Prague Blog

Prague club Roxy is hosting a great dancing competition Dancer of the Year 2008. Roxy club is conveniently situated at Dlouha street 33 near the Old Town Square. The Dancer of the Year is a competition in the contemporary modern dances such as hip hop, break dance and funk. Roxy is hosting the final round of this contest. If you visit this extraordinary event, you will be able to see the performances of the best dancers in the category of streetdance and breakdance.

The Dancer of the Year is taking place on March 6, 2008 at 19 in Roxy and it is the best opportunity for you to see awesome street style dancing. Juries attending the contest are American dancer and choreographer Jonté from NY, Vincent Vianen from Amsterdam, Nobru from Rio de Janeiro and Yemi AD. The winner of this contest will win great prices such as the journey to the dancing workshop in NY. This is a great opportunity for you to see the best street dancing in Prague. Don’t miss it!

Once is a 2006 Irish musical film written and directed by John Carney. Set in Dublin, it stars musicians Glen Hansard (of popular Irish rock band The Frames) and Marketa Irglova, a fictional Czech emigrant, as struggling musicians.

Marketa Irglova and Glen Hansard’s singing won the American National Society of Film ‘Critics Choice Award’ for the best original film song; Falling Slowly.

The Czech press calls her a modern-style Popelka (Cinderella). The American media love her for her pure, honest and meek personality. Marketa Irglova is a 19-year old country girl from Moravia who was chosen to sing together with her boyfriend Glen at the Oscars 2008 next week.

Read the rest at Czechmatediary.com

A new and quite unusual document has entered Czech cinemas. It is named after the main „actor“ in this film – Vaclav Havel. Yes, you are not mistaken, that really is the same Vaclav Havel, the former president of the Czech Republic. This document shows Havel in his years of presidency starting in autumn 1992, and going all the way to January 2003.

Thanks to this amazing document, every one of us can have an inside look at how it really is to be the president of the Czech Republic. We get the chance to see some of the private moments of Havel´s life as well as experience some tough political negotiations.

Vaclav Havel is a very important person in Czech history so it is no surprise that there is a documentary film about him. As the former leader of dissidents and later the first non-communist president after almost 50 years, he has been personified with the Velvet Revolution and democracy that the peaceful revolution brought back to the country.

He was the last Czechoslovak president and the first president of the Czech Republic. He was first elected president in the winter of 1989. He became the Czech president in 1993 and was re-elected in 1998. Because all Czech presidents can serve only 2 terms, he „retired“ in 2003, and was succeeded by Vaclav Klaus.

The idea to make a document about Vaclav Havel was truly amazing. But what is more, the crew had an exclusive position and was given almost unlimited access to all important meetings, including those from international politics. The camera was always by the president’s side for 13 years. The result is quite unique. Tens of hours of shootings were neatly cut into 112 minutes of a great document.

The „actors“ in this document are, apart from Vaclav Havel, no unfamiliar people. Just to name some – the former president of the USA Bill Clinton with his wife Hilary Clinton; the former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright; the present president of the USA George W. Bush with his wife Laura; the former French president Jacques Chirac; Mick Jagger and other members of the famous Rolling Stones; the present Czech president Vaclav Klaus with his rival for the position Jan Svejnar, and many others.

In the document we get to see the transition of the Czech Republic to a democratic state – getting ready for the NATO and the EU. We see Havel making many state calls but at the same time we see him as a normal guy. During the film making, the first wife of Vaclav Havel, Olga, died. A year later, the president got married for the second time. And we can watch all this on the screen.

I must admit I usually find documents boring, but in this case I have to say my judgment would be wrong. This document is definitely not a boring one. Vaclav Havel is a man who can make fun of himself and I really liked the idea that the camera could be present at all important internal as well as international events. It is truly a unique document!

If you decide to give it a try, visit the Palace Cinemas in Slovansky Dum, where they project the film with English subtitles. You will find this place near the Wenceslas Square, in Na Prikope 22. Enjoy!

If you want to see some works of contemporary Czech young and successful painters, I would recommend you to visit the exhibition, which is now held in The City Gallery Prague in exhibition spaces of the Municipal Library.

