On 27 and 28 October at the Mariinsky Theatre the ballet company of the Opéra National de Bordeaux will present Carolyn Carlson’s ballet Pneuma.
The Ballet de Bordeaux has previously toured to the Mariinsky Theatre, but the current visit to St Petersburg will introduce local audiences to Carolyn Carlson’s choreography, performed by the French company. The premiere of Pneuma, created especially for the Ballet de Bordeaux, took place one and a half years ago, though it was preceded by other collaborations and the dancers have already had the opportunity to learn the dance language of Carolyn Carlson, while in turn the choreographer has discovered the unique character of the ensemble. Much of the repertoire of the Ballet de Bordeaux, directed by former premier danseur of the Opéra de Paris Charles Jude, is based on the classics. This also leaves its mark on performances of contemporary productions. According to one critic, the company brings “to the performance an elegance and a fluidity which are resolutely classical, even though the choreography is anything but.” The Sud-Ouest critic continued that “the notion of ‘poetry’ is crucial to appreciating – rather than understanding – the living images through which Pneuma evokes the universal breath which transforms the dancers’ arms into beating wings, and gives the impression that the performers are floating, in sequences where their gestures appear slow even as they move at great speed.”
| user_name | | Exit |
