Ballet Preljocaj: Snow White
QPAC, 2 September
Ballet Preljocaj’s Brisbane season of Snow White marks a welcome return of the Queensland Performing Arts Centre International Series, after a hiatus of several years. Although Ballet Preljocaj is perhaps not as well known here as previous international companies, prior marketing of the season promised much, especially in the striking Jean Paul Gaultier costume designs.
Visually, Angelin Preljocaj’s ballet did not disappoint. Opening dramatically with a loud crack of thunder and swirling mists of dry ice, it is packed to its end with striking imagery. The set design by Thierry Leproust, bold in its stark simplicity, signifies rather than replicates the medieval setting of the fairy tale, moving between a golden bronze court and the misty greys of forest and caves. The otherworldly is very effectively imagined with seamless aerial work, including abseiling dwarves cleverly reimagined as mountain climbing monks.
The set acts as a foil for Gaultier’s complex designs, especially the Queen’s black leather and satin dominatrix-styled outfit of tight leggings, bustier and heels. The Prince is portrayed as a bullfighter, and a rather sensuous Snow White wears a Grecian styled tunic, provocatively split both sides from armpit to knee, at times revealing a buttock and thigh.
The story of Snow White is told according to the Brothers Grimm, not the sanitised Disney account, and is ripe with adult references to modern conundrums, such as the pursuit of eternal youth, and a feminine twist to the ubiquitous Oedipus complex.
Preljocaj uses the formal structure of classical ballet to frame the work into clearly defined, easily read scenes, but he injects modernity into the movement construct. This is frequently percussive, with the dancers often barefoot, clapping, stamping or landing heavily on the floor, punctuating both the movement and the music phrase.
The ensemble work of the corps in the opening court scene, although overly long, shows broad, pulsing sweeps of the arms and upper body, with more classically constructed, and musically articulate movement of the feet and legs. One rather quirky section for the female dancers peppers this construct with the odd entrechat quatre. The movement is therefore a clear expression of the score, a curated selection from the Gustave Mahler symphonies, vividly played by the Queensland Symphony Orchestra under Warwick Adeney.
The company of 24 dancers has a diverse physicality, some with an obviously strong classical foundation, others less so. Emilie Lalande was a diminutive Snow White, strong, but with a lithesome fluidity, which contrasted with the energetic prancing and preening of the high-kicking Queen, the statuesque Cecilia Torres Morillo. Redi Shtylla as the Prince was a gallant partner to Lalande.
There are several visually powerful moments in Snow White, including the Queen’s vicious trusting of the poisoned apple into Snow White’s mouth, and the flying descent of the mother to her lifeless daughter’s side. Most however, belong to the latter half of the work, where the drama is driven with more economy and speed. At two hours without an interval, the work is just too long for the story it tells, the opening scenes overworked with lengthy sections of movement, and therefore opportunities missed to explore other early facets of the relationships between the protagonists, such as that of the King and Queen and the Queen and Snow White.
The high points were the duets between the Prince and Snow White – an early romantic pairing, and Snow White’s awakening scene. This final duet, crafted to the exquisite 3rd movement of Mahler’s 5th Symphony, has the lifeless Snow White tossed, spun and dragged across the stage, by the grief stricken Prince. It was a sensational feat of partnering by Shtylla and Lelande that had the audience collectively holding its breath.
Snow White resonates for the universal appeal of its fairy tale story, reflected in the almost sold out 10-day season by opening night. For the visual imagery alone, if you can snare a ticket, Snow White is worth a look.
- DENISE RICHARDSON