Polyphonia

The National Ballet of Canada

Artistic Director: Karen Kain

Choreography: Christopher Wheeldon

5 Stars

Reviewed By: Breanne Cursley

Wow. Where to start? It was unlike anything I have ever seen before; Polyphonia was intense, captivating and unique. It was perfect blend of contemporary and classical ballet styles; and I must say, I loved it.

Only half an hour long, and playing with the classic favourite Giselle, this ballet is set to 10 different piano pieces by Gyorgy Ligeti, and each piece of music is a different dance routine. There are only eight dancers, four couples, and they rotate and mix together with one another for each dance. The first dance was the entire cast, and the second was just one of the couples, another was just two of the men, and so on. I, personally, didn’t see too much of a story going on, but rather a representation of what the title means; many sounds.

The look of Polyphonia was very simple; there was no set and the costumes by Holly Hynes were very plain. The female dancers wore purple bodysuits with a thin black belt and white tights, while the male dancers wore purple leotards. What I noticed was how the colour of the costumes, a rich mauve purple, symbolized the intensity that the dancers brought to the stage.

Like I said before, Polyphonia is the perfect blend of contemporary and classical styles of ballet. Choreographer Christopher Wheeldon really must have a gift in the world of dance because he created the perfect balance of modern and traditional moves, producing a beautiful and mind boggling piece of art.

This performance was definitely something I would want to see again, and would recommend for anyone to watch. Even though it moved quickly from dance to dance, the ballet was incredibly flowing, and ultimately very fascinating. Polyphonia was a wonderful representation of how ballet and the art of dance is always changing and evolving, but also how the classical look and moves will always be present, for now, and for years to come.

Polyphonia Performance Dates:

September 10 – 11, 2007 Sid Buchwold Theatre, TCU Place Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

September 13 – 15, 2007 Southern Alberta Jubilee Theatre Calgary, Alberta

September 18 – 19, 2007 Northern Alberta Jubilee Theatre Edmonton, Alberta

September 26 – 29, 2007 The Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts Vancouver, British Columbia

Production Credits:

Polyphonia
Choreography: Christopher Wheeldon
Music: Gyorgy Ligeti
Costume Design: Holly Hynes
Lighting Design: Mark Stanley