HIS VOCATION – SCIENCE, ART, EDUCATION (CREATIVE WORK BY O. I. CHEPALOV, HONORED ART WORKER OF UKRAINE)

Abstract

Introduction. The scientific and creative work of one of the most famous Ukrainian theater critics, Oleksandr Ivanovych Chepalov, is analyzed. O. Chepalov is a choreologist, playwright and journalist, Honored Art Worker of Ukraine, Doctor of Arts, and professor, who currently holds the position of Head of the Department of Choreographic Arts at Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts. The article turns the spotlight on the wide thematic range of O.Chepalov as a scientist and researcher: musical theater, historical explorations in the field of Ukrainian theatrical avant-garde of the early XX century, experiments in modern attempts to visualize the performing arts. Materials and methods. The biographical method is used as a basis for studying the work of O. Chepalov’s creative personality. The comparative method is used for parallel analysis of the artistic research, as well as the principles of general scientific methodology that can determine the logic and sequence of the cognitive tasks. In particular, the experience of the article author is reviewed, a graduate student communicating with O. Chepalov as with an academic advisor of the Ph.D. thesis “The phenomenon of actress and singer Y. P. Kadmina in the cultural processes of the late XIX century”. Similar experience of the academic advice work on theatrical research (V. Mizyak, Li Zhenxing) and dissertations in the choreological field (L. Kosakovska, O. Shabalina, K. Bortnyk, N. Kabachok, N. Chilikina, E. Yanina-Ledovska, I. Mostova) has been reviewed. Discussions. For convincing evidence, the analytical comments by reviewers of O. Chepalov’s books, as well as the texts of the bibliographic guide “Chepalov Oleksandr Ivanovych” (2015) with the involvement of the articles by famous scientists and masters of arts (L. Tanyuk, N. Kornienko, V. Sheiko, T. Vierkina, V. Mulerman, R. Poklitaru, D. Gorbachov) are included. Results. O. Chepalov’s monographs dated from 2001 to 2020 consider important theoretical questions about the role and place of the Ukrainian avant-garde artists (including M. Foregger, a director and choreographer) in the world art space of the respective time. In his "Choreographic Theater of Western Europe in the XX century" study, which has no analogs in the world science, the author managed to recreate a panorama of the modern dance development in all its diversity of stylistic and formative features. During 2011–2014, the magazine “Dance in Ukraine and the World” was regularly published on the initiative and under the editorship of O. Chepalov. This magazine covered the problems of national and world choreographic art, analyzed the most significant phenomena among cultural and historical events. In his book “Notes of the Phantom of the Opera” O. Chepalov considered the creative path of the Kharkiv ‘M. V. Lysenko’ National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre in personalities and historical retrospection, where he held the position of Head of the Literary Department for 47 years. The monograph “Theatrical Insomnia in Summer Night” collected the best articles by O. Chepalov in the field of art journalism for about 40 years, which marked the range of his priorities and revealed the most characteristic cultural processes of today. Finally, in his latest book “Choreology” (2020), the famous researcher published the texts of lectures and articles since the introduction of choreology (dance theory) in the educational practice of the Ukrainian universities (2004). The directions of O. Chepalov’s research, in particular in the fields of theater studies and dance science, can serve as examples of the purposeful and fruitful expansion of artistic and scientific priorities. Conclusions. O. Chepalov’s writings distinguish the universality and systematization of the culturological approach, impressive professional knowledge in almost all types and genres of art, and extraordinary literary talent. O. Chepalov is also characterized by establishing a high professional level in the criteria of creativity. He also cares to ensure that representatives of his choreological and theater school meet the world’s scientific criteria.