Konstantin Tomilchenko: personal life, wife. Life of Remarkable People: Konstantin Tomilchenko

Popularity and fame found Konstantin Tomilchenko after active participation in the projects "Ukraine Got Talent" and "X-factor", which were broadcast on the STB channel and in which he acted as a stage director of the participants' numbers. Thanks to them, his talent was appreciated on merit in his next project called "Everybody Dance!" Konstantin Tomilchenko has already acted as a judge. As they say about such people, he made his own fate, his with my own hands. However, not without the will of chance, of course. This is how chance intervened personal life of Konstantin Tomilchenko. Work and personal life are closely intertwined in the fate of the dancer and director. After all wife of Konstantin Tomilchenko Natalie is also a dancer, and they met through working together.

Konstantin Tomilchenko did not think about a biography related to dancing for a long time. Moreover, he is an economist by training. As he himself admits, as a boy he was very shy, but he looked with delight at the guys who knew how to move well and did not hesitate to dance with a large crowd of people. The desire to learn how to do the same made Konstantin Tomilchenko dance for a long time in his room in front of a mirror. They didn’t take the guy to the circus variety school, they didn’t see his dancing abilities in him. Probably now the elbows are biting. After all, the ardor of Konstantin Tomilchenko, this refusal not only did not cool, but, on the contrary, spurred on even more, forcing him to train twice as hard. Therefore, he is called a self-taught dancer. In the biography of Konstantin Tomilchenko there is also a job as a backup dancer for famous artists, and the self-created dance team "Solbi", which won many prizes in various competitions. But participation in the projects of the STB channel was a kind of breakthrough, turning the life of Konstantin Tomilchenko and directing it in a new way.

They met his wife Natalie in 2004, but at first the relationship did not go beyond the working ones. Together they visited Germany, where they took a one-act ballet performance "Open". Natalie, who graduated from the circus variety school, fit perfectly into the production. At one of the rehearsals, Konstantin Tomilchenko kissed the girl for the first time, which was the beginning of their romance (so you want to write "lifelong"). A couple of whole 9 years went to the formalization of their relationship. The dancer made the proposal, as expected, in the presence of Natalie's entire family in Cherkassy, ​​although, according to his confession, he received her consent in advance to be sure. The couple not only signed at the registry office, but also underwent a wedding ceremony in the church. They are tied together not only by everyday life, but also by many joint works, among which dance performance"Baron Munchausen". For complete happiness, the spouses dream only of opening their own choreographic theater and, of course, of the kids.

Konstantin Tomilchenko - choreographer, judge on "Everybody Dance!", host of "Ukraine Got Talent" on the STB channel and director of three projects of the Starlight Entertainment winter show at VDNKh - for the first time showed a 3D show from Ukraine at "America's Got Talent". Konstantin spoke exclusively for TG about participation, staging of numbers and the difference in mentalities, as well as a new show and work for Cirque du Soleil.

What prompted you to participate in the TV show "America's Got Talent": excitement, a desire to test yourself, to declare about Ukraine? Or have you decided it's time to enter the international arena?

We were pushed by the producer american show. But seriously speaking, the story was quite interesting. We started doing the performance in April and in fact we didn’t fully understand where to show it, we didn’t believe that it could be interesting. When an inquiry came in from America's Got Talent to our partners, they asked if we had anything interesting and offered to participate. We sent a prototype of the new show that we were preparing, they liked it, and they motivated us to finish the job.

How long did it take to create the casting number?

In April, we just had the idea of ​​such interesting project. When I saw all this, I talked to the guys from the company that specializes in graphics, as well as the company that deals with the stage, lighting and technical equipment. We partnered up and got to work. In June, they already showed the show at the casting.

For each performance in the show, you changed the number - at the casting it was computer game, live - night hotel and space. Did you immediately ride with three ready-made numbers or were they created as you progressed to the next round?

