Two Thursdays ago, I was invited to the Red Carpet and the Premiere of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens’ new production, Kaguyahime, A Japanese Tale. I brought my father along to the special event as he really enjoys arts, music and dance. After taking a few pictures on the red carpet, we went to the cocktail area where glasses of white and red wine as well as little bouchées were offered, and we finally headed to the parterre of Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier at the Place des Arts.
Kaguyahime tells the story of a young girl found and raised by a bamboo cutter. As she grows up, the young woman becomes the object of admiration of the men in her village – all covet her for her magnificent beauty. From courtships to fights and wars, the entire village and even the Emperor himself will try to own her – in vain. Kaguyahime is the princess of the moon, symbol of spiritual purity. Elusive, she only came to earth to bring peace and love before leaving back to the moon.
This production is a wonderful fusion of contemporary ballet and traditional Japanese music – an extraordinary union of the Orient and Occident cultures. Jiří Kylián’s scenography and Maki Ishii’s composition were simply beautiful. Kylián’s modern adaptation of the Japanese tale features a scene where refined aesthetics and enchanted décor and lighting games evoke a mystical world. This ballet brings together on stage 22 dancers as well as 18 musicians from Japanese Kodo and Gagaku ensembles.
The fighting and the war scenes were the most impressive. The entire acts were punctuated by the Kodo ensemble and complemented by the Grand Ballets’ orchestra. A sceries of solos and duets also beautifully reflected the personality of the ballet’s key figures during the entire evening.
Kaguyahime is a tale where grace and brute force come together to give birth to dynamic, complex and yet very elegant figures and gestures. Kaguyahime is imbued with Japanese culture, traditions and poetry. The production will run until October 30th. You can visit Les Grands Ballets Canadiens’ website for more information or for tickets.
Photo credits: Les Grands ballets Canadiens / With All My Affection
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