In step with a great career

Gerard Wilk was one of those artists who were difficult to pigeonhole into a single category. He was a soloist at the Grand Theatre, where he performed in the most important roles; his portrayal of Spartacus brought him particular acclaim – a role demanding not only perfect technique, but also strength and dramatic intensity. He captivated audiences with his musicality, the fluidity of his movements, his distinctive physique and his stage charisma. In the 1960s and 1970s, he also became one of the most recognisable faces of Polish popular culture – he performed with Krystyna Mazurowną, danced to the music of the Beatles, posed for Barbara Hoff’s fashion column in *Przekrój*, appeared in films by Stanisław Bareja and Andrzej Wajda, and also danced in productions for the then-fledgling television industry. In 1970, his career took on an international dimension when he joined Maurice Béjart’s company, the Ballet du XXe Siècle. There, for 11 years, he danced on the world’s greatest stages and performed in dozens of choreographies, fulfilling the dreams of many ballet dancers.

The first step towards a great career

It all began in Gliwice. Born in 1944, Wilk was initially interested in drawing as a child, and ended up at the nearest ballet school in Bytom almost by chance, having been taken there by the mother of his school club friend, Karina Mickiewicz. He was 13 at the time – late for a future professional dancer – but it soon became clear that he possessed something that cannot be taught: musicality, a natural fluidity of movement and stage charisma.

After the final bow

He ended his stage career at around the age of 37, whilst still in excellent form. He moved to Paris, where he became a teacher, training successive generations of dancers across Europe. In 1994, he directed *Werther* at the Grand Theatre – National Opera. He died a year later, aged 51. Despite living outside Poland, he remained strongly attached to Silesia – he kept Silesian mementos in Paris to remind him of Gliwice.

Stopped whilst driving

An exhibition of photographs from the archive of Zofia Rudnicka – a friend of Gerard Wilk, a dancer, choreographer and the author of his biography – offers a multifaceted portrait of Gerard Wilk. The photographs take the viewer through the successive stages of his artistic journey, from childhood, through his career at the Grand Theatre, his appearances in film, on television and on stage, to his eleven years working with Maurice Béjart’s company. It is also an encounter with Wilk captured in motion and offstage. The gestures, poses and glances frozen in the frame allow us to discover the phenomenon of his popularity and to recall a figure who, despite the passing of the years, remains unforgettable.

Wilk – an unforgettable dancer

In September, his story will return to his hometown as part of the ‘Wilk in Motion – The Gerard Wilk Phenomenon’ series of events, organised by the Victoria Cultural Centre. The programme includes a performance inspired by Gerard Wilk’s dance style, a photography exhibition, a film screening, a talk with Zofia Rudnicka – the author of Wilk’s biography – and much more.

Guardians of Memory

There will also be opportunities to meet people who knew Gerard Wilk and were part of his artistic world, helping to shape it. During the author talk, Zofia Rudnicka – a long-time friend of Wilk’s, a dancer, choreographer and the author of his biography – will speak about the artist she knew personally.

Meanwhile, in a conversation featuring Zofia Rudnicka, Krystyna Mazurówna and Piotr Nardelli, memories will be shared of Wilk – a stage partner, friend and artist who, through his charisma and courage, has made his mark on the history of dance.

The commemorative event will be rounded off with a screening of the film *Podróż magiczna* (1979), directed by Andrzej Wasylewski, with choreography by Zofia Rudnicka. On screen, we shall see Gerard Wilk himself – his movements, his distinctive expressions and his stage presence.

The Anatomy of the Wolf

What remains of a dancer when their body ceases to exist? A photograph, a memory, a few sentences, a gesture remembered by someone else? ‘Anatomy of a Wolf’ is a performance inspired by the figure of Gerard Wilk and an attempt to rediscover him through the body: his strength, discipline, instinct, sensuality and constant need to push boundaries. Four performers become parts of a single organism, formed from archival traces, memories and images. The performance features photographs, words, objects and images, but it is the living body that becomes the most important vessel of memory.

Programme:

25 September (Friday) | Ruins of the Victoria & Zwycięstwa Theatre, 36 Al. Przyjaźni
𝟭𝟳.𝟬𝟬 | An exhibition of photographs from the archive of his friend and biographer – Zofia Rudnicka – will take us on a journey through the artist’s life and career – from his childhood, through the Grand Theatre, film, television and the stage, right up to the years spent with Béjart’s company.
Exhibition concept, curators: Zofia Rudnicka, Magdalena Kulesza
. Exhibition design: Krzysztof Kelm
𝟭𝟵.𝟬𝟬 | A talk with Zofia Rudnicka, Wilk’s long-time friend, a dancer, choreographer and the author of his biography.
𝟮𝟬.𝟬𝟬 | Screening of the film *Podróż magiczna* (1979), directed by Andrzej Wasylewski and choreographed by Zofia Rudnicka – featuring Gerard Wilk himself on screen.

26 September (Saturday) | Ruins of the Victoria Theatre 19.00 | ‘The Anatomy of Wilk’ – a performance inspired by the figure of Gerard Wilk. Four performers, archive photographs, memories, words and the body, which becomes a vessel of memory.
Directed by Łukasz Błażejewski;
Cast: Tomasz Sebastian Berg, Michał Przybyła, Alina Senik;
Music by Sławomir Kupczak;

27 September (Sunday) | Ruins of the Victoria
Theatre 𝟭𝟱.𝟬𝟬 | A conversation with Zofia Rudnicka, Krystyna Mazurówna and Piotr Nardelli – reminiscences of Wilk as an artist, stage partner and friend, hosted by Elżbieta Mendakiewicz, MA, Director of the General Ballet School in Bytom.
𝟭𝟵.𝟬𝟬 | ‘The Anatomy of Wilk’ – a performance inspired by the figure of Gerard Wilk. Four performers, archival photographs, memories, words and the body, which becomes a vessel of memory.
Directed by Łukasz Błażejewski;
Cast: Tomasz Sebastian Berg, Michał Przybyła, Alina Senik;
Music by Sławomir Kupczak;

Co-funded by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage from the Culture Promotion Fund as part of the ‘Dance’ programme, implemented by the National Institute of Music and Dance.
Organised by: The City of Gliwice, Victoria
Cultural Centre; Under the honorary patronage of: The Grand Theatre – National
Opera; Partners: e-Teatr.pl, the Lubomir Różycki General Ballet School in Bytom, Roman Turczynowicz General Ballet School, Tadeusz Różewicz Theatre in Gliwice, Silesian Metropolitan Network, Qubus Hotel
Media sponsors: TVP Kultura, Nowiny Gliwickie