Premiere: 20 January 1996, Ballett Frankfurt
Premiere
at the Mariinsky Theatre: 3 March 2004
Premiere
of the revival at the Mariinsky Theatre: 3 March 2013
Sponsor of the production: Mr Toshihiko
Takahashi
Running time 11 minutes
The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude had its world
premier with the Ballett Frankfurt on 20 January 1996. Originally
coupled with another ballet and performed under the title
Two Ballets
in the Manner of the Late 20th Century, it
closed William Forsythe`s full-length evening work Six Counter Points. Here
removed from its original context,
The Vertiginous Thrill
of Exactitudes parklingly holds its own. It is a masterfully
constructed celebration of the elegance of superb dancers and
superbly rendered dancing. Utilising the soaring final movement from Franz
Schubert`s 9
th Symphony in C Major, William Forsythe complements
the music`s layered intricacies and thunderous bravura with sophisticated
complexity and dynamic momentum. In its playful employment
of the familiar components which we have grown accustomed
to associating with classical ballet,
The Vertiginous Thrill
of Exactitude pays homage to a rich history of great
dance achievement and choreographic precedent. This is achieved
in a spirit of overall inclusion, rather than limitation. As
the piece delves relentlessly through a series of riveting solos,
duets, trios and group constellations, the audience is offered timeless
images well in keeping with traditional interactions between ballerinas and
their male counterparts, while individual eccentricities and indulgences are
maintained (if not encouraged). Showcasing five dancers (two men and three
women), the swiftly unfurling choreography dares its participants
to surmount the technical challenges posed by employing sheer pleasure
and abandon. This continual manifestation of unbridled expertise pushes
their artistic accomplishments to ever greater heights. The effect is
invigorating, precarious, even dizzying. The ballet
The Vertiginous
Thrill of Exactitude has been achieved considerable acclaim worldwide
for its speed, brilliance and remarkable musicality. It received New York City`s
"Best Ballet of the Season" critics` choice award in 1998 and
appears in the repertoires of some of the most
world-renowned ballet companies. Insider circles have referred to it as
"the most technically difficult ballet ever performed." Others have found it
"the most liberating experience of an entire career." For the dancer,
it is a triumph of euphoric perfection. For the audience, it is
eleven elegant minutes of exhilarating excellence.
Noah
D. Gelber
In the Middle, Somewhat
Elevated Choreography: William Forsythe
Music:
Thom Willems and
Leslie Stuck Staging, lighting
and costumes: William Forsythe
Assistant Choreographer:
Kathryn Bennetts
Premiere: 30 May 1987, Opera de Paris
Premiere
in Frankfurt: 10 January 1988, Ballett Frankfurt
Premiere at
the Mariinsky Theatre: 3 March 2004
Premiere of
the revival at the Mariinsky Theatre: 3 March 2013
Sponsor of the production: Mr Toshihiko
Takahashi
Running time 26 minutes
Originally created for the Paris
Opera Ballet, In the Middle, Somewhat elevated is a theme and
variation in the strictest sense. Exploiting the vestiges
of academic virtuousity that still signify "the Classical", it extends
and accelerates these traditional figures of ballet. By shifting
the alignement and emphasis of essentially vertical transitions,
the affected enchainments receive an unexpected force and drive that
makes them appear foreign to their own origins.