Krzysztof Pastor and his new ballet - AN AMERICAN IN PARIS

Music, love, and dance to the rhythm of Gershwin.
Renowned choreographer and Artistic Director of the Polish National Ballet, Krzysztof Pastor, tells us about his latest ballet An American in Paris — the world premiere will take place on 28 February 2026 on the stage of Opera Nova! Tickets available at the Opera box office and online from 3 November 2025.

We’re delighted that, two years after the success of the Bydgoszcz premiere of Dangerous Liaisons, you are returning to Opera Nova with a new ballet. Does that mean you’ve come to trust our company?
Yes — I’m happy to be returning to Opera Nova, this time with an entirely new production. I’m working with the artists of the Bydgoszcz ballet company on the premiere of An American in Paris. George Gershwin’s music is being specially arranged by Przemysław Zych, who knows Opera Nova extremely well. The collaboration is going very smoothly. I won’t hide the fact that one of the reasons I decided to create a new ballet was the energy and persuasive power of Małgorzata Chojnacka, Head of Ballet at Opera Nova.

It has to be said: creating a new production is a huge effort — not only creatively, but physically as well. In June, my premiere of Prometheus took place — a work completely different in character from the one I’m working on now. An American in Paris is therefore my second major production within a single year — and I can definitely feel it! Still, I knew that if I were coming back to Bydgoszcz, I wanted to do something entirely different from Dangerous Liaisons.

When creating An American in Paris, are you inspired solely by Gershwin’s music, or also by the Hollywood musical starring Gene Kelly?

Of course, the film was an inspiration, although its screenplay can’t be directly adapted into a ballet libretto. My production is more of a tribute to George Gershwin’s work. His music is remarkably diverse, and conductors — including Maciej Figas, Opera Nova Director — admit they love returning to it. The performance will include pieces known from the film, but also many others that allow the story to be told in a new way.

I wrote the libretto myself, and it’s still evolving — through conversations with set designer Natalia Kitamikado, costume designer Emil Wysocki, arranger Przemysław Zych, and music director Piotr Wajrak. Those creative discussions always open up new perspectives. And even during rehearsals with the dancers, the story takes on new shades and meanings.

Jak przenosi Pan ducha tej kultowej muzyki na język tańca?
Muzyka Gershwina ma ogromną rozpiętość emocji - od jazzującego rytmu po liryczne melodie. Niektóre fragmenty aż proszą się o step, jak w filmie, ale ostatecznie zdecydowałem, że pozostanę przy samym zespole baletowym. Czasami jednak w choreografii celowo wprowadzam ruchy, przypominające step - pewną synkopę i swing. W spektaklu jednym z bohaterów jest pianista Adam, który zmaga się z wojennymi wspomnieniami. Dla tej postaci wykorzystałem Second Prelude - jeden z bardziej melancholijnych utworów Gershwina. Stworzyłem też postaci, których nie ma w filmie - tak zwane cienie emocji. Towarzyszą one bohaterom i symbolizują ich wewnętrzne stany: lęk, pożądanie, wspomnienia.

How do you translate the spirit of this iconic music into the language of dance?
Gershwin’s music spans a huge emotional range — from jazzy rhythm to lyrical melodies. Some passages practically beg for tap dancing, just like in the film, but in the end I decided to stick strictly with the ballet company. Still, at times I deliberately introduce movements that echo tap — a certain syncopation and swing.

In the performance, one of the characters is Adam, a pianist struggling with memories of war. For him, I used the Second Prelude — one of Gershwin’s more melancholic pieces. I also created characters that don’t appear in the film — what I call emotional shadows. They accompany the protagonists and symbolize their inner states: fear, desire, memories.

And what kind of story do you want to tell today’s audience through this production?
It’s obviously a love story, but also one about being torn between gratitude and true feeling. Above all, though, it’s Gershwin’s music itself — full of warmth, lightness and a touch of melancholy — which isn’t very often expressed through dance. I’d like audiences to experience a moment of reflection in the theatre, but also a sense of ease and release. Not every performance has to save the world — my Prometheus is philosophical and serious, whereas An American in Paris is meant to bring breathing space, joy, and a feeling that the art of ballet can offer true harmony.

You began working with the Bydgoszcz ballet company in September. Did you already know at that stage who would dance the leading roles?
Yes — the cast emerged quite quickly. I’m convinced it’s the best possible choice. The Opera Nova ballet company has tremendous potential, and it’s worth developing.

During rehearsals we can already see props — including umbrellas, which bring Singin’ in the Rain to mind…
That association is no coincidence. Gene Kelly, who played Jerry in the film An American in Paris, also starred in another blockbuster musical — Singin’ in the Rain. In our production, the umbrellas serve a purely theatrical purpose — they enrich the movement and carry a certain dramatic meaning.

Your staging of An American in Paris with Opera Nova’s ballet company will be an absolute world premiere — not only in Poland, but worldwide!
Yes, it’s a completely new production. The English international choreographer Christopher Wheeldon — a colleague of mine — once adapted An American in Paris from the film screen to the stage in New York, and quite recently he also created a one-act ballet on the same theme for the Royal Ballet. My libretto and concept, however, are entirely different. I use Gershwin’s An American in Paris in the finale, but not as a dream — as it is in the film — rather as an integral part of the dramatic action.

Balet Amerykanin w Paryżu będzie drugą premierą 69. sezonu artystycznego Opery Nova w Bydgoszczy. Sprzedaż biletów na premierowe spektakle z przebojową muzyką George'a Gershwina w choreografii Krzysztofa Pastora rozpoczęliśmy już 3 listopada! 

Premiera 28 lutego 2026 r. [bilety online TUTAJ], na spektakle popremierowe zapraszamy 1, 2 i 3 marca 2026 r. [bilety online TUTAJ]

The ballet An American in Paris will be the second premiere of Opera Nova’s 69th artistic season in Bydgoszcz. Ticket sales for the premiere performances, featuring Gershwin’s hit music in Krzysztof Pastor’s choreography, began on 3 November.

Premiere: 28 February 2026 [tickets online HERE]
Post-premiere performances: 1, 2 and 3 March 2026 [tickets online HERE].