Exhibition “Šokimai, rodymai, nudavimai… Lithuania’s Ballet at 100”

The exhibition title comes from a phrase describing ballet in the glossary of “Foreign and Unfamiliar Words” compiled by Jurgis Šlapelis and published in 1907. Over more than a century, this art form has become familiar and well-understood in Lithuania.

Although the continuous history of Lithuanian ballet began on December 4, 1925, with the premiere of Léo Delibes’ Coppélia at the State Theatre in Kaunas, ballet was known in Lithuania long before that. The exhibition is therefore a journey through the history of ballet in Lithuania, starting with 17th-century opera productions in the Lower Castle of Vilnius, continuing through 18th-century manor and school theatre, and 19th-century performances on the stage of the Vilnius City Theatre. Documents, artworks, and reproductions exhibited in the introductory hall present the forms of dance from this early period.

A significant part of the exhibition is dedicated to the first professional ballet performance in Lithuania — Coppélia, staged by choreographer Pavel Petrov — and to later productions created by Nikolai Zverev, Vytautas Brazdylis, and Kirill Simonov, revealing the evolution and transformation of the ballet’s artistic interpretations.

The hundred-year history of Lithuanian ballet is presented primarily through works created in Lithuania — some performed briefly, others cherished for decades — at the State Theatre in Kaunas and, after the ballet troupe relocated, at the Lithuanian State Academic (now National) Opera and Ballet Theatre. The latter operated in its original building on J. Basanavičius Street and, since 1974, in its present venue on A. Vienuolis Street. Ballet productions and creators from the Kaunas and Klaipėda State Musical Theatres are also featured.

The artistic lives of ballet soloists and dancers are remembered through their costumes worn in performances and concerts, posters from international tours, and artworks depicting them — rarely shown in exhibition halls — including a large portrait of Genovaitė Sabaliauskaitė by Irena Trečiokaitė-Žebenkienė, witty caricatures by Romualdas Džiugas, and graphic works by Vida Insodienė.

Among the most frequently staged Lithuanian ballets is Eduardas Balsys’ The Queen of Serpents (Eglė žalčių karalienė). A dedicated gallery presents photographs, posters, scenography and costume sketches, as well as video recordings of productions created by Vytautas Grivickas, Egidijus Domeika, and Martynas Rimeikis.

Lithuanian ballet history cannot be imagined without its tradition of dance education, which is older than the ballet itself. It began in 1921, when Olga Dubeneckienė established her ballet studio in Kaunas. Since 1952, ballet training has been centered at the National M. K. Čiurlionis School of Art, though in recent decades numerous private schools and academies in Lithuania’s major cities have also contributed to this development. A dedicated exhibition space presents the landscape of ballet education in Lithuania, including non-state ballet theatres engaged in pedagogical work.

For the exhibition, photographer Martynas Aleksa created a special work offering insight into the behind-the-scenes rehearsals of the new Coppélia production marking the ballet centenary. The premiere of choreographer Martynas Rimeikis’ work on December 4, 2025, will open the way for Lithuanian ballet’s second century.

Most of the exhibition’s items come from the collections of the Lithuanian Theatre, Music and Cinema Museum. However, documents, artworks, audiovisual recordings, stage costumes, and accessories from other Lithuanian memory institutions and private collections are also exhibited.