Laurencia is a ballet made by Vakhtang Chabukiani

Vakhtang Chabukiani

Vakhtang Chabukiani was a Georgian ballet dancer, choreographer and teacher highly regarded in his native country as well as abroad. He is considered to be one of the most influential male ballet dancers in history, and is noted for creating the majority of the choreography of the male variations...

, based on Lope de Vega

Lope de Vega

Félix Arturo Lope de Vega y Carpio was a Spanish playwright and poet. He was one of the key figures in the Spanish Golden Century Baroque literature...

's Fuente Ovejuna

Fuente Ovejuna

Fuenteovejuna is a play by the Spanish playwright, Lope de Vega. First published in Madrid in 1619 as part of Docena Parte de las Comedias de Lope de Vega Carpio , the play is believed to have been written between 1612 and 1614...

to music by Alexander Crain

Alexander Krein

Alexander Krein was a Russian composer of Jewish heritage.-Background:The Krein family was steeped in the klezmer tradition; his father Abram was a noted violinist...

. Created at a time when “choreodrama” was considered in the Soviet Union the only acceptable form of contemporary ballet, it harks back to a genuine drama, wherein movement was a vehicle for meaning, and dance could serve as divertissement as well as dramatic purpose. At the same time, the story of a peasant revolution was obviously the ideal subject for a Soviet ballet.
Vakhtang Chabukiani was one of the first to create a new choreographic language by means of his own particular blend of folk dance and classical dance. He asserted once and for all the importance of male dance, furthering in particular the notion of “heroic” male dance.
Laurencia was premiered on March 22 of 1939, at the Kirov Opera and Ballet Theatre

Mariinsky Theatre

The Mariinsky Theatre is a historic theatre of opera and ballet in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Opened in 1860, it became the preeminent music theatre of late 19th century Russia, where many of the stage masterpieces of Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, and Rimsky-Korsakov received their premieres. The...

. Soliko Virsaladze designed scenery and costumes. Leading parts were performed by Natalia Dudinskaya

Natalia Dudinskaya

Natalia Mikhailovna Dudinskaya was a Russian prima ballerina who dominated the Kirov Ballet in the 1930s and 1940s.Dudinskaya's mother was Natalia Tagliori, a ballerina coached by Enrico Cecchetti. Trained by Agrippina Vaganova, Dudinskaya matriculated from her school in 1931. She danced all the...

 (Laurencia), Vakhtang Chabukiani

Vakhtang Chabukiani

Vakhtang Chabukiani was a Georgian ballet dancer, choreographer and teacher highly regarded in his native country as well as abroad. He is considered to be one of the most influential male ballet dancers in history, and is noted for creating the majority of the choreography of the male variations...

(Frondoso), Elene Chikvaidze (Jacinta) and Tatiana Vecheslova (Pascuala). On November 14, 1948, Laurencia was staged at the Tbilisi Z. Paliashvili Opera and Ballet State Theatre. Georgian prima ballerina Vera Tsignadze, famous for her distinguished and unique technical style, performed the title role. In 1956 the ballet was staged at the Bolshoi Theatre. Here Vakhtang Chabukiani partnered Maya Plisetskaya.
Laurencia had great success everywhere it was performed – in the former USSR and other countries.
In 1979 Vakhtang Chabukiani again revived the ballet for the Tbilisi State Opera and Ballet theatre. I. Askurava designed the scenery and costumes. Irina Jandieri, Marina Alexidze, Natalia Papinashvili, Rusudan Abashidze, Svetlana Gochiashvili, Valeri Abuladze, Zakharia Amonashvili, Vladimer Julukhadze, Nukri Magalashvili, Nugzar Makhateli, and Sergei Tereschenko performed the leading roles.

Synopsis

I Act

First Scene

In Fuente Ovejuna, a village in Spain, a holiday crowd has gathered on the main square. Locals dance, while waiting for return of the Commander from the battle.

Youngsters are teasing Laurencia and Frondoso. He is in love with her. Laurencia teases Frondoso herself. Mengo, the violin player, enters. Laurencia’s friend Pascuala asks Mengo to play the violin. Young people dance yet again. Military music can be heard from afar. The Commander enters. Villagers salute him obediently, but the Commander does not respond to their greetings. The charming Laurencia has caught his attention. The Commander courts the girl, but she responds with indifference. He loses his temper and, furious, leaves the village with his soldiers.

Second Scene

Bank of the river. Frondoso reveals his feelings to Laurencia, but the girl does not give him a clear answer. The sound of a trumpet can be heard. This is the hunting party of the Commander. He enters and tries to abduct Laurencia, but Frondoso defends the girl bravely from her loathed admirer. The Commander swears to seek revenge on them both.

Village girls, more interested in chatting and dance than their work, take laundry to the river. Here comes the merry violin player Mengo, too. The girls meet him with joy. After their work is done, the girls return to the village, but Jacinta is kept behind with her laundry. Suddenly the Commander’s soldiers appear and attack her. Mengo defends the girl from the soldiers fearlessly. When the Commander enters, he orders his men to arrest Mengo and punish him. Jacinta is given into the hands of the soldiers.

Laurencia is certain of Frondoso’s bravery, love and devotion now, and gives him her consent to marry.

II Act

Third Scene

The whole village celebrates the wedding of Laurencia and Frondoso.

Merry dances succeed one another to everyone’s delight, but the festivities halt abruptly when the fierce Commander enters the square. He is here to exercise his power, ordering the soldiers to put Frondoso in prison and to take Laurencia to his castle.

The fury of the villagers is overwhelming.

Fourth Scene

The men of the village gather in a forest. They know that it is necessary to fight against the tyranny of the Commander, but are too afraid of him. They stand, lost in fear and despair, and only curse the tyrant.

A tormented Laurencia enters. Her heart is burning with feelings of rightful vengeance. She shames the village men for their fear, and calls for rebellion. Her passionate voice wins over the locals. Even the village women are ready to fight together with her. People armed with knives, sickles and spears, rush to the castle of the Commander.

Fifth Scene

Villagers break into the Commander’s castle. They free Frondoso and kill the tyrant. The people celebrate their victory.