First we had a casting number. Since it was an experiment, the organizers of the show urged us on, supporting the idea. Rehearsals took place in winter in some hangars, and it was quite cold. There we rehearsed for one and a half to two hours. When the casting call came in, we started rehearsing the "Escape" number more tightly. This is the first number, so we rehearsed for three or four hours a day. After the casting, we waited for a verdict for about three more months, and when we passed, we began to prepare the second issue - “Mystery hotel”. We have already prepared the Space number directly in America.

How many people worked on each show (graphics, choreography, music, costumes)?

Each company had its own specialists, for example, graphics takes most numbers and at least ten people are working on it. There is also a technical side and an artistic one. In total, 30 people are involved in the creation of one issue. A small team of six people went to America for live broadcasts.

Were there any secret devices on stage that helped you "fly"?

These are technologies that we have filed for a patent on behalf of three companies. Now we are waiting for the result - an international patent with which we have the right to use and show our device.

Perhaps there was a fourth option that you did not have time to show the audience?

To be honest, we did not believe in the third option either. The minimum task that was set was "Escape". We didn't really think about what would happen next. For us, the most important thing is to declare ourselves on the international market. The producers liked it and extended our tour. We did not prepare the fourth issue and did not discuss it.

Wanted to win? It's still a million dollars at stake.

No, we didn't think about it at all. We regarded the show as a certain entertainment industry where you can express yourself, reaching a level higher than Ukraine. For us, this is a market where we can enter with a fairly expensive concept, because there are quite a few markets in the world that can afford such a luxury.

How do you think you interested the American public, spoiled by special effects?

We have a good, interesting, innovative product. I think a lot of people still don't understand how we do our show. And this mystery makes me admire. It's more than magic tricks or an interactive screen. The approach and the idea worked.

And the audience in the hall could see your secret device on stage?

it television show. Everything is done for the viewers and the TV picture. We talked to people who were sitting in the hall, and they asked us how we do it. Therefore, I'm not even surprised that the audience could not understand what it was.

Did you interact with the judges off stage? What did they say about your performances?

No, they did not communicate with the judges, they are rarely allowed to see them. After the second performance, the magic guys from Broadway turned to us, they wanted to invite us on the tour. Unfortunately, we did not agree on dates. But magicians also say that they do not understand the mechanism, and this is cool.

Konstantin, for many years you were part of the STB team creating the show " Ukraine has talent” and “X-factor”. In America, talent shows are created according to the same scheme, or do you feel the difference in mentalities?

Of course, the difference is felt. This is a larger number of people who are involved in creating a product. Responsibilities can be duplicated, and the work is so clearly arranged that if they say: “Everything ends at six,” they will leave exactly at that time. There are no overtime, if there is, you pay a lot of money for it.

The only thing that was strange for me was the hangar where we were settled and where we rehearsed. In this regard, we are better. But the process itself is similar. There is a format in which they work, just like us. The main difference is management. And it's also very cool that America invites participants from all over the world and maintains this connection.

Does the host country cover participants' travel, accommodation and meals expenses?

Yes, in our case it is. I think that this applies to all participants: they bring, pay for food and daily allowance. In Ukraine, it seems, the same way.

How much time did you spend in America?

According to the plan, we had to have castings, judges cup, quarter-final, semi-final and final. After the casting, we had to get a golden button and go live. But at the moment when we spoke, all the places were over, because each judge has the opportunity to press one or two buttons for the entire period of performances. They pressed them before us, and they gave us a wild card - a card that the judges give to one participant. And we immediately got on the air. In general, a week plus three weeks on live broadcasts is a month.

Were there those with whom you became friends on the project?

Yes, we talked. We made friends with two Japanese sumo wrestlers. They are very funny, huge and do not understand English language. At home in Japan they are comedians. Chatted with dance team from Latin America, they also went further. And so we were completely immersed in work, so there was no time to communicate.

With what impressions from America did you return home?

Impressions are twofold. We were not far from the Walk of Fame, the show itself is filmed at the Dolby Theater, where the Oscars are presented. An iconic stage, a very beautiful and large hall. All the stars come there for the Oscars, and you perform there. This is insanely disturbing. But the Walk of Fame itself is worse than a garbage dump: it’s dirty around, there are a lot of homeless people, complete freedom in terms of marijuana, and it paints some, kills others. Freedom affects people differently.

