Azernews.Az

On October 17 and 18, the world premiere of the ballet "Two Carpets" will take place at "Astana Ballet".

Created by Mosaic Del Arte, the production is based on the legend of the "Shirvan Carpet", a black-and-red masterpiece from the Louvre collection.

Ahead of this landmark event, the founder, general producer of Mosaic Del Arte, and author of the libretto for "Two Carpets", Valeriy Kopeykin, who has visited Azerbaijan multiple times, spoke to Trend Life about the creation of the project.

Q: Valeriy, what brings you to Baku this time? Why did you choose the Azerbaijani legend as the basis for your new ballet?

A: I visit Baku often many of my friends live here, and there may be opportunities for us to collaborate on cultural projects in Azerbaijan. But, above all, it is Azerbaijani culture, its history, and its soul that allow me to feel the "taste and spirit" of the East. I am genuinely enchanted by the spirit and warmth of your people. The city of Baku, its architecture, the residents' love for traditions, and respect for the memory of their ancestors—all of this evokes in me a deep sense of respect. Especially Icherisheher—the Old City, where one could wander endlessly, absorbing the beauty of stone and time.

Azerbaijan is one of the few countries where the most diverse nations, cultures, and religions coexist peacefully. Multiculturalism here is not just a slogan; it is a reality. Tolerance is genuine, not superficial, and this is a truly great achievement.

As for the project itself, the idea for the ballet "Two Carpets" was born not in Baku, but in Dubai, where Mosaic Del Arte was founded. Our mission is to return the audience to true art by creating stage productions where classical works gain new life and a modern sound.

"Two Carpets" is the second project of Mosaic Del Arte. The first one, the rock-ballet "Blind Forgiveness", is a performance where neoclassical dance combines with a modern take on ballet, featuring plot development in the style of a theatrical monologue. You could say that this innovative project is a new chapter in the history of ballet. Presented as a full-fledged rock-ballet for a symphonic orchestra with a libretto consisting of 12 scenes, it is unique in its kind, blending elements of classical art with contemporary musical genres.

Q: So now you plan to continue this innovative path with your new production, "Two Carpets"?

A: Absolutely. But I wouldn't want to reveal all the details of the production just yet. Let the audience experience it for themselves. I will only say that the legend of the black-and-red Azerbaijani carpet, which is housed in the Louvre, forms the basis of the story. In many countries, including Azerbaijan, women often treat carpets as a diary of their lives. In this particular carpet, a young woman reflects her love, and after the death of her beloved in the war, her work becomes a symbol of sorrow—the color palette of the fabric transitions from red to black. The legend is very short, only a few sentences, but I created a new plot from it, reworking it and making it less tragic, and it became the foundation for a classical work. The ballet ends happily—I wanted to offer the audience hope. The ballet was staged by choreographer and director Alexander Mogilev, who introduced original ideas. The music was composed by Arseniy Smirnov, with a delicate, emotional score.

Throughout the performance, the scenery will change five times. The set designer, Anastasia Kapustina, created an exclusive carpet design incorporating ancient Azerbaijani patterns and motifs. This carpet was specially woven in a single copy by Azerkhalcah OJSC and will be presented at the premiere. I must also mention the work of costume designer Igor Chapurin, who designed the costumes. The lead roles will be performed by Tatyana Ten (Leyla), Sundet Sultanov / Yerkanat Ermagambet (Samir), and Natalia Fernandez Menes (Margot).

Q: Could you give us a glimpse into the plot of the ballet "Two Carpets"?

A: Every author brings something unique to the work. The ballet tells the story of emotions that, unfortunately, are losing their depth in today's world. In the era of superficial communication, love is becoming more urbanized, more commonplace. Yet it is love that has often saved humanity.

The action unfolds at the beginning of the 20th century in Baku, St. Petersburg, and Vienna, against the backdrop of World War I. Leila and Samir are two young hearts whose feelings pass through joy, separation, and trials. This story reflects the full spectrum of human emotions, especially when another woman, Margot, enters the plot, bringing with her the complexities of choice, self-sacrifice, pain, and forgiveness. For me, the most important aspect is to show love from a woman's perspective and how strong it can be! One of the characters loses her beloved and locks herself in her grief, while another finds love but is willing to sacrifice it for the happiness of the other. This is a true emotion that requires immense inner strength.

On the male side, true strength is not manifested in domination, but in the ability to acknowledge one's mistakes, to be honest with oneself and one's feelings. I want men to return to this sense of strength, to understand just how powerful a woman's love is...

We have made an effort to make the production more accessible and understandable for the audience. There are many ballet works in the world where the viewer often arrives unprepared: they see only choreography, hear the music, but don't fully understand what is happening on stage. As a result, they leave with a feeling of incompleteness and inner dissatisfaction.

This is why, before the performance, we will present a brief theatrical introduction to the content of the ballet—a sort of prologue, which will help the audience understand the concept and plot more deeply. We used this approach in our first project "Blind Forgiveness", and the audience responded positively to this way of presenting. After the performance, many came up to us and expressed their gratitude for the introduction, saying that it helped them connect with each scene.

Q: Your project is truly international, involving people from different countries. What does "culture without borders" mean to you?

A: It is a language through which we can communicate without words—the language of dance, music, beauty, and love. It unites people better than any political or national argument. We are stronger, we can achieve more, we are bolder! For us, this is an important step forward. We have plans for new productions in the future. We hope that our work will contribute to the development of culture and bring joy to the audience. And we would love to present a ballet deeply connected to your culture in Azerbaijan—connected to carpets and the image of the Azerbaijani woman. It is here that we found our inspiration!

And, addressing the audience, I would like to say—let's learn again to understand art. Let us return to the classics, to their sincerity and spirituality. May art once again become a space of beauty, love, and inspiration.