Nicole Beutler breathes new life into ballet classic

Les Sylphides (work-in-progress) is the title of the new performance of Nicole Beutler. It is a remake of the ballet classic Les Sylphides, a choreography by Michael Fokine from 1907. On March 9th Les Sylphides (work-in-progress) will be presented as a location project in the Netherlands Architecture Institute in Rotterdam as part of the programme ‘Happening’. On April 19th the performance is to be seen in Utrecht during Springdance 2008.

Nicole Beutler examines how a dance from the past can become relevant to present theatre. On stage three performers will try to bring the essence and spirit of Les Sylphides into being once again. But not without repeating elements, magnifying them or leaving them out. The result is not simply a copy of the original, but a contemporary performance through which the past firmly resonates.

‘The audience is sitting so close to the dance floor and the dancers that the spectator sees every little dance muscle trembling.’ (Ruth Naber in Dans)

For more information: www.associationlisa.com/nicole / happening.nai.nl / www.springdance.nl

Concept, direction: Nicole Beutler
On the base of the original choreography by Michael Fokine
Performers: Bojana Mladenovic, Charlotte van den Reek, Marta Reig Torres
Assistance: Hester van Hasselt, Paz Rojo
Dramaturgical advice: Igor Dobricic, Jeroen Fabius
Music: Alec Smart/Gary Shepherd, based on Chopin’s waltzes
Light: Minna Tiikainen
With thanks to Agnes Becht

Photo: Anja Beutler

Les Sylphides (work-in-progress) is a production of LISA in coproduction with Dansateliers and Springdance and is supported by the Dutch Fund for Performing Arts.