Visually stunningly is this section from a ballet called, “Bella Figura”, Choreographed by Jiri Kylian. This ballet was first performed by Nederlands Dans Theather 1. However, I am not sure if this particular performance is the Nederlands Dans Theatre or the Boston Ballet.
This ballet is another one of Kylian’s masterpieces choreographed in 1995. The work is a one act ballet made up of a series of duets, trios and quartets for nine dancers. The ballet is set to baroque music that include selections of Pergolesi, Marcello, Vivaldi and Torelli.
The piece explores esthetic ambiguity of theatrical representation regarding illusions of “performance” in life, the masquerade regarding “costumes” we wear and the division between art and artifice and reality and imagination. Through this work Kylian asks us to ponder “what is life if not a dream?”
One of the features in this ballet is how the curtains are manipulated to create different views and focuses on stage. In this section we see the dancers’ line up across the front of the stage to hold the curtain as it lowers into their arms. Three dancers break free to dance in front of the curtain which rises again onto the ensemble. Later two women draw the curtain almost together to use as part of their duet.
In this excerpt we see both men and women wearing only beautiful red skirt like pants which are visually stunning against the black curtain and background. In Italian, Bella Figura means cutting a beautiful figure, and one can only marvel at how Kylian has been able to “cut” and emphasize the beauty of the human figure out of such sumptuous sculptural movement and images.
To me the choreography hints of the 17th centaury style of court dance by the formal elegance and precision of the gestures, tableaus and costume which are beautifully blended into contemporary movement. I especially love the moment between the two women who appear grounded to the earth by their red costumes as they dance a most intimately poetic, sensuous and sublime duet.
Over all, to me, this piece is a feast in visual, choreographic and sculptural beauty. It has an enigmatic and mysterious quality which I find particularly captivating.
I feel really inspired and uplifted watching this! I hope you do to… Enjoy!
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