The exhibition presents works of young Czech painters most of whom were born in the 1970s and they are relatively well-know in the Czech Republic, at least among those who are interested in contemporary Art. So you can see here what is going on in contemporary Czech painting scene. Among the artists who exhibit here are Jakub Hosek, who was already twice nominated for prestigious Chalupecky prize for young Czech artists, Petr Malina with his self-portraits, Jakub Spanhel, who became famous for his dark and sizable acryls, Josef Bolf, Petr Petrbok, Filip Cerny and many others, there are almost 30 of them. Some of the paintings exhibited here are small, other ones are huge, there are also represented different artistic techniques – from oils and acryls through wax with ink to various mixed media. The theme, with connects they works together is simple “objectivity”, means that subjects of their paintings are not abstract ideas, but concrete things from our visible world. It can be people, still-lives, houses, cars, even benches or pills, whatever. Some of them prefer to depict it in realistic colors, others in fantastic ones or even just in black and white, there are no limits, there are many “alternative ways to objectivity”.

Some of the paintings are pretty original, some of them are at least funny, some of them are ugly and boring, but as a whole the exhibition is quite nice. It is a proof that although in the Art world today there are very popular new media, use of video and computers and so on, the conventional old painting still lives on.

The gallery is situated in the building of the Municipal Library, on Marianske Square, but the entrance to the gallery is from Valentinska Street, it is not far from Staromestka metro station (green line). They are open from Thursday to Sunday, always from 10 AM to 6 PM. And exhibition is to be here until 23rd of March 2008.

The National Theatre in Prague has three artistic divisions – Ballet, Opera and Drama. As dramas featured here are in Czech language, for those who cannot speak Czech would be interesting just Opera and Ballet, but anyway in those two fields the theatre has a lot to offer.

Operas are sung mostly in Italian and are accompanied with both Czech and English subtitles. This season you can visit Giuseppe Verdi´s La Traviata and Aida, Vincenzo Bellini´s Norma or Camille Saint-Saens´ Samson and Dalila, Giacomo Puccini´s Lafanciulla sel West (The girl from the West) and Tosca or very popular Georges Bizet´s Carmen. If you want to see something by Czech authors, there is Bedrich Smetana´s Hubicka (The Kiss), Čert a Káča (The Devil and Kate), Tajemstvi (The Secret) and famous Rusalka, but there is also Bohuslav Martinu´s Recke pasije (The Greek Passion) or contemporary piece Dobre placena prochazka (A walk worthwhile) by Jiri Suchy and Jiri Slitr.

Another scene of the National Theatre is the Estates Theatre. On this stage are featured four pieces by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart´s – La Clemenza di Tito, Don Giovanni, La nozze di Figaro (The marriage of Figaro) and The Magic Flute and also Gaetano Donizetti´s Don Pasquale.

And what you can see if you prefer the Ballet? In the building of the National Theatre: Adolphe Charles Adam´s Giselle, Sergej Prokofjev Romeo and Juliet or Onegin, Pert Iijic Tchaikovski´s Louskacek (The nutcracker) or project Solo pro tri (Solo for three) – dancing on music by a Frenchman Brel, a Russian Vysockij and a Czech Kryl and the project called Ceska baletni symfonie (The Czech ballet symphony).

On the stage of the Estates Theatre are featured Petr Iljic Tchaikovski´s Sipkova Ruzenka (Sleeping Beauty) and Zlatovlaska (Goldilocks) by a Czech contemporary author Vladimir Franz.

Both of the buildings are very nice, performances are well prepared, done by the best Czech and sometimes even world dancers and singers, prepared by great directors, choreographers and so on. Also the musicians and they conductors who are taking care about the music during the piece are very skilled. So if you like Opera or Ballet, it is worth to visit the National Theatre, as it can be a great cultural experience, and a way how to spent a pleasant evening.

The first form of photography emerged as a result of the work of Jacques Mande Daguerre. The technique, patented in 1839 as daguerreotype, used light for permanent projection of an image on a solid material- the word itself, photography, is derived form the Greek words for to write and light. The technique was adapted by Czech physicians around 1840. At first it was used for educatory reasons, but as the word of its existence was spreading and the technique became more and more efficient (the exposition time was shrinking rapidly), some skilled artists started to offer portrait photos and establish themselves as masters of a new craft. It is important to stress that there was only a limited number of people who could master the skill of „light- painting“.

