August Dance and Ballet Premieres
Thursdays in August
On the Thursday evenings of August 13 and 20, Stingray Classica presents two never-before seen ballet productions. Starting with the ballet Closed, in which the viewers encounter four completely different people who once a week leave their everyday lives and get together in a café, where they relax and momentarily distance themselves from reality. Kodály’s Sonata for solo cello Op. 8, is intense and riveting and affects all four of them to the extent that has consequences for them all. On August 20, Stingray Classica broadcasts a documentary and performance of Neumeier’s ballet La dame aux Camélias, recorded at the Palais Garnier. Neumeier infuses this production with a sense of true psychological depth, blending memories, and dreams in an anguished reflection on French Romanticism.
Closed - A Ballet from Real Life
Thursday, 13 August
Many people live in a closed world. What happens to them when they step onto an arena where they can be themselves, free of their usual roles and status? In the film Closed we encounter four completely different people who once a week leave their everyday lives and get together in a closed café, where they get the opportunity and help to relax and momentarily distance themselves from reality. These encounters have a certain touch of ritual to them. Here, the participants dare to open themselves up to external impressions. They allow themselves to be affected by each other’s liberated exposures and to respond positively to what society at large would regard as strange behaviour. Two men, one woman and a proprietor who is obsessed with cleaning. The smallest speck of dust must be removed immediately. He always has a dust cloth to hand. This externalized and bizarre behaviour is challenging to himself as well as to those around him. Music: Zoltan Kodály’s Sonata for solo cello Op. 8 by cellist Truls Mørk.
La Dame aux Camélias
Thursday, 20 August
John Neumeier's classical ballet is based on the novel of the same name by Alexandre Dumas. Its narrative takes place following the death of Marguerite Gautier, the famed woman of Camélias, inspired by the author's own lover Marie Duplessis. The music of Frederic Chopin provides a delicate and ethereal accompaniment as those close to Gautier offer their many perspectives on her glamorous yet ultimately tragic life. Neumeier infuses this production with a sense of true psychological depth, blending together memories and dreams in an anguished reflection on French Romanticism. Recorded at the Palais Garnier in Paris, France, in 2008.
La Dame aux Camélias - Documentary
Thursday, 20 August
John Neumeier offers a reflection on the inspiration behind his classical ballet based on the novel of the same name by Alexandre Dumas. Following the death of Marguerite Gautier, the famed woman of Camélias who was inspired by the author's own lover Marie Duplessis, those close to her offer their many perspectives on her glamorous yet ultimately tragic life. Here, Neumeier provides an insight into the stylistic aspects of the original novel, delving into themes of French Romanticism and cinema, and explaining his approach to reflecting this in the ballet.