AfterLight

I'm a big dance fan....anyone else out there?  

Here is the link to the AfterLight performance.

I am also quite fond of Erik Satie's compositions, so this was a wonderful combination to me.  "AfterLight" is choreographed by Russell Maliphant.  I love how fluid and otherworldly this piece is.....the dancer seems to be moving underwater.  The constant spiraling movement of the dancer is mesmerizing.  He seems to be lifted up by a swirling current, then dashed back down to the bottom of the ocean floor only to float back up again.  (In fact, his turns are so smooth that at first I thought he might be on ice skates!)

The work was created as a tribute to the relationship between the famed Russian choreographer Sergei Diaghilev and dancer Vaslav Nijinsky.

Nijinsky, arguably one of the best dancers to have ever lived, eventually withdrew from the stage due to his increasing problems with schizophrenia.  As the conditioned spiraled out of control, Nijinsky eventually had a nervous breakdown and was unable to perform again.

 

Daniel Proietto is the soloist.  I'm guessing male dancers often don't get the choicest solos, since it's a pretty female-dominated profession.  At least, the big box office draws usually feature the foofy, fluffy, spun sugar ballerinas that most people think of when they think 'ballet'.  Nonetheless--Proietto is a strong, exquisitely graceful presence on stage.  I enjoy ALL dance featuring dancers of this caliber, whether they are male or female.  I have to admit, though-seeing a male capture such grace without seeming effeminate is fascinating.  It must be a really hard line to balance---being strong and powerful while retaining your flowing, graceful qualities.

Comments

[deana]

Diaghilev has never been a choreographer. He has been a producer and director of "The Ballets Russes", and Nijinsky's lover. Nijinsky became famos for his own coreography and choreography of Michael Fokine.