Hartig – Dances and Ballets of Three Centuries
The dance ensemble Hartig performs dances of various historical periods (from late Renaissance to early Romantic era) staged under the artistic leadership of Helena Kazárová, Ph.D. The repertory of the ensemble covers both the ballroom dances and the virtuoso theatre solos and duets from the 16th to the beginning of the 19th Centuries. As first in Czech Republic, Hartig started to study Baroque dances from the authentic sources - that is from the Beauchamp-Feuillet notation and soon reached the international professional level in this field.
The ensemble is often invited to dance at experimental performances at the Baroque Theatre of Český Krumlov Castle and at other historical sites in Bohemia and abroad. Hartig performs with foremost Baroque orchestras (Musica Florea, Capella regia, Ensemble Inégal, Collegium 1704, Hipocondria Ensemble, Hofmusici and others) conductors and in case of chamber programmes also soloists (Edita Keglerová, Julie Braná and others). In special types of cultural venues, also recorded music is used.
From the year 1997, when Hartig ensemble was founded, the dancers were engaged, (in addition to their own concert programmes), in many prestigious theatre projects. Let us name for instance the opera Castor et Pollux of J.Ph. Rameau (Estates Theatre in Prague), monumental work of J.D. Zelenka Sub olea pacis (Wladislaw Hall of the Prague Castle) or the opera Giunone placata of J.J. Fux at the Baroque Castle Theatre in Český Krumlov and others. Hartig danced at to many festivals (e.g. International Music Festival Prague Spring, Dvořák Festival, Europamusicale, Europa-Mitte, Theatrum Kuks Festival and others.) In the year 2006 Hartig ensemble performed a special programme Images of Baroque Ballet at the Baroque Castle Theatre in Český Krumlov to honour the visit of Norodom Sihamoni, King of Cambodia.