What have you seen?

We walked around Los Angeles, went to the mountains, swam in the ocean. We did not go out of town, because the territory is so large that even if you want to go to Santa Barbara or San Francisco, you have to overcome a huge distance. The whole of California is probably comparable to the territory of Ukraine. And that's just one state!

What did you like about food and entertainment?

We didn't find the food we liked. Everything fried, overcooked, sweet, fatty. Fast food is eaten, there is a lot of it and it is quite poor quality. Ukrainian food there is the height of perfection. But it cannot be said unequivocally that all Americans eat this way. We were just in a certain society, in such a short period of time it is difficult to understand their mentality.

Are Americans as open as they show in the movies?

Yes. They are quite sociable, everyone smiles, even looks a little unnatural. All you hear from them is "amazing" and "great job". In society, it is customary to communicate like this: mechanically praise, not take everything to heart. Maybe this is correct. Our nation is very dramatic: we love to yearn, perhaps because of this we have a lot of internal conflicts.

What should we learn from them?

How to build, for example, the production process, management. All of them come out very correctly and clearly. There is control, distribution of responsibilities, and it works.

Now you are preparing a new winter show at VDNH. Will it also have 3D elements? Tell me about the plot.

Yes, 3D elements will of course be used. Now it is an integral part of the show industry. The show is called Winterra. The Legend of the Fairyland” is a story about two brothers who have a conflict between them on the eve of the New Year. As a result, the older brother drives the younger brother out the door and he falls into the hands of Frost - a character who was once known to us as Santa Claus, brought gifts and happiness, but at one point people stopped believing in him. Grandfather became useless and turned into a very angry, but lonely character. Thanks to repentance and acquaintance with the kingdom of Winterra, the older brother saves the younger one, and he manages to save Frost from loneliness and turn him into a kind fairy-tale hero.

Who will star in the show? And have the rehearsals started yet?

We've done auditions a few times already. We managed to select people for the role of the boy and the narrator. But who will be Frost has not yet been decided, the casting is still ongoing. There is no one from the last shows, we have recruited a completely new team of artists. The new show is a combination of genres of circus art, dance and song. It's close to a musical. Since September 17, we have been training in full.

Despite the fact that the idea of ​​video mapping appeared in the last century thanks to Disney, in Ukraine you can be called the founder of 3D dance shows. In 2011, you created the first 3D show in Ukraine, Baron Munchausen. How the idea was born to combine two seemingly distant art forms - dance and graphic–into a single genre?

It was once these genres were far away. Now, thanks to new technologies, they are becoming very close and often intertwined. As for me, back in 2009 I visited the Cirque du Soleil, went with all the shows ... Probably, under the impression of this trip, I wanted to use 3D graphics. In 2010, we already made "Baron Munchausen" - thanks to STB and Vladimir Borodyansky.

Did you believe then that such shows would be wildly popular with us? And what do you think is necessary for the success of such a project?

No, I still don't believe it. I am a supporter of the human factor, and 3D is still coloring. First of all, there must be essence and artists with capital letter. Therefore, 3D is a beautiful and technological environment and nothing more. You can draw a lot, but if nothing happens on the stage, the viewer will not be completely satisfied. It's the same if you read a book with beautiful pictures, but without a plot: the design is striking, but nothing touched or hurt the soul. So man, man and again man. According to this principle, we Good work in terms of drama, the work of artists on stage - I believe in this.

Is it getting easier with each new show?

Yes, a lot. There is confidence, an understanding of how to do what the viewer wants, what works or does not work. Every new show is new life, they gave me a lot of experience and give me so far. I am definitely developing in something, and my vision as a director is changing.

Which show is your favourite?

