Prelude

ballet in one act

music by George Frideric Handel, Ludwig van Beethoven, Benjamin Britten

Duration
40 minutes
12+
for viewers above the age of 12

The choreography of this one-act ballet brings together and celebrates three styles of dance: romantic, classical, and modern. For this very reason, critics have called the production a ‘choreographic map of the world of dance’. This performance, rooted in academic theatre and staying true to traditional customs of staging and stage effects, can sometimes forget in which era it belongs: sylphs rejoice on the ballroom floor while mysterious dancers in black are zealots of academic ballet tradition. Sequences of more reserved choreography are abruptly imposed upon by a set that seeks to transform its allotted immobility into movement or at least a semblance of it. The ballet is not based upon one central storyline, but rather upon the polyphony of playfulness and rivalry between sculptural forms.

Premiere of the production: 14 June 2011

  • Choreographer, Stage and Costume DesignerNacho Duato
  • Lighting DesignerBrad Fields
  • Costume TechnologyAlla Marusina
  • Musical Director of the productionValery Ovsyanikov
  • Choreographer’s AssistantsZhanna Ayupova, Kirill Myasnikov

In the production, the elements of scenery and the curtains executed by artist Vyacheslav Okunev are used
Benjamin Britten’s music is performed by permission of Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishers Ltd

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