GAINING OPPORTUNITIES

Tashkent has a unique theater that brings together professional actors and people with disabilities. In the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which the world community celebrates on December 3, we met with the head of the LIK Theater of Movement, Liliya Sevastianova.

Usually, on the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities the LIK Theater of Movement shows a performance in one of the capital’s theaters. This year, the theater team has decided to go the other way. Several tours to the exhibitions were organized in collaboration with the National Gallery of Uzbekistan, which smoothly transformed into improvisational performances during which the theater actors in the language of dance expressed their attitude to the exhibits. The first such project was initiated by the British Council within the exhibition of contemporary art of the Great Britain, the second theme for improvisation become beautiful paintings of Javlon Umarbekov.

For more than twenty years Liliya Sevastianova with her actors has been searching in the field of plastic improvisation. And now, it seems, the time has come to display the results of this experience to the audience. On the one hand, modern audience is interested in the creative process itself, when the movement is born right before the eyes, full of meaning, sense, and beauty. On the other hand, the theater has never had its own scene, so improvisational performances in museums and galleries would be natural and logical way for a new phase of life.

A native of Ferghana region, Liliya, from her childhood was engaged in classical and national dances. Deeply respecting all areas of dancing art, she still wanted to find her own stage language that would be understandable and close to the modern people. Usually ballets based on myths, tales, legends. Liliya wanted to do the performances that would have prompted the viewer to relate himself/herself directly with what is happening on the stage, to understand something important in himself/herself, to go along with the actors the path of transformation of the soul. After the performance to feel a desire to live creatively, to see in another man someone very close, to feel generality with the world and to bring it a little kindness and love.

But for more than thirty years of theatrical activity Liliya never held the casting. She is interested in anyone, and above all, his/her inner world, emotional content. She is convinced that it is possible to teach anyone, regardless of skills and natural abilities, and together with her amazing and irreplaceable actors-trainers Olga Ostanina, Viktoria Gordienko, Evgeniya Zemtsova they can ‘make’ from any beginner the professional actor of their theater.

Turning to the history of the theater, it was founded in 1982 as a youth ensemble of modern choreography and plasticity. A first experience of work with person with disability happened in 1996 when Liliya conducted a studio of dance improvisation in France. Among her interns was a lady on crutches. Her part in the final performance impressed all the spectators and for Sevastianova it was the confirmation of that in deep theater the audience ‘sees’ the actor at the level of the soul, as if ‘through the body.’ And that means… that even in the dance performance people with imperfect physique can participate.

The success of the performances in France inspired Liliya to continue the search in Tashkent. First, there were trainings with the young people in the Club of rehabilitation and integration of children with disabilities. However, some of them, such as those on wheelchairs it was hard to move around on their own. Liliya offered her professional actors to join the work. Since then, the LIK Theater of Movement turned into an integrated team, which included professional actors and people with disabilities.

The statement of K. S. Lewis, “You have no soul. You are the soul. You have the body” has become a kind of motto for the LIK Theater of Movement.

Currently, the theater troupe composed of 40 people. More than 20 of them are children and young people with physical and mental disabilities: those on wheelchairs, deaf, blind, various disorders of the musculoskeletal system, and others diseases.

Each performance in the LIK Theater of Movement is produced on the basis of the innovative techniques of dance improvisation, elaborated in the theater. All performances are different in content, but the goal is the one - to show the value and uniqueness of the soul of each person, regardless of his/her social status and health.

Over 14 years of existence the theater produced 13 performances, including ‘I dream that I walk…’ in 2004, ‘Rainbow Festival’ in 2005, ‘Improvisations from Life’ in 2006, ‘White seagulls over blue lake’ in 2007, ‘Reflections’ in 2009, ‘My friends’ in French in 2009, The presence’ in 2011, ‘Nonfictional portraits’ in 2013, and others.

The LIK Theater of Movement is a multiple winner of international festivals and participant of the socio-cultural projects, such as the All-Russian Festival of Special Theaters ‘Proteatr’ in Moscow in 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016, the Residence of Uzbek Artists in Le Rosier sur Loire in France in 2007, the International Dance Festival ‘Inclusive Dance’ in Moscow in 2014 and 2015, the Sincere Art’ and ‘ArtYekaterinburg’ in Yekaterinburg in 2014 and 2015, and many others.

Jahon Information Agency