This is a question that cannot be answered. Every show has its favorite moments. "Baron Munchausen" is very heavy, but he is the first. Its creation went through all the stages - from complete hatred to delight. The feeling is similar to the first season of "Everybody Dance": when you believe wholeheartedly in the work from beginning to end. "Vartovi mriy" is Christmas story. "Dim taєmnichikh prigod" - this is humor, lightness, circus art at its best. Four years have passed, and I look at things in a new way. The show we're making right now is absolutely new stage. Most of all I like the people I work with, and I get a lot of emotions from everything that happens.

How long does it take from the approval of the idea, the script to the readiness of the performance to be shown on stage?

On average, it takes a year to create a quality show. From experience, we have deduced the following theorem: in order to make a premiere in the winter, production development must begin a year in advance. We, for example, the project “Winterra. Legend of the Fairyland” began last December. Another two months are needed to coordinate and proofread the script.

How many people work on each show, because in addition to the dancers and the director's team, there are people who quietly perform technical work during the performance?

Approximately 50 to 70 people. This is only a small part, we have not yet mentioned the advertising and PR department. The very name of the concept of such a show is “Antigravity show”. Three companies are working on the development: Red Rabbit Entertainment - our company together with Alexander Bratkovsky, who owns the idea of ​​the concept and its director's incarnation, Front Pictures - graphics numbers and Profi - technical support.

Will you appear in the new show in one of the roles?

Why not, I always want to go on stage. As for this show, I don’t know yet and I don’t want to get ahead of myself. But I love to participate.

Do you combine the role of director and choreographer in staging the show?

AT this project choreography is done by Maxim Pekniy, he is a member of "Dance everything" and we have already crossed paths with him before. I invited him because this person is close to me in spirit and vision as a choreographer. It is impossible to combine several roles at once in the production of large shows, in this case, the choreographer and director.

What else do you do besides big shows?

We have our own Antigravity show project, under this heading we are creating a website and will go to international market with what we showed in America. Antigravity is our product that we want to develop in the American, Chinese and European markets. Unfortunately, the Ukrainian market is small, with insufficient economic capacity, and there is no big finance to develop our project. So for now I have two directions: directing the show and our own project.

If you had to dance to tell your life, what genre would you choose?

It must be seen, it is impossible to describe in words. I came to the conclusion that real dance is beyond genres, types, classes and everything else. I am a supporter of “just dance”, and not talk about genres. This answer is more abstract, but dance is a philosophy. At 25, he will be one, at 30 - completely different, at 60-70 he will not be at all like the previous ones.

Does the experience gained while working at the Cirque du Soleil help or hinder you today? Nevertheless, the Ukrainian budgets of big shows are probably incomparable with foreign ones.

Budgets are completely uncomparable. Budget last show Cirque du Soleil, in which I took part in Latin America, Argentina, was approximately at the level of 22-25 million dollars. This is the average budget. Yes, in Ukraine we work in a completely different way, with different finances, certain opportunities. But it tempers you and we begin to build the correct scheme by which we can make a large-format show.

Were there times when the script was cut to fit the budget?

Of course, this process happens every time. After all, you can fantasize a lot of things, but there is real conditions, and the budget is the most important thing in our realities and country. We fit into it. Yes, the circus is different, there is also a budget, but the idea and the visual story are more important. I think a company that is already 35 years old, with its status, can afford this.

Do you keep in touch with the Circus team now? Is there a possibility that they will invite you again?

I hope so. We're in talks about a new show they're launching. So far, I myself can not speak officially, but before the end of this year, the issue should be resolved. But the most important thing has already happened: work in Argentina has not been in vain. It is both flattering and inspiring.

Konstantin, tell us about the culinary traditions of your family?

My father loved to cook potato pancakes. It was his parish and they always turned out to be the most delicious. And we often went to the village to my grandmother and I remember how she cooked poppy strudel in the oven. Only now I realize how delicious it was and how it felt like home!

My wife and I don't have any super-culinary traditions. We try to eat clean food, from the garden and minimize shopping in supermarkets.

But I am for creating and preserving family traditions. But only good traditions, and not those that are not clear what they turn into. Yogis generally believe that all diseases from food. Everything you ate, how you ate it, and at what time - everything is connected.

Do you believe in it?

Why believe? You can just try and understand.

