15.05.2013
Irina Perren: “I go deep into myself”
Irina Perren will dance the lead female role in Nacho Duato’s new ballet, Invisible. The ballet’s première on 23 May marks an important date for the ballerina: it will be the first time that she will perform on stage after a year’s absence following the birth of her daughter. Irina Perren shared her impressions of the new work, and talked about her expectations.
“As usual, Nacho Duato is a man of few words, and the performers interpret his ideas not through stories or explanations, but directly through dance and the movements demonstrated by the choreographer. The music contributes a lot. I had never heard it before, and this newness enhances the emotional impact. Andrzej Panufnik is a Polish composer, but for some reason his music seems very Russian to me, because of its melodies and a certain affectionate warmth in it. The sections which accompany my solos are slightly different — they have depth and a kind of dark tension. This is interpreted through the choreography. I go deep into myself, into my body, and try to live and breathe the music.
It is impossible to say what this ballet is about, but the dancing creates a series of images. My character moves through the entire ballet, and I feel different to the other dancers. When my character dances surrounded by the other girls, she becomes a kind of Chosen One. However, it is not entirely the same as Le Sacre du printemps, since the Chosen One is not a victim in Duato’s piece. She is more like a protector. I stretch out my arms, and the other dancers slip through beneath them, as though they are passing under outstretched wings. I try to save them, to protect them from some external force. I still do not fully understand the overall structure of the ballet: I have monologues, a great adagio with Leonid Sarafanov, who I know has been given another great ’male’ duet. These fragments are now being combined into a single whole, and the composition is nearing completion.
I heard in an interview with Nacho Duato that this work was inspired not only by music, but also by painting, in particular Picasso’s Blue Period. I find the connection between ballet and painting a very interesting subject. When it comes to painting, my tastes tend towards Edgar Degas in particular. It is actually thanks to his Blue Dancers that there is such a strong association between ballet and the colour blue. My costume in Invisible is a very complex shade of dark blue. And in this ballet, blue serves as a metaphor for illusion and mirage. Marie Laurencin is my favourite painter. I have copied a lot of this French artist’s work, simply because I felt the need. I am always delighted when I get the chance to see her paintings in a museum. Once, when we were on tour in Tokyo, there was an exhibition of her paintings in one of the museums. I spent all of my free time there. And now her style is one of the sources of inspiration for my work.
It is very special for a ballerina to work with a choreographer who choreographs dance in the here and now. I am very grateful to Nacho Duato. The opportunity to work with him on a new ballet gave me the incentive to get back on the stage as soon as I could.”
“As usual, Nacho Duato is a man of few words, and the performers interpret his ideas not through stories or explanations, but directly through dance and the movements demonstrated by the choreographer. The music contributes a lot. I had never heard it before, and this newness enhances the emotional impact. Andrzej Panufnik is a Polish composer, but for some reason his music seems very Russian to me, because of its melodies and a certain affectionate warmth in it. The sections which accompany my solos are slightly different — they have depth and a kind of dark tension. This is interpreted through the choreography. I go deep into myself, into my body, and try to live and breathe the music.
It is impossible to say what this ballet is about, but the dancing creates a series of images. My character moves through the entire ballet, and I feel different to the other dancers. When my character dances surrounded by the other girls, she becomes a kind of Chosen One. However, it is not entirely the same as Le Sacre du printemps, since the Chosen One is not a victim in Duato’s piece. She is more like a protector. I stretch out my arms, and the other dancers slip through beneath them, as though they are passing under outstretched wings. I try to save them, to protect them from some external force. I still do not fully understand the overall structure of the ballet: I have monologues, a great adagio with Leonid Sarafanov, who I know has been given another great ’male’ duet. These fragments are now being combined into a single whole, and the composition is nearing completion.
I heard in an interview with Nacho Duato that this work was inspired not only by music, but also by painting, in particular Picasso’s Blue Period. I find the connection between ballet and painting a very interesting subject. When it comes to painting, my tastes tend towards Edgar Degas in particular. It is actually thanks to his Blue Dancers that there is such a strong association between ballet and the colour blue. My costume in Invisible is a very complex shade of dark blue. And in this ballet, blue serves as a metaphor for illusion and mirage. Marie Laurencin is my favourite painter. I have copied a lot of this French artist’s work, simply because I felt the need. I am always delighted when I get the chance to see her paintings in a museum. Once, when we were on tour in Tokyo, there was an exhibition of her paintings in one of the museums. I spent all of my free time there. And now her style is one of the sources of inspiration for my work.
It is very special for a ballerina to work with a choreographer who choreographs dance in the here and now. I am very grateful to Nacho Duato. The opportunity to work with him on a new ballet gave me the incentive to get back on the stage as soon as I could.”
