Article Contributed on: 2/15/2008 3:46:32 PM
You may be asking yourself what do those three objects have in common. Well, they are all props to be used in Boulder Ballet's upcoming performance of Comédia. The two ballets that comprise
Comédia,
Bella Luna and
Cirque D'Amour, employ a diversity of movement, objects, music, costumes and lighting to create unusually surreal, theatrical work. Company members of Boulder Ballet use common everyday objects to create a wonderland of contemporary ballet.
For those of you who love a good story ballet, you will be sure to enjoy their ever popular,
Bella Luna. First premiered in 2004,
Bella Luna contains all the elements of magic- an intriguing storyline, relevance to today and the ever universal characters of commedia dell'arte, a form of street theater that flourished in Italy from the 16th through 18th centuries. As in the original commedia style, myriad props heighten the action.
Bella Luna employs chairs, a table, French fries, newspapers, a trashcan, and more. There is even unique pas de deux performed on and around a bicycle.
Cirque D'Amour is a new work due to premiere in
Comédia. This ballet developed out of images without an initial storyline structure. Looking outside of the ballet world for inspiration, Peter Davison drew from his experience of creating object manipulation works with Airjazz, working with cast members of Cirque du Soleil, and his years of solo work to create this piece for Boulder Ballet. As the diverse ideas developed over several months, a connection between each emerged; a thematic through-line of love and attraction between people, and some of the ways that those forces affect people's actions within a material world. The extensive use of props and apparatus invokes the circus, while the movement is contemporary ballet. Rather than directly stating a theme or story,
Cirque D'Amour is meant to lead our imagination to places that are familiar or enlightening but difficult to verbalize.
This performance is one not to miss. Catch it at the Dairy Center for the Arts on February 22 at 8pm, February 23 at 8pm, and February 24 at 2pm. For tickets call the box office at (303) 444-SEAT. The performance can also be seen at the Lakewood Cultural Center in Lakewood on March 1 at 8 pm and March 2 at 2pm. Call the Lakewood box office at (303) 987-7845 for tickets. For more information, visit www.beyondballet.com.