The first Prague atelier was founded in 1841 on what is now the Wenceslas Square. The novelty attracted painters and was at first seen as a form of fast painting by many. And though the practice was more and more popular, there were only seven registered photographers in Prague in 1856. It is not a coincidence that six of them were former painters.

The first non- portrait photo is said to be a daguerreotype of the Saint Wenceslas Mass, a prelude to the turbulent year of 1848. There were major technological advances made during and after the 1840s, mainly the technique of projecting the negative on film. Various other materials were also popular, glass desks for example and there were various combinations of photography/ graphics and painted color, resulting in something between a painting and a photo.

The major increase in the number of photographers as craftsmen came with the 1860s. While at first one had to get a special permit to set up an atelier, since 1864 anyone could do so. Demand for portrait photos was on the rise, following a trend of small portrait cards, coming from France at the time. These cards had much of the same function as family photos or postcards some years later. Photos also started to carry a cultural, documentary function, not only capturing current state of a person, but also bringing a glimpse of what the environment is like in distant places a city dweller would never travel to. The 1870s witnessed a shift in attention towards photos of landscapes.

The topic is very wide, but photography had particular meaning in the Czech capital. The somewhat cruel changes, related to demand for industrialization and modernization towards the end of the nineteenth century resulted in many old buildings being demolished. We should bear in mind that the sense that the old should be preserved as historical heritage was not universally shared at the time. The professional and amateur photographers were witnesses of some faces of Prague disappearing and they captured many of the events for future generations.

The year 2008 is a year of great changes when talking about the heads of states throughout the world. Just to name the two most powerful countries – the USA and Russia – those immensely influential countries are both going to have new presidents this year. The whole world is watching tensely since the role of president is crucial there. However, not only Americans and Russians can expect new presidents to come. Other countries choose their heads of states this year as well.

As you probably know, the Czech lawmakers are electing the country’s president at this very moment. The election is both important and interesting, for the two candidates have very similar chances of being elected. But only one of them can be the winner, of course. Will Vaclav Klaus, the incumbent, have a chance to serve his second term? Or will a US citizen, Jan Svejnar, become the President of the Czech Republic?

As I see it, neither candidate for the presidency is suitable for the job. The first is known as an EU-skeptic and an Anti-global warming activist, whereas the latter has not been living in the Czech Republic since he was 17! Isn’t that crazy?

Fortunately, the role of the Czech President is rather representative, more power is concentrated to the hands of the Prime Minister and the Parliament. The term of office of a Czech president is limited to 5 years. He, or she, can be elected only twice in a row, serving thus 10 years at most.

The voting procedure is not going to be easy. The president must be supported by the majority in both chambers – Chamber of Deputies has 200 seats and Senate 81 seats. This means that he must gain the support of at least 101 deputies and 41 senators. If there is no president elected in the first round, second round follows in 14 days. This time the rules of election change slightly. A president must be elected by the majority of present deputies as well as the majority of present senators. Again, if there is no president elected, the third and last round follows in 14 days. This time a president will be chosen if he gains the majority of deputies and senators who are present. If there is still no president, the process must start all over again.

Five years ago, when Vaclav Klaus moved his office to Prague Castle, 3 round ballots were needed. It is expected that this year there might be more than 1 round as well since the support of both candidates is tight.

There is held an interesting exhibition called “Uncertain States of America” in Rudolfinum Gallery. It presents contemporary young American Art. The exhibition was prepared by Norwegian Art curators from Oslo. They did two years long research, which was aimed to search how contemporary artistic production of young American Artists looks like. The result of the research was the exhibition in the Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern At in Oslo in 2005. Now in the cooperation with this Norwegian museum was prepared the exhibition in Rudolfinum, so also in the Czech Republic can be seen contemporary American Art, although it is not that up to date as it was in Oslo.

