Interview with the NucKids mentors

15.07.2024

It seems that the summer session of the NucKids project has started just recently, but the first 12 days have already passed very quickly. During this time the kids have already managed to make friends and immerse themselves in the project atmosphere. Casting for roles is over, so the rehearsal process has started.

In this article we would like to introduce you to the teachers and mentors who work on the creation of the musical, as well as conduct classes and trainings for children to enhance their creativity.

Production group:

Production director – Igor Morozov;

Choreographer – Maxim Nedolechko;

Composer – Igor Smirnov;

Acting and stage speech teacher – Tatiana Yagunova;

Vocal teacher – Marianne Savon;

Conductor – Igor Razumovsky.

We’ve asked our teachers a couple of questions and are happy to share what they say:

Professional Challenge, Tatiana Yagunova (Acting and stage speech teacher)

Tatiana Yagunova, acting and stage speech teacher – Tatiana, tell us, what is the feature of working on the performance creation on the project?

– It’s truly amazing. What makes it special is the gathering of people in one place, all united by a common purpose – to make the children’s world better, more interesting, to broaden their horizons and unlock doors to new opportunities. And the most important thing is that adults and children together are connected by the same goal.

Kids on the project always impress me with their great willingness to work. Even if they don’t know how to do something or they can’t do it at all, they always have their eyes bright, and they are ready to learn and work harder. You may see the passion they have when they come to the project. But for me personally, staging a performance in such a short period of time becomes a huge professional challenge. Can I help these children to explore new things in the large world of theater at this moment? That’s the kind of struggle and interest I have.

And, of course, I am crazy happy when at the end of the project I see that they have learned new things, discovered the new sides of the world, looked at each other from a different perspective too. It is such a music to my ear. Getting feedback from kids is my favorite moment.

– Share your impressions of this year’s participants.

– There is always such a wide range of children’s characters on the project. They come from different regions, have different mentalities and cultural peculiarities. They even talk differently, have different views and reactions on same things. It is interesting to observe them at the beginning of the project, how they react and adjust.

It seems as if they are curious creatures, grinding away at their learning process: “What will happen? And how will it happen exactly? Will we really all sing like this? How are we going to dance”? So inquisitive, amusing, running around, fidgeting. The newcomers are especially funny. They are all so different, but at the same time I repeat that they all have their eyes bright.

What comes from the heart, goes to the heart, Marianne Savon (vocal teacher)

Marianne Savon, vocal teacher – Marianne, this is your first time at the summer project. Could you tell us about your impressions of it?

– Yes, this year I joined the summer project for the first time. But as it was planned and considered so long ago the arrival was much awaited, and after the Winter Tale – it was the only possible scenario.

The project has a wonderful “soul” because there are wonderful people creating it, taking part in it, and also supporting it. At the summer session, the project is much more large-scale, which makes it more exciting. It’s great that there are so many participants. It’s great that everyone is full of creativity. The music is just wonderful this year. The kids enjoy every performance so much. They are energized themselves and energize me more and more each time.

– Tell us about your creative challenges. How do you manage to find a way to approach each participant?

– I am responsible for musical part – I create deep sense to the work that we are going to show on stage, revealing more of each character, developing and enhancing the drama and mood of different moments in the play. To make the audience completely immersed and dissolved in the reality we have created, to experience such emotions they will wish to come through again and again, and also to give food for thought.

And all of these musical tasks become my mission as a vocal teacher.

From the simple to complex: to learn the individual parts, lyrics, nuances, and emphasis for each NucKids artist, and then to bring them all together, and fill each sound produced from the stage with the unique meaning, character, and individuality inherent in each performer.

I think that my secret in terms of approach to everyone is quite simple: “I encourage everyone to sing. And I believe in them. Then the artists start believing in themselves too”. I am convinced that what comes from the heart, goes to the heart. I’m sure that young artists feel that I will support them and help them to achieve the best result possible at some point. At the same time, they realize that it all depends on them, so there is an incentive to improve. I was very happy to note that the participants of the winter session have grown significantly in terms of their vocal skills by the summer. This is awesome.

“The goal is to show the kids how to co-exist,” says Igor Morozov (production director)

Igor Morozov, production director – Every year NucKids musicals open new horizons. Will this year’s performance be different?

– Last year we decided to test ourselves and see if we can handle live music? And we managed to create a musical in its classic format. This year we are trying to stage a performance in a different genre. We are attempting to create a dramatic performance where songs and musical performances are not always integrated into the narrative.  The play will be similar in form to Bertolt Brecht’s works (The Threepenny Opera, Mama Courage and Her Children). The music and songs will illustrate the characters’ state of mind and their psychological reflections. The songs can be completely disconnected from the action on stage – they may not necessarily drive the plot forward, except for a few instances.

Our goal is much more than just staging a performance. It is to teach the kids how to work together. The problem now is that everyone is used to being on their own. The aim is to learn to be friends, to listen to each other, and realize that the better it is for the people around me, the better it is for me too. It is important for us to ask meaningful questions to the audience and give the answers.

There is not much time left before the premieres in Minsk, and the nuclear kids still have recordings at the studio, costume fitting, performance runs and a lot of interesting and memorable moments ahead. Last night, the traditional event, The Night of Delegations, took place, where the children told stories about the regions and countries they came from.