sandik Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 "It was a period of great inventions and research. Scientists and artists were breaking new ground. Moving my characters to this existing period open up so many possibilities”. Well obviously if the scarf is poisoned in a chemistry lab at the University of Edinburgh, as opposed to a cauldron in the forest, it becomes a ballet about science. Which would make it a first cousin to Frankenstein, where part of the message is "don't mess with nature" Link to comment
sandik Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 Yes! And the swans male, etc. etc. etc. As far as firsts and gender-swapping is concerned, there's Bejart's Firebird. (I'm sure someone did a switch before that as well, but my brain isn't working that well right now) Link to comment
Alexandra Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 Actually, long ago in Copenhagen, I've read that they switched the genders in "Le Spectre de la Rose." The Young Man contemplated the spirit of a female Rose. NOT the same kind of switch Bejart et al had in mind, but simply because the dancers at that time thought that having a male rose was ridiculous. Link to comment
sandik Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 Actually, long ago in Copenhagen, I've read that they switched the genders in "Le Spectre de la Rose." The Young Man contemplated the spirit of a female Rose. NOT the same kind of switch Bejart et al had in mind, but simply because the dancers at that time thought that having a male rose was ridiculous. Fascinating -- I'd not heard that. Link to comment
Jane Simpson Posted October 21, 2014 Share Posted October 21, 2014 Photographs of the new production have just appeared on the RDB's website: http://kglteater.dk/det-sker/forestillinger/sason-2014-2015/ballet/sylfiden-og-etudes#Billedgalleri Link to comment
sandik Posted October 21, 2014 Share Posted October 21, 2014 How interesting -- I have to say that my first impression from the act one costumes was American Puritan -- rather like a production of The Crucible. The intensity of dark/light does seem like it could support a production of this work (in the way that the indoor/outdoor contrast works so well for earlier productions). I don't really get any additional gender conflict from these images, but they are just photos. Very curious to hear and see more. Link to comment
Helene Posted October 21, 2014 Share Posted October 21, 2014 It looks like the new costumes attempt to skew the viewer's sympathy to James, which is not surprising, but it is a bit of a bludgeon. The original is more subtle than that. Link to comment
volcanohunter Posted October 21, 2014 Share Posted October 21, 2014 The intensity of dark/light does seem like it could support a production of this work (in the way that the indoor/outdoor contrast works so well for earlier productions). The thought that sprang to my mind was that it was like John Neumeier's Giselle in reverse. I'm sorry these pictures are so small. http://www.hamburgballett.de/gallery/giselle1/1.htm Wouldn't a problem with setting the first act in a puritanical community be that they generally don't dance? An exception would be Shakers, but they didn't marry. (I always get this maddening feeling at performances of I puritani, when the chorus starts singing "A festa! A festa!" to a tarantella.) Link to comment
sandik Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 The Neumeier looks fascinating -- the village is very unusual. The darkness in the first act of the new Sylphide strikes me as being about repression, but without seeing the production, I'm just guessing... Link to comment
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