Botafogo Dance Ensemble, Hungary

If you haven't seen the play, imagine a stage and listen to the tracks (click on the icons when reading the text) and take a look at Béla Kanyó photographer's pictures shot at the premiére, however you had better view the live performance for the experience can't be replaced.

On an average day in Agraba, people do their jobs, there is bustle of the streets and dancing. All of a sudden, a girl appears walking about in the bustle. The mob keeps pushing her, nearly trampling down when a stranger boy saves her life. They begin a dance shyly. (The girl is Jasmin, the daughter of the Sultan, the boy is Aladdin, an ordinary thief. The dance of the couple gets to be a love dance more and more.

Then shows up Jafar, the evil advisor of the Sultan. Dance and music ends. Jafar seizes the girl from Aladdin. Soldiers of Jafar catches Aladdin who attempts to put up resistance but is captured in the end.

The wind is blowing, two men show up between the sand-hills of the desert. Jafar with his dance humiliates Aladdin, who is forced to follow him to Jafar's mysterious dim. Suddenly we glimpse the mouth of a huge cave where Jafar casts Aladdin into in no time.

Aladdin is alone in the strange place where everything is dark and horrible. Enigmatical music sounds then ghostly figures emerge from several parts of the cave. He is almost overcome by fear when a loud noise quakes the under-world. The nerve-racking music stops sounding, the ghosts vanish. Baleful darkness and smoke fill the cave only one object gleams in the dark, a lantern. Other-wordly ghosts might have left it behind.

Aladdin regains consciousness. The lying, oddly gleaming object attracts the attention of Aladdin who comes to reality. He reaches out for that in hesitation. It seems dusty, he wipes it ... Smoke arises and colourful glitters play on the stage. Jin appears. Jin does magic creating girls with whom Aladdin begins a funny playful dance. Every one of them is pushed to Aladdin who has no idea what is happening, however feels like dancing with them. The boy gets enjoying the dance in the company of the appeared girls when Jin brings him back to reality. Magic is over.

When lights go up Jafar stands on stage, is nervous, waits for Aladdin who disappeared as if the earth had swallowed him up. Jafar turns on his heels and hurries off tensely.

Aladdin is alone with the lantern on stage, he attempts to get out of this seemingly severe place however can't find the way out of his under ground prison. He gives up, sits down when suddenly a pleasant memory recalls from his thoughts. Really, the lovely girl from the market occurs to him who at the time is taken with him at once. His illusion gets coming into sight, Jasmin's silhouette appears on the opposite of the stage. Her motionless figure revives starting a reserved dance. The thief can't help stepping to her. The girl turns slowly to him as if a special feeling gets control over the couple. Some steps away they start a love dancing. At the end of the scene Jin turns up. Jasmin's figure gets mist.

Jin comprehends what the boy is after. He wants to get out of the cave and to meet the wonderful Jasmin. Nothing could be simpler…An elegant cloth, several tailors and a bit of magic needed. The boy in shabby clothes, at once, looks fine in a prince costume. It's time for proposal.

Dance of harem girls receives us in hall of the throne of the Sultan luring the viewers with their reserved, erotic moves. The Sultan is danced around who begins swaying with more and more attractive girls. Trombone interrupts the dance. A guest arrives in the palace.

The Sultan hastily goes back to his throne and soon calls Jasmin who sits down next to her father. The Sultan signals to let the guest in. In this moment, brightly-coloured dancers spin on stage to rhythmical music. Aladdin is on stage with Jin.

At the Sultan's pleasure everyone is dancing. Jin sends even the Sultan's harem girls to dance.

The self-abandoned dancers have a very good time. The Sultan shakes hands with the young man. Then comes up Jafar, who, at the right moment, damns everyone on stage before shaking hands. People gets being petrified. Jafar steps straight to Jasmin. He begins dancing with her.

Jafar tries to impress her with careful fine dance for whom he has been longing for a long time. Jafar can't allow that Jasmin be somebody else's sweetheart. The girl resists with fear. Jafar loses his temper and dances with the girl harder and harsher who doesn't give herself to him. At the end of the dance, Jafar pushes the girl to the feet of Aladdin. Jasmin falls to ground unconsciously. The boy also collapses next to the girl. The couple is captured behind the lights of prison bars.

Aladdin and Jasmin lie close to each other in the light of prison bars. (The crowd is petrified in the background). People recover consciousness slowly, Jasmin starts dancing with Aladdin who is dressed in an aristocratic costume. Jasmin finds out that her young man is the thief boy, Aladdin from the market whom she fell in love with at first sight. Passionate dance takes shape between them, Aladdin takes his disguise off. Their happiness can't be complete in the tight cell. They have to escape.

Aladdin remembers the marvel lantern. He searches through his clothes and when he finds it his fear is over. He rubs the glittering object wildly. It is light and smoke, Jin appears who liberates both of them. Jin restores everyone's moving and dancing in the hall of throne.

Previous music sounds again. Aladdin shakes hands with the Sultan at last. He hands over the lantern to the Sultan as a present who doesn't know that the lantern is magical. Good time goes on, even the Sultan joins the self-abandoned dancers of proposal.

While everyone is having a good time, Jafar's soldiers are showing up. Jafar beckons ordering the soldiers to steal the lantern from the Sultan. The soldiers mingle with the crowd and at the right moment they steal the magical treasure then vanish rapidly. At the moment, the Sultan beckons and invite the people to another room of the palace.

From opposite directions two soldiers pop up who starts playful dance with the recently obtained plunder.

Jafar turns up from behind and seizes the lantern from their soldiers. Jafar rubs it resolutely and again there is smoke and lights coming up. Jim steps forward who seems sad when catches sight that not his former chief conjures up. He is obliged to carry out his order. Jin creates further soldiers by magic and men start cruel dance. Jafar is the head of them. Jin passes away. Thirst for power and revenge lead the powerful and frightening mob. In the end the mob creates a living stairs, Jafar walks up over them opening his arms to express the growth of his power. On the last beat of music, the Sultan steps ahead.

Having seen Jafar's rage the Sultan approaches the magician heatedly. Then Jafar makes him his hypnotic prisoner. Jafar has the majesty tied up.

Soldiers drag in Jasmin and have her tied up in order that nobody prevents Jafar from achieving full power. Aladdin rushes in to demand an explanation why his dear is dragged away. The time has come when the two enemies are face to face. It's time for the showdown. Once the one, another time the other one prevails. Yet Jafar asks for help from his soldiers and thus Aladdin drops weakly. Jafar raises his magical stick to beat the final strike on Aladdin when the hall shudders at. Jasmin cries out. Jafar spares the life of Aladdin for the time being, asks for the lantern again to seize the almighty power and to come down the rebellious.

Jin appears again. Jafar nabs and shakes Jin strongly. Jin makes magic with a bad grace, transforms Jafar an all-powerful Jin. Aladdin plucks up his courage stands up and nods to Jin to fulfil Jafar's order. Jafar is in ecstasy of delight, feeling his tremendous power while a black lantern is descending and handcuffs appear on Jafar's hands. Jafar awakes to reality that he will be the prisoner of a lantern for ever and ever. Ecstasy of delight turns into rage when he realizes what happened. It's too late, the lantern swallows him.

Aladdin releases the Sultan and Jasmin. Finally, they can live for each other. Aladdin and Jasmin emerge in a carefree love dance.

Every actor shows up on stage in different clothes, men and women start cheerful dancing. Aladdin and Jasmin catch up to them, the Sultan finds a fine dance partner too. Jin also dances jointly with the joyful people.