Having your dance companyB次元官网网址檚 season opener land near Halloween can be a blessing or curse.
Artistic directors must decide whether to play to its ghoulish appeal, or completely steer away from the juxtaposition of dates.
For Ballet VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 Paul Destrooper, it provided an opportunity to tackle head-on one of the most retold horror stories in English literature and put their own spin on it.
This monthB次元官网网址檚 production of Frankenstein at the Royal Theatre B次元官网网址� staged 200 years after the original story was published by Mary Shelley B次元官网网址� blends the dark elements of this gothic tale of eternal life and resurrection with the beauty and tragedy of a love story born in death, inspired by the romantic classical ballet, Giselle.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 going to be fun. ItB次元官网网址檚 something that is a great story and itB次元官网网址檚 kind of fun to do ballets that are a little bit out of the expected,B次元官网网址� says Destrooper. Of the pre-Halloween time frame, he adds, B次元官网网址渋f we do some repertoire that relates to that, people are a little bit more likely be curious.B次元官网网址�
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The first act focuses on the doctor and his creation of the creature from a place of great personal pain mixed with blind ambition. It features an eclectic musical accompaniment mix, ranging from contemporary to classical.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 told from the perspective of the monster whoB次元官网网址檚 coming to life and is not understanding where heB次元官网网址檚 from and whatB次元官网网址檚 going on,B次元官网网址� Destrooper explains.
One of the twists in this retelling lies in the makeup of the creature: rather than reanimating the heart of one of the miscellaneous corpses he harvested for its body, Frankenstein uses the organ of an unmarried virgin who died of a broken heart, Giselle.
The second act draws less from the violent latter chapters of the Frankenstein story, and intertwines it with components from Giselle, with the Wilis B次元官网网址� the other dead unmarried women B次元官网网址� converging on the creature and Frankenstein and helping carry the story to its crescendo.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a more traditional white ballet; itB次元官网网址檚 romantic and the women are ethereal B次元官网网址� and in this case they are a little bit more powerful,B次元官网网址� Destrooper says.
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With the creature falling for and winning the spirit of the young woman whose heart he bears, it allows for a fun transition reminiscent of the Corpse Bride by Tim Burton. ThereB次元官网网址檚 even a bit of dark humour in Act 2, when a meeting between the creature and its maker prompts a mock Darth Vader-Luke Skywalker B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 your fatherB次元官网网址� scene.
B次元官网网址淔or the people who are huge ballet aficionados, they are going to see Giselle; they will enjoy the beautiful choreography and be invited to look at a very different version of that story,B次元官网网址� notes Destrooper. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 neat to do these ballets with a bit more of a narrative that people are familiar with. Then the dancers get to act, on top of the amazing steps they are performing.B次元官网网址�
While there is no happy ending to the traditional Frankenstein, he says, B次元官网网址渨e leave people with a bit of hope. Some of the things that people are so quick to judge have redeeming qualities.B次元官网网址�
Ballet VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 Frankenstein plays three shows, Friday, Oct. 26 and Saturday, Oct. 27 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 28 at 2 p.m. Tickets are available at , at the Royal and McPherson box office or by phone at 250-386-6121.
