Babylon

The Chaldean empire finds itself at war with the Persians under King Cyrus II, thanks to the treachery of the Babylonian priests. The commander of the Babylonian army, Nebuzar, searches the land for Persian spies and in the course of his wanderings meets the beautiful Nanai with whom he and she fall in love, unaware that it is because of this encounter that Nanai is sold to the mercy of the rich. She is saved from her fate by the Persian spy Ustiga, with whom she falls in love, but later, because of her endless and devoted love for Babylon and also for Nebuzar, Ustiga turns her over to the Babylonian army. Everything crumbles, the priests kill even the last resisters, and only a single commander of the armies sounds the alarm against the Persian threat. The plan to defend Babylon is in the hands of the Persians, and so the Babylonian army finally arises. The war lasts for two long years after which the Persians retreat for all the world. Babylon celebrates, Nanai pleads for Ustig’s liberation. The Persians take advantage of the unpreparedness of the Babylonians and, through the deflated riverbeds, attack and conquer Babylon. Only a few survive, among them Nanai, who remains in the vision of building a new free Babylon….

Premiere: 3 May 2022 at 18:00, in Studio of Dance Theatre, Banská Bystrica

Theme, music by Pavol Janíček
Musical arrangement, conductor. Ihor Vlakh
Choreography, dramaturgy. Michaela Šeligová, Lucia Bielik DiS.art
Visualization, projections. Mgr. art Lukáš Matejka, ArtD.
Ján Čief
Choirmaster: PaedDr. Katarína Koreňová, PaedDr. Miroslava Matisová

main characters: Nanai – Ema Vrábelová, Nebuzardar – Ľubomír Kútnik, Ustiga – Adrián Skácel
Performers: Company of the Dance Department of the J.L.Bella Conservatory in Banská Bystrica
co-performers: orchestra and choir of the J.L.Bella Conservatory in Banská Bystrica

The project was implemented with the support of the Banská Bystrica Self-Governing Region.