Snow White as you've never seen before
0 
 |
|
A dancer performing. [Global Times] |
Preljocaj said he also wanted to create a more lustful version of Snow White. "In my performance I've created a lovers garden," he commented. "Couples meet and seduce each other: I wanted some-thing carnal. Jean Paul created costumes with lingerie. The clothes are sublimated; dreamlike…It's really sensual and poetic at the same time." Esteemed couturier Gaultier, who designed all of the costumes for the 24 dancers in the show, is a legend in the fashion industry. His work for performers Mylène Farmer, Kylie Minogue and rocker Marilyn Manson have garnered a lot of attention over the years, as has his long term contribution to fashion label Pierre Cardin.
"When Angelin contacted me for Snow White I couldn't say no," Gaultier told the Global Times with pride. He explained that his aim was to free Snow White from her traditional high-collar blue puffy dress. The costumes he designed show plenty of bare flesh, setting the girl's legs free and reveling in the transparency of her skin from her feet to her hips.
"Angelin's vision of Snow White was not the same as the Disney one. He wanted to portray her as very sensual. That is why we were looking for a costume that would express her pureness but also her sensuality," Gautier explained.
Among all of the costumes Gaultier created for the show, his favorite is the one of Snow White's evil stepmother, who is wrapped in black chiffon and perched on top of wickedly-high heels. "I think it's not only my costume, but the way that role is performed which makes it very strong," he said.
While rewriting a classical ballet is not new in today's art world, successfully pushing the boundaries between modern dance and ballet seems to have become a com-mon thread among many leading contemporary ballet companies. However, with powerful choreography and cutting-edge design, Preljocaj has managed to set his Snow White apart. The piece is embedded with real jealousy, aging and sexuality in a timeless fairy tale and without kitsch - it is a show you simply don't want to miss.
Snow White, by Ballet Preljocaj will play in Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou this month.
Go to Forum >>0 Comments