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With its rich history, the Paris opera is both a trailblazing
institution of classical dance as well as a place that is open to new
trends. Works by all the significant choreographers of the 20th century
ranging from Vaslav Nijinsky, Maurice Béjart to Alvin Ailey and
Merce Cunningham as well as Jirí Kylián and Pina Bausch
are included in the repertoire. Particular attention is given to the
pioneering choreographer George Balanchine. William Forsythe who was
brought to the Paris opera by Rudolf Nureyev, draws on Balanchine’s
work but this reference is more than just an act of respect. It is also
an examination of the classical ballet aesthetic, its movements and
changes in a contemporary background.
Concerto Barocco
[
choreography: George Balanchine (1941/1951)
[
music: Johann Sebastian Bach, Konzert für zwei Violinen in d-moll,
BWV 1043
Balanchine’s "Concerto Barocco" is not purely a reflection
of the concert by Bach but it is a picture of the music’s character
in dance. The formations and movements of the dancers give visible expression
to the polyphony and mysterious force of the composition.
Woundwork 1
[ choreography:
William Forsythe (1999)
[ music:
Thom Willems
The double pas de deux in ”Woundwork 1” offers the eye a series
of simultaneous images without interrupting the flow of motion. In its
immense acceleration, the body no longer follows a uniform set time.
With its multiple fixed points, Forsythe's aesthetic can be linked to
Merce Cunningham’s choreography and its impetus to set movement
free.
The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude
[ choreography:
William Forsythe (1996)
[ music:
Franz Schubert, Symphonie No. 9 in C-Dur, "Grosse" (allegro
vivace)
”The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude” takes a look at Balanchine’s
legacy in a way that is both distanced and tender. It uses references
but at the same time does not scorn entertainment. Forsythe’s choreography
is an overfulfilment of the classic form, amplified in its degree of
difficulty until the exactitude of form threatens to break down in the
exhilaration of its own speed.
Capriccio
[ choreography:
George Balanchine (1967)
[ music:
Igor Strawinsky, Capriccio für Klavier
und Orchester
”Capriccio” plays with form in a slightly ironic way. Out
of the blue, the dancers kick their legs forwards as if they are dancing
rock ’n roll. There are flashes of social dance but at the same
time this is in harmony with Stravinsky’s coquettish and eclectic
composition and combined with classical epaulement, battement and pirouettes.
© tanz2000.at
Motiv: Ballet de l´Opéra National de Paris, "Woundwork
1"
Photo: Icare/Moatti
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