The Piano

About

The Ballet of Opera Plovdiv presents the premiere dance production The Piano, choreographed by Jiří Bubeníček. Inspired by Jane Campion’s Academy Award–winning film, this stage adaptation—originally created for the Royal New Zealand Ballet—has been brought to life with the filmmakers’ permission. Bubeníček transforms the story into a compelling dance experience that fuses neoclassical ballet with authentic indigenous dance elements. The scenography and video design are by Otto Bubeníček, a longtime Hamburg Ballet principal known for projects with La Scala and the Vienna State Opera; his visual world incorporates projections evoking New Zealand’s dramatic landscapes. The musical fabric interweaves segments of Michael Nyman’s unforgettable film score with classical pieces by Debussy, Arensky, Stravinsky, Schnittke, Brahms, and Shostakovich, echoing the film’s enduring emotional resonance.