The West Australian Ballet is right now putting the final brush strokes on the company's major production for the year: the world premiere of a ballet inspired by the life and work of the Dutch artist, Vincent van Gogh.
Dutch choreographer Wubkje Kuindersma is creating the ballet in collaboration with fellow Dutch creatives to bring her vision to life: Anthony Fiumara, who composed the score especially for the work, set and costume designer Tatyana Van Walsum and dramaturge Janine Brogt, along with Australian-based lighting designer Jon Buswell. They are working with the WAB's artistic team led by artistic director Aurelien Scannella.
Van Gogh (1853-90) was a post-Impressionist painter who is as well known for his dazzling paintings as he is for his poverty-stricken and tragically short life. He died by suicide at the age of only 34 after selling only one painting out of more than 2000, painted in his last decade of life. He is now one of the world's most admired and popular artists.
“I am thrilled to create a ballet on Van Gogh; a lonely soul and genius artist, striving for hope and connection through his art,” Kuindersma says. “His paintings have so much movement, energy and emotion inside, and it’s very exciting to give a body to his paintings with my choreography.”
Van Gogh’s artwork will be projected onto a custom-built curved screen covering the width and height of the stage, making it seem as if the dancers are moving through the paintings.
This is the second time Kuindersma has worked with the WAB. She received the Performing Arts West Australian Award Best New Work for Architecture of Hope, a co-production with WAB and Dutch National Opera and Ballet which premiered during 2020’s Ballet at the Quarry: Light and Shadow.
She is a freelance choreographer and Young Creative Associate at Dutch National Ballet. Dance Magazine US included her in its "Top 25 to watch list for 2019," an annual list of rising dancers, choreographers and companies.
'Echoes of VAN GOGH' will be presented at Her Majesty's Theatre from September 8 to 23. For more information go
here.
ABOVE IS A SPECIAL PHOTO GALLERY OF THE DANCERS AND CHOREOGRAPHERS IN REHEARSAL IN THE WA BALLET'S STUDIOS IN PERTH.
