“They have two faces. The smiling and perfect one that the audience sees. And
then the dark one, when they disappear behind the curtain, the rehearsed smile
falls and the face contorts to a haggard grimace, because they are choking…”
A raw and self-deprecating focus on the dance conservatory environment as
well as the wild 1990s. A black-humoured description of the fierce fight
against a despotic and dogmatic system as well as the loss of one’s own
identity.
Miřenka Čechová has created a multi-genre version of her book Ballerinas, in
which she describes the difficult and sometimes cruel journey of young girls in
pursuit of their ballet dreams. The resulting production is very personal and
has a strong emotional charge, the heroine reveals herself to the audience
physically, but mainly psychologically – she is able to relive her traumas, but
also to reach a catharsis. Jana Machalická, Lidovky.cz, 25 February
2022
The production uses a wide range of stage means to draw attention to the
toxic environment that female ballet trainee must face. The Ballerinas are
strongest where they formulate their theme metaphorically. It is clear that this
is a very personal subject for Miřenka Čechová […]. Lukáš Dubský, i-divadlo,
19 September 2022