Thursday, April 22, 2010

Tar and Feathers

Despite nearly a quarter century of involvement in the dance world, I had never seen the work of Czech choreographer Jiri Kylian. So when a friend who formerly danced with Pittsburgh Ballet Theater was raving about his work yesterday, I did what any educated person would do - I found him on youtube. I was not disappointed. 

There are a number of clips from his long works online. "Falling Angels" demands noting, but I prefer "Tar and Feathers," which is absolutely stunning from the dancers' movement (formalism meets the womb) to the music (ambient sound overlaid with notes from Mozart's "Jeunehomme") to the set design. And yes, that piano! For those not into dance but interested in Surrealism, watch the first clip below just for the piano. It's less than two minutes and worth your time, trust me. The second clip is a 1 minute section from the same piece.

For those with time and money to spare, take a field trip to see the Boston Ballet perform "Black and White," a five-ballet program of Kylian's work scheduled for the third and fourth weekends in May.

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