“Bubeníček has again shown how sensually and intelligently he approaches emotionally turbulent stories; further, he tackles delicate issues with a fine nose for what is necessary and possible. A successful balancing act.” One could assume that this press quote is a sensitive description of a premiere performance by the ballet dancer, who, from the moment he steps onto the stage, captivates the audience as well as the critics. In fact, these lines refer to an alternative professional pathway that Jiří Bubeníček has been pursuing for some time alongside his unique career as a dancer, namely that of choreographer. The critic Gabriele Gorgas (Sächsische Zeitung) was praising his piece “Faun”, created in 2012 for the Semperoper Ballett, which is a challenging and unsparing examination of sexual abuse in the church. The work was premiered when Jiří Bubeníček was still dancing lead roles in Dresden before his final departure from the stage in 2015.

“Of course, ballet can tell stories just like drama and opera. In so doing, steps and movements become language. But this is not a national language - it is universal. Our body is international. It always discloses our human feelings. Action is the background against which emotions become visible.” This statement by Jiří Bubeníček regarding his piece “The Piano” finds its realisation in this successful production, based on the acclaimed film. Created as a one-act piece for Ballett Dortmund in 2015, the work was expanded in 2018 into a full-length ballet for Wellington’s Royal New Zealand Ballet. In this parable about a woman liberating herself through a forbidden love affair, Jiří Bubeníček traces the psychological depths of the poetic and dramatic plot, providing each character with their own unique physical vocabulary.

The lines just quoted are generally applicable to all of Jiří Bubeníček’s productions, for which he transforms stories into movement. His method of preparation is as follows: in his private studio, he examines novels for interesting themes, which may be discarded or further scrutinized for their suitability as choreographies. In this way, he cuts some roles or scenes to focus on others, giving them additional weight, while creating spaces to admit emotions between characters. Enriched by the element of music, he builds his dance libretti on this textual foundation.  

His full-length narrative ballet “Doctor Zhivago”, based on Boris Pasternak’s beloved novel, shows how he never loses focus of the central story. This commissioned work was created in 2016 for the Slovenia National Theatre Opera and Ballet in Ljubljana, after the dancer had just finished his career at the Semperoper Ballett and was establishing himself as a freelance choreographer. In “Doctor Zhivago”, Jiří Bubeníček succeeds in taking the audience on an emotional journey through the life of the eponymous hero - from raw militaristic images to beguiling pas de deux to opulent ball scenes, convincing in its movement and dramaturgical structure.

This could also be said of the work “Anita Berber – Goddess of the Night”, which the Bubeníček brothers jointly developed for the Thuringian State Ballet in Gera: “The Bubeníčeks surprise with refreshing ingenuity. They are resourceful, love detail and have a sure sense for accents, timing and intensity.” (Ilona Landgraf, 2016). Echoing the unflinching gaze of Otto Dix, who created a world-famous painting of the scandalous artist of the wicked 1920s, Jiří Bubeníček peels back the carapace of this femme fatale, layer by layer, to reveal the human side of the infamous dancer.

Primordial forces seem to rage in Bubeníček’s “Processen” based on Kafka’s “The Trial”, a labyrinthine and surreal work tracing the fate of Joseph K., which premiered at the Royal Swedish Ballet in 2019. Compared with other narrative ballets, this work has a hugely eclectic score, running from Alfred Schnitte to Alva Noto by way of Jewish folk songs. The choreography itself is correspondingly complex and expressive, revealing Jiří Bubeníček’s interest in developing his own – at times unconventional – ways of articulating situations or characters. This valuable process of maturation can also be seen in Bubeníček’s interpretation of “L’Histoire du soldat” by Igor Stravinsky, in which, according to Boris Michael Gruhl (tanznetz.de), “the choreography of fractured poetry and clownish circus aesthetic is captivating in its ambiguity.”

Jiří Bubeníček has long since joined the ranks of the dance world’s foremost storytellers. Just in 2019 came two premieres, namely his full-length version of “Carmen”, performed at the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, and his interpretation of “Cinderella”, presented by the Nuovo Balletto di Toscana at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Theatre. This latter work is a colourful fairy tale for modern audiences in which the cleverly conceived figure of Cinderella wears golden sneakers. After the premiere, Sergio Trombetta writing in “La Stampa” called the ballet “a must-see event.”

Pursuing his own path, not being afraid of the choreographically and stylistically innovative, yet never losing sight of the story, the dancers and, of course, the audience – this is Jiří Bubeníček’s very personal recipe for success.

It was a particular honour for the Czech artist to be asked to dance the epic orchestral cycle “Má vlast” (My Fatherland) with “Les Ballets Bubeníček” on Prague’s Old Town Square in 2018 to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Czechoslovakia. This national celebration was televised by the Czech public broadcaster ČTV Art. This is only one example of countless productions broadcast around the world. Documentaries about his work have also been made, such as “The Heart Dances” by Rebecca Tansley on “The Piano” or earlier reports on the ballet twins during their years of active dancing in Hamburg. In 1999 and 2016, the legendary New Year’s concerts of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, which are broadcast each year, also featured the work of Jiří Bubeníček (the performances have been released on DVD).
His success as a choreographer is also confirmed by various prizes such as 2nd prize at the International Ballet Competition in Varna (2002), the Audience Prize at the International Ballet Competition in Hanover (2004) or the “Europa in Danza” prize for his 2019 version of “Carmen” in Rome.

The socially-engaged choreographer organised the charity ballet gala “Ballet for Japan” to aid victims of Japan’s devastating tsunami of 2011. He has long been honoured for this and other work outside the field of choreography. In 2015, for example, Jiří Bubeníček was awarded the “Jan Masaryk Silver Medal” by the Consul General of the Czech Republic in Dresden Jiří Kuděla, on behalf of the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for his successful, long-term representation of Czech culture, thereby strengthening the reputation of the Czech Republic abroad. A year later, he was given the “Gratias Agit” award by the Czech Foreign Minister Lubomír Zaorálek for spreading the good name of the Czech Republic around the globe. In 2017, he received the Prague Capital Prize from the Mayor of Prague, Adriana Krnáčová, along with a “Silver Medal” from the Prague City Council as a special sign of respect and appreciation for exceptional services in helping to develop the capital in the field of ballet as well as promoting Prague throughout the world.

Jiří Bubeníček’s career has passed through several interrelated phases: from the star ballet dancer, respected and acclaimed worldwide, to a new incarnation as an internationally renowned choreographer. And a new role as cultural ambassador for his native Czech Republic is just manifesting itself. Charisma, authenticity, irrepressible creativity and the will to make things happen are the hallmarks of Jiří Bubeníček’s life – and he is sure to surprise the world in coming years with new messages, ideas and activities.