The online premiere of the video performance Roxana's Song directed by Krystian Lada took place on 26 June 2020. The video was commissioned by the Opera Ballet Vlaanderen (Royal Ballet of Flanders) as part of the #verbeeldingleeft (#imaginationisalive) project.
For Roxana's Song, Kystian Lada was inspired by the opera King Roger, in which the confrontation between mankind and nature is the main theme. Lada sees links between the story and the current pandemic. There are limits to man's unfettered ego, and he must aknowledge nature's superior power. For Lada, the future lies in a precious balance between ego and eco. The voice of the soprano is a force of nature that awakens an awareness in mankind – in this case, a dancer. The project featured Poilsh composer Katarzyna Głowicka and soprano Dagmara Dobrowolska as well as Australian dancer Aaron Shaw.
Opera Ballet Vlaanderen is the best opera company of the year 2019 according to the jury of the International Opera Awards. Due to the difficult situation caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the institution invited 15 international artists to create video performances in cooperation with their ballet group, choir and orchestra. As part of the alternative online season, a new video is presented every two weeks on the opera's website and social media. Krystian Lada was invited to the project next to leading international choreographers such as Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and Alain Platel.
The video materials will be available until the end of the year on the opera's website and social media: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKbMs5a12Kk&feature=emb_logo