Classical Ballet Diana Vishneva: On the Edge World famous Mariinsky Ballet and Opera - established 1783
Schedule for Diana Vishneva: On the Edge 2022
Orchestra: Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra
I.
Switch
Music: Danny Elfman Choreography: Jean-Christophe Maillot Set
Designs: Alain Lagarde Costumes: Jean-Christophe Maillot and Jean-Michel
Lainé Lighting Designer: Samuel Thery
Performed by Diana Vishneva, Gaëtan Morlotti and
Bernice Coppieters (Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo)
II.
Woman in a Room
Music: Giovanni Sollima and Rene Aubry Choreography and Sets:
Carolyn Carlson Music Editor: Nicolas de Zorzi Costumes:
Chrystel Zingiro Lighting Designer: Samuel Thery Photo and
Video Graphics: Maxime Ruiz Assistant Choreographers:
Sara Orselli, Henri Mayet
Performed by Diana Vishneva
Diana Vishneva: On the Edge continues a
series of individual projects by Diana Vishneva, Prima Ballerina
of the Mariinsky Theatre and American Ballet Theatre, People’s Artist
of Russia. Her previous projects Beauty in Motion and
Dialogues have won great praise from the public and critics
alike, receiving no less than five Golden Mask awards in various
nominations. In the project On the Edge, the renowned
ballerina will continue to assimilate new choreographic language
in the field of contemporary dance. The title
of the project actually conceals its main aim – to reveal and
embody new facets of the ballerina’s skill.
The production involves the acclaimed French choreographer and Director
of the Ballets de Monte-Carlo Jean-Christophe Maillot and Carolyn
Carlson, an American choreographer whose creative life has generally been
connected with Europe. Both choreographers have created original works
for Diana Vishneva. Jean-Christophe Maillot’s one-act ballet
Switch is set to music by Danny Elfman, an acclaimed American composer
and Oscar recipient. He has composed the music for all
of Tim Burton’s films and animations as well as for the cartoon
series The Simpsons, the serial Desperate Housewives
and the films Mission: Impossible, Men in Black and
Wanted among others. It is worth noting that some of the music
material used in the ballet Switch has never been performed
before. The set designs were created by French designer Alain Lagarde.
The production also features dancers of the Ballets de
Monte-Carlo Bernice Coppieters and Gaëtan Morlotti.
Rehearsals have taken place in Monte-Carlo, Paris, Moscow and
the Segerstrom Center for the Arts (California), where
the project saw its world premiere on 6 November 2013.
The same year saw the European premiere at the famous Opéra de
Monte-Carlo.
Producer Sergei Danilian.
Co-production of Segerstrom Center for the Arts and Ardani Artists in
collaboration with Les Ballets de Monte Carlo, Centre Choreographique National
Roubaix Nord Pas de Calais, Atelier de Paris Carolyn Carlson, Diana
Vishneva Foundation with additional support provided by Roman Abramovich and
Vladimir Smirnov Foundation.
By
Ryan Wallace
Marking
her seventh appearance at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa,
Diana Vishneva’s On the Edge is as elegant and dynamic as Diana herself. A
legend in the dance community, Vishneva has danced in the most coveted roles and
represented some of the most esteemed companies (the American Ballet Theatre and
the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia) as a principal dancer. As a prima ballerina,
Vishneva has travelled the world imbuing historical ballet characters and
garnering the most prestigious awards the dance community has to offer. And with
titles like People’s Artist of Russia, best dancer of Europe, and the Ballerina
of the Decade prize, it comes as no surprise that even before her world premiere
of On the Edge, Vishneva is making headlines world-wide. Subdivided into two
acts, Switch and Woman in a Room, the ballet brings two very different
components to the stage. The first act, Switch, performed by Diana Vishneva,
Bernice Coppieters and Gaetan Morlotti is a highly emotive piece choreographed
by Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo’s director of choreography, Jean-Christophe
Maillot. Provocative and raw, Switch is a testament to contemporary ballet.
Stripping away the clichй view of ballerinas in tutus doing pirouettes,
Vishneva’s performance evolves into solely the human form and bare emotion.
Telling
a story of conflict where the heroine ponders the mutual exclusivity of art and
life, Switch integrates the best components of everything contemporary—music,
design and choreography. The music, which integrates various styles such as 20’s
big band music, jazz and even the tango, is composed by one of the most
versatile and accomplished film composers in the industry—Danny Elfman. Noted
for his scores of many feature-films, including his collaborations with Tim
Burton over the past 30 years, Elfman takes components of various genres and
decades to create a score that is uniquely contemporary. The design is
modern, sleek and minimalistic. And as for Vishneva’s costume, which is starkly
futuristic In its metallic silver lamй, it is designed and created by Chanel
designer Karl Lagerfeld.
A contrasting solo-piece, the second act Woman
in a Room is hauntingly beautiful. More contemporary in her movement than
traditional ballet, Vishneva tells a story of transformation as a woman
metamorphoses on a life journey of reflection. Inspired by the films of Andrey
Tarkovsky, Woman in a Room combines beauty, poetry and a darker side to
introspection. The music complements the dance, as woodwind progressions
accompanied by harps create movement and harmony. It is evident ever more so in
this act that Vishneva is passionate in her craft. Expecting perfection of
herself, she twists the choreography to make it so. With the grace of a
ballerina and the movements of a lyrical poet, Vishneva brings ballet into the
21st century and paves a way for the ballet of the future.
Schedule for Diana Vishneva: On the Edge 2022
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