CHOPINIANA
“Chopiniana” is a light and remarkable ballet. It is considered to be a plotless ballet. The scenes are subtly connected by a common lyrical feeling. The creator of the ballet, Mikhail Fokine, is recognized as the greatest dynamic ballet reformer. “Chopiniana” takes us back into the best Romantic-era traditions within their brilliant classical incarnation.
The ballerinas are dressed in long, classical, Romantic, white tutus. The pale blue of the forest faintly flutters in the background.
The subtle, lyrical piano music of Frederic Chopin; the polonaise, nocturne, and waltz are joined together by Mikhail Fokine in the choreographic suite and are subsequently perceived as a single unit. On stage, a delicate fantasy world of light-winged sylphs comes to life; existing only in the imagination of a dancing young man.
In “Chopiniana”, the corps de ballet is constantly connected to the soloists’ part. The corps de ballet accompanies the soloist, then develops their own choreographic theme and subsequently transfers the dance back to the soloist. One pose smoothly flows into the next, as if painting a unified magical picture. The movement of the ballerinas’ arms are so liberated that they complement the artistic reflection of winged sylphs. The wrists and forearms dance to the rhythm of the music. It is this smoothness that helps the dance seem both soaring and gentle, like a romantic dream.
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