The Cello

In a burgundy-red salon, a cellist prepares for a concert with a group of dancers. The music, Bach’s cello suites, follows its own abstract logic where associations can flow freely. One thought leads to another and no interjections are wrong.

The performance takes the form of a chamber play where associations lead to some complicated turns for the cellist herself. As always with Jo Strømgren, the narrative is rich with imagination and pointed humor, but this time without any specific theme or storyline. Here, dance and music take the leading role.

Prepare for a rare encounter with dance, with no explicit meaning.

A co-production with Jo Strømgren Kompani.

About the company

The National Moravian-Silesian Theatre (founded in 1919) is the largest and oldest professional theatre in Ostrava and the Moravian-Silesian Region. It is also the largest cultural institution established by the Statutory City of Ostrava. The theatre’s four companies—opera, drama, ballet and musical—perform regularly on three permanent stages: the Antonín Dvořák Theatre, the Jiří Myron Theatre, and the Theatre 12 chamber space. The theatre premieres approximately 20 productions and performs almost 500 performances per season. In addition to its regular productions, the National Moravian-Silesian Theatre co-produces the OST-RA-VAR festival of dramatic theatre and the biennial opera festivals New Opera Days Ostrava (NODO) and Ostrava Days.

The resident ballet company at the National Moravian-Silesian Theatre dates back to 1919, making it one of the oldest companies in the Czech Republic. The Ostrava ballet was established by the Italian Achille Viscusi, and over the years, notable figures such as Saša Machov, Emerich Gabzdyl, Albert Janíček and Igor Vejsada have contributed to its legacy. In 2013, Lenka Dřímalová became Artistic Director of Ballet; since then, the company has collaborated with choreographers like Jiří Kylián, Ohad Naharin, Itzik Galili, Jo Strømgren, Jiří Pokorný, Youri Vámos, Giorgio Madia, and Justin Peck. The ensemble comprises 35 dancers and 10 permanent guests, who are regularly nominated for the prestigious Czech Thalia Award. The company frequently tours both within the Czech Republic and internationally, performing at venues such as Theater Bonn, Internationale Tanztage Oldenburg, Festival delle Nazioni in Città di Castello and the Międzynarodowy Festiwal Teatrów Tańca Scena Otwarta. Under the name NDM Ballet, the company toured Israel in 2023.

Jo Strømgren, born in Trondheim, Norway, in 1970, is a versatile artist known for his work in contemporary dance, theatre direction, playwriting, set design and film-making. After studying classical ballet, Strømgren shifted his focus to choreography and theatre direction, becoming a sought-after figure in the Nordic region and internationally. His artistic journey is influenced by his childhood experiences in both Norway and tropical regions, sparking his interest in different cultures and languages. Strømgren has created nearly 200 productions, which have been performed in 68 countries. He is currently the artistic director of Jo Strømgren Kompani and House Choreographer at the Norwegian National Ballet.