Blog Dragos Bucurenci, Human wonders

Last week I witnessed two miracles: Mr. Leonard Cohen’s concert and The Firebird show.

“The Firebird” is a dance performance set up by 100 children who, six weeks ago, didn’t know how to dance and had never been on a stage; they are homeless children, orphans, teenagers from regular families, young people with disabilities, children as well as young adults, boys and girls.

The choreographers and dancers, Royston Maldoom, Josef Eder, Irina Roncea, Martha Hincapie Charry and Oana Rotariu, helped them bring to life a simple and touching story on Stravinsky’s music. Moreover, under the limelight, 100 stories were being told at the same time, about the destiny of each one of the dancers.

At the end of the show, the artists were rewarded with standing ovations for a long time. The audience reacted with such an unchained enthusiasm I have not yet found before in the National Theatre’s Big Hall. Stage right, one of the adolescents who had danced in the show was sobbing. I felt a lump in my throat too, it was so obvious how unusual it was for him to receive anything else but indifference or contempt from strangers.

I would like to thank Monique Gruber, Alexandra Arnautu and Pete Ayres for giving these children back their dignity, as well as to all of us who applauded them.