Océans

Description

Océans Choreographies by Damien Jalet & Kyle Abraham Brise-lames created at the Opéra de Paris in 2020 First time at GTG River Without Banks world premiere by the Ballet of the Grand Théâtre de Genève Duration 1h40 including intermission Recommended for ages 10 and up Cast Brise-lames Choreography Damien Jalet Associate choreographer Aimilios Arapoglou Scenography, costumes JR Lighting Fabiana Piccioli with Elena Gui for the reprise Music Koki Nakano Additional music Olafur Arnalds and Nils Frahm River Without Banks Choreography Kyle Abraham Scenography and lighting Dan Scully Costumes Reid & Harriet Design Music Leo Svirsky Choreographic assistants Stephanie Terasaki and Donovan Reed Pianists Leo Svirsky, Reinier van Houdt, and Réginald Le Reun Ballet of the Grand Théâtre de Genève Work A line of kneeling bodies curves and undulates to the rhythm of pulsating beats. From their torsos and limbs, a series of gray waves rise, break, and tirelessly strike an imaginary dam. The virtuoso piano arpeggios soon swell their waters into autonomous whirlpools, before calm follows the storm (Brise-lames). — From two pianos flows a deep, shimmering sound river, whose waves seem to propagate into the surrounding space, trembling and rippling in a watercolor palette. Caught in this endless current, couples form and break apart, their relationships move and transform, leading to delicate separations or renewed unions (River Without Banks). The diptych Oceans brings together two choreographic pieces inspired by the energy and metamorphoses of moving water. Created in 2020 at the Opéra de Paris, Damien Jalet's hypnotic Brise-lames, conceived in collaboration with artist JR, joins the repertoire of the Ballet of the Grand Théâtre. Set to music by Koki Nakano, its nine performers bring to life a human wave, symbol of power, fragility, and resilience. Kyle Abraham explores the passage of time and the vulnerability of feelings in River Without Banks. With an enchanting score by Leo Svirsky, his new creation for eight performers mixes solos, duets, and ensembles in a constantly evolving environment imagined by his longtime collaborator, scenographer and lighting designer Dan Scully.