My wife, by the way, knows how to cook Indian dishes. I am not very strong in the names of Indian spices, because there are a lot of them, but I really like Indian cuisine.

What are your favorite Indian dishes?

I love Dal pea soup, samosi, I don’t remember the name of another dish, but it’s something like our stew with potatoes and cabbage, various porridges with rice.

Konstantin, do I understand correctly that your wife Natalya mainly cooks at home?

Basically, yes. I simply do not have enough time for this and, in fact, in order to cook food, I need to have a certain mood. And such a mood to concentrate and cook dinner, most often does not happen. I rarely go to the stove, but if necessary, I am happy to help.

I love sweets and my wife cooks cheesecakes for us according to Ayurvedic cooking recipes. She gets addicted healthy eating and tries to purchase clean eco-products. Although we have a very hackneyed concept of eco-products. In fact, these are products grown in the garden. Not in greenhouses, stuffed with some kind of chemicals.

My wife likes Ayurvedic cuisine and I, in principle, already join it too. I like! Not all, but a lot.

Do you eat meat?

I eat everything except animal meat, I love fish very much. My wife is not a vegetarian, she eats meat.

Is there a dish in which you consider yourself a real ace?

This question takes me by surprise. I have not yet found for myself the dish that I love to cook and can put all my feelings into it. I will not talk about scrambled eggs and other similar dishes. But I am looking for this dish. I believe that a person can cook any food deliciously if it is done with feeling, desire and soul.

Products that you categorically do not use, but some vice versa?

I love dairy products. I try to eat a lot of cheeses, cheese, cottage cheese, milk. All this we buy fresh every week. I love you very much good cheeses, but we have very few of them in Ukraine, unfortunately. However, I always try to choose something original from cheeses and surprise myself and my wife.

How do you manage to keep yourself in good shape? Is there any special daily routine, including meals?

With my work schedule, especially while I'm on various TV projects, I eat haphazardly when I have to and very quickly. Unfortunately, because of this, I immediately have problems with digestion and discomfort in the abdomen.

The Hindus taught me that food is a gift, it must be accepted as it should be, with honors and calmness. I try to accustom myself to this, but during projects it does not always work out. You need to find time and energy, take a breath and give food a sufficient amount of time. I work on this on every project. After all, how you eat directly affects your health.

I also haven’t eaten in eateries for many years, I don’t drink cola. I'm anti-fast food because it kills everything. Kills, first of all, the art of food. Fast food, of course, is very attractive, once a year you can be tempted and go to eat potatoes. I won't say that I don't. But still I try to protect myself from such food.

The special diet of dancers is prejudice. If you are a dancer, then you do not have to diet, but just eat differently. Why does the Bible say that gluttony is dangerous? Because everything in moderation is bad! There are no diets. Just everything that is not good, through the measure - it's bad. You will not eat at 11 o'clock at night, because it is bad for the stomach and then you will not be able to sleep. That's the whole diet. In the same way, you won’t be able to eat before you go to training, because this is a load on the heart, muscles, etc. Even if you are tempted, the body will immediately bring you to clean water. He will immediately point out to you: “so, boy, you don’t need to eat this, it’s superfluous or you don’t need to eat now.” The form of my activity itself shows when to eat, what to eat and what not to eat.

What about restrictions? For example, you can not eat sweets ...

I don't limit myself. I want sweets - I eat sweets. I love, for example, coffee. I drink one cup of coffee a day. And now, in warm weather, I don’t drink coffee, because in the heat it can make me feel bad. In every such moment, I train myself. For example, it is contraindicated for me to eat fatty and spicy foods. It's not that I don't eat it at all, but I just try not to eat it in excessive amounts. The same applies to sweets.

What sweets do you like?

I really love cakes home cooking. I love Napoleon, I love tiramisu. As a child, I loved homemade eclairs. I love Indian sweets - with coconut or orange-carrot ... In general, sweets are my passion!

Konstantin, thank you very much for interesting interview! Let there be more delicious and interesting sweets in your life! And, of course, I wish you to find your signature dish!