Bella Figura

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Bella Figura
ChoreographerJiří Kylián
MusicLukas Foss
Giovanni Battista Pergolesi
Alessandro Marcello
Antonio Vivaldi
Giuseppe Torelli
Premiere12 October 1995 (1995-10-12)
AT&T Danstheater [nl]
Original ballet companyNederlands Dans Theater
DesignJoke Visser
Jiří Kylián
Genrecontemporary ballet

Bella Figura is a contemporary ballet choreographed by Jiří Kylián to music by Lukas Foss, Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, Alessandro Marcello, Antonio Vivaldi and Giuseppe Torelli. The ballet was made for the Nederlands Dans Theater, and premiered on 12 October 1995, at AT&T Danstheater [nl], The Hague.

Choreography[edit]

Bella Figura is danced by a cast of nine: five women and four men.[1] Kylián described the ballet as "a journey in time, light and space, addressing the ambiguity of aesthetics, performances and dreams."[2] According to dance scholar Katja Vaghi, "The themes dealt with are the inexpressibility of feeling through words, the blurring of reality and fiction, and the fluidity of identities."[1] Luke Jennings and Deborah Bull wrote, "The dance itself is a series of flicker-book images with every page impeccable – upper bodies sharply torsioned, arms cleaving space, leg-lines racily hyperextended."[2]

Like many of Kylián's works, Bella Figura makes references to the Baroque, evident in the choreography, music and lighting design, the latter inspired by Caravaggio's chiaroscuro.[1] In parts of the ballet, both men and women are in long red skirts and topless.[1] Kylián intended to equalise the men and women and the costumes have no sexual meanings.[3] The curtain moves in the ballet to frame and reshape the stage, drape on the dancers and echo the choreography.[4]

Development[edit]

In 1995, Kylián, Nederlands Dans Theater's artistic director, was commissioned by NRC Handelsblad's editor-in-chief to choreograph a ballet for the newspaper's 25th anniversary. Kylián requested and was granted full creative freedom, due to his belief that art is not art without independence.[3] Bella Figura features both contemporary compositions by Lukas Foss, and Baroque music, by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, Alessandro Marcello, Antonio Vivaldi and Giuseppe Torelli,[2] with sound design by Dick Heuff and Jorn Mineur.[1] The title of the ballet means both "beautiful body" and "putting on a brave face" in Italian.[4]

In addition to choreographing Kylián also designed the set and lighting, the latter realised by Tom Bevoort.[4] The costumes are designed by Joke Visser.[4] Apart from the long red skirts the dancers wore when topless, the costumes also include leotards, tights and underwear in red, flesh colour and black mesh.[4] According to dancer Johan Inger, none of the original cast members objected to appearing on stage nude. In some performances of the ballet, the dancers wear skin-coloured coverings, either because the dancers are not comfortable, or at the request of the venue the ballet is performed.[3]

Performances[edit]

Bella Figura premiered on 12 October 1995, at AT&T Danstheater [nl], The Hague.[4]

Other dance troupes that had performed Bella Figura include the Paris Opera Ballet,[5] Boston Ballet,[6][7] the Australian Ballet,[8] Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo,[9] Royal Swedish Ballet,[10] Zürich Ballet and Finnish National Ballet.[11][12]

Music[edit]

Source:[13]

Original cast[edit]

  • Brigitte Martin
  • Stefan Źeromski
  • Philippa Buckingham
  • Joeri de Korte
  • Elke Schepers
  • Ken Ossila
  • Lorraine Blouin
  • Johan Inger
  • Megumi Nakamura

Source:[4]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e Vaghi, Katja (2021). "Fusion and Renewal in the Works of Jiří Kylián". In Farrugia-Kriel, Kathrina; Nunes Jensen, Jill (eds.). The Oxford Handbook of Contemporary Ballet. ISBN 9780190871499.
  2. ^ a b c Jennings, Luke; Bull, Deborah (4 September 2014). The Faber Pocket Guide to Ballet. pp. 242–244. ISBN 9780571321605.
  3. ^ a b c Embrechts, Annette (3 February 2020). "Drie redenen waarom Bella Figura de allermooiste choreografie van Jiří Kylián is". de Volkskrant (in Dutch).
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Anderson, Zoë (29 May 2015). The Ballet Lover's Companion. pp. 296–297. ISBN 9780300154290.
  5. ^ Cappelle, Laura (30 November 2016). "Jiří Kylián programme, Palais Garnier, Paris — review". Financial Times.
  6. ^ Gantz, Jeffrey (24 April 2011). "Boston Ballet principal's dance card is full". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 13 January 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Harss, Marina (30 June 2014). "Boston Ballet – Program B: Symphony in Three Movements, L'Apres-Midi d'un Faune, Plan to B, Bella Figura – New York". DanceTabs.
  8. ^ Wilder, Gabriel (27 April 2013). "Revealing the truth". South Morning Herald.
  9. ^ "Bella Figura Kylian". Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  10. ^ Foyer, Maggie (12 November 2021). "Kylián, Ek and Forsythe at the Royal Swedish Ballet". Seeing Dance.
  11. ^ Batchelet, Sarah (21 January 2019). "The Zurich ballet pays tribute to Jiří Kylián, master of the dance". Bachtrack.
  12. ^ Dowler, Gerald (21 January 2014). "Bella Figura, Ooppera, Helsinki – review". Financial Times.
  13. ^ "Jiří Kylián - creations - theatre - bella-figura". Jiří Kylián. Retrieved 9 January 2023.

External links[edit]

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