreography, Pavel Glukhov also employs the principle of movement repetition, while creating elaborate combinations of interaction within large and small groups. In his work on the production, the choreographer draws inspiration from the art of calligraphy—the movement of a brush with ink across a sheet, the dye spreading on the paper in a specific or chaotic direction. The dancers’ bodies in the performance space create subtle images. The audience captures them in their consciousness—a choreographic narrative without a strict plot can generate numerous associations, unique to each viewer. Pavel Glukhov’s choreography will be performed by the Context troupe.
Composer: Vladimir Martynov Choreographer: Pavel Glukhov Video Artist: Alexey Bychkov Costume Designer: Maria Smirnova, INSHADE Lighting Designer: Arseniy Radkov
Performers: organ — Sofia Iglitskaya percussion — Evsey Zubkov choreography — Context troupe: Arina Akhmetova, Angelina Boyarko, Nikolay Gavrilin, Alina Kostareva, Renata Nazmetdinova, Alexander Nosov, Lyubov Savchuk, Arseniy Smirnov, Igor Firsov
Context. Diana Vishneva — a festival and platform for the development of contemporary choreography. By discovering new talents and creating interdisciplinary projects, Context has promoted contemporary dance since 2013, making it relevant and essential. A key focus for Context today is producing its own projects, as well as co-productions with cultural institutions and artists. The Context company, founded in 2022, brings together a generation of dancers in a new formation, possessing high technical proficiency and a wide emotional range. The founder and artistic director of the project is prima ballerina Diana Vishneva.