The artifact to be seen here are various – paintings, collages, sculptures, videos, assemblages and so on. They are mostly colorful and opulent, sometimes too much. When you entrance the first exhibit room, you will see sculptures full of glitters. One of them is naked man, others looks like flowers, but any of these are not what would you call nice – the feeling of the exhibits could be described as “strange”, and it will be some in all other rooms. There were only few exhibits I really liked. But the exhibition is worth of seeing, just to know what is going on in American Art right now. And some of the exhibits are quite funny, so you can have some laugh at least. Yes, but after you will see the exhibition, you probably will think, that contemporary American Art is pretty “uncertain”. Although it is hard to say how much adequate sample is exhibited here, but if you take in account that the choose took the curators two years…

The Rudolfinum Gallery is situated in Rudolfinum Building, which is at Palachovo Square, very close to both Staromestka and Malostranska Metro stations (both green line). The entrance to the Gallery is from Alsovo Nabrezi (from that side of the Rudolfinum which is by the river) and it is opened daily except Mondays from 10 AM to 6 PM. The exhibition is to be seen here until 24th of February 2008.

Following the 1989 collapse of the regime, new trends came in place. Naturally, the presence of foreign institutions and companies has increased since the republic was open to various influences from abroad. Among the cultural institutions set in Prague in 1993 were The British Council, Goethe Institute and The French Institute. The Republic already split in the mentioned year, The Slovak Institute was also founded, underlining the fact that the two countries were now on their own paths. The first years also brought many world- famous bands that were forbidden and/or unwilling to have a concert in a communist state.

The presence of the likes of Frank Zappa, The Rolling Stones, Nick Cave or Velvet Underground had certain symbollic power, given the fact that the previous experience was so sad. There was one famous occasion when two West German bands, industrial pioneers Einsturzende Neubauten and confrontational punk band Die Toten Hosen were allowed to get on stage. The concert was, however, halted during the Toten Hosen performance and the angry crowd was supposed to cool down and cheer up as they were given the Czech disco star Michal David instead. The concert ended with the police stepping in.

The first half of the 1990s was a period of founding new music clubs in the city centre. Rock and pop clubs of various kind were on the rise, though the majority promoted conventional musical styles. There was some kind of counter- music to be heard in the squats ( Ladronka, Milada, Papírna ) and the more open- minded music clubs or theatre buildings.

There was an increase in the activities of opera houses and classical music ensembles. To great extent due to a rise in investments and a general shift of the West’s attention towards the „liberated“ East. Stars and ensembles came to visit and helped promote local artists. The rise in attention was very substantial. Firstly, lots of people were eager to see the land, but were forbidden to do so. Secondly there was the post-1989 enthusiasm. The Republic, thought of as a rigid socialist state with heavily polluted environment and backward, unfasionable technology, now seemed to be of interest after all. This was to some extent supported by the fairy tale of a peaceful old land, which got rid of its opressors without a drop of blood and embraced Václav Havel, „the philosopher king“. But that is another issue.

The situation now is more diverse. There are various clubs and the range of musical styles on offer is satisfactory even for those in search for unconventional walls of sound. Only these have to look more carefully, since the promotion is, like elsewhere, naturally dominated by the profitable.

If your answer is: Yes, I do want to learn Czech! Maybe an experience of some other student could come in handy. Web czechmatediary.com published a guest-post, which is contagious with its enthusiasm. An American Michal talks about his studies of Czech:

If I had to choose my favorite Czech word, “pokoj” comes to mind immediately. With its double meaning of ‘room’ and ‘peace of mind’, it is, to me, the perfect example of why one should learn the language to know the culture.

Everyone has something he/she loves on Czech Language. I remember my own American teacher loving the word “šprt” (meaning a nerd) or “ufon” (meaning an alien, because he comes from the UFO) or “jezisek” (meaning baby Jesus who brings presents to kids on Christmas instead of Santa).

But Michal also talks about the dark side; evey language is somewhere difficult, in English it is about that 12 tenses; in Czech it is the endings: “Learning case endings (koncovky jsou moc tezky!) is a daunting task, almost depressing.” If you want to learn Czech, you can use any knowledge of Latin/Slavic/Romanian languages. If you don’t know any so called inflectional language, well, good luck!

Read on at czechmatediary.com