Blake Works I

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Blake Works I
ChoreographerWilliam Forsythe
MusicJames Blake
Premiere4 July 2016 (2016-07-04)
Palais Garnier
Original ballet companyParis Opera Ballet

Blake Works I is a ballet choreographed by William Forsythe to seven songs from James Blake's album The Colour in Anything. The ballet was made for the Paris Opera Ballet, Forsythe's first work for the company since 1999, and premiered on 4 July 2016, at Palais Garnier.

Background and production

Forsythe choreographed his first ballet for the Paris Opera Ballet in 1983, a ballet titled France Dance. Four years later, he made one of his most notable works,

In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated, for the company.[1] His last two works for the company before Blake Works I were made in 1999.[1]

In February 2015, the Paris Opera Ballet announced that Forsythe would become an associate choreographer with the company, and would create a new ballet for the company the following year.[1] It would be both the first large-scale ballet he made for a company other than his own since 1999.[1] Forsythe said he was not planning for a position in a ballet company until Benjamin Millepied, the new director of dance at the Paris Opera contacted him. Forsythe also noted he and Millepied started talking about making a new ballet for the company since Millipied assumed his position.[1]

The ballet uses seven songs from English musician

Paris Opera Ballet School's uniform, and the 21st dancer, a man, is in dark jeans and a T-shirt.[2][4]

Original cast

The principal dancers and soloists at the premiere include:[4]

Performances

Blake Works I premiered on 4 July 2016, at Palais Garnier, as part of a Paris Opera Ballet triple bill that also consisted of two other Forsythe works.[4] However, by the time it premiered, both Forsythe and company director Benjamin Millipied were about to leave the Paris Opera Ballet.[2]

The Boston Ballet, which had a five-year partnership with Forsythe, had the North American premiere of Blake Works I in March 2019.[5][6] Other ballet companies that has performed the ballet include Stuttgart Ballet,[7] San Francisco Ballet,[8] English National Ballet,[9] and Dutch National Ballet.[10]

Critical reception

Laura Cappelle of the

New York Times wrote that Blake Works I is "a celebration of the youth, spirits, talent and collective knowledge of a new generation of Paris Opera dancers, who have never, in my experience of the company, looked better than they did throughout Monday's performance." She concluded in her review, "It's a love letter to these dancers and to the art of ballet itself."[4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Sulcas, Roslyn (5 February 2015). "New Leaders at Paris Opera Unveil an Ambitious Future". New York Times.
  2. ^ a b c d e Cappelle, Laura (6 July 2016). "William Forsythe, Paris Opera Ballet — 'Spectacular'". Financial Times.
  3. ^ a b c Sulcas, Roslyn (1 March 2019). "William Forsythe: 'Isn't Ballet Delightful?'". New York Times.
  4. ^ a b c d e Sulcas, Roslyn (5 July 2016). "Review: William Forsythe's Wonderful Love Letter to Ballet". New York Times.
  5. ^ Seibert, Brian (8 March 2019). "Review: William Forsythe Brings a New Playlist to Boston". New York Times.
  6. ^ Garcia, Maria (7 March 2019). "William Forsythe's Radical Idea: Combine Classical Ballet With Pop And Make The Audience Dance". WBUR.
  7. ^ Laubacher, Kyra (7 June 2021). "8 Online Performances to Catch in June". Pointe Magazine.
  8. ^ Howard, Rachel (4 February 2022). "Review: William Forsythe work explodes dance prejudices at S.F. Ballet". San Francisco Chronicle.
  9. ^ Guerreino, Teresa (30 March 2021). "English National Ballet 2021/22 Season". Culture Whisper.
  10. ^ Cappelle, Laura (15 June 2023). "Dutch National Ballet goes for broke with exhilarating Forsythe triple bill — review". Financial Times.
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