MILAN, ITALY — Following the Lander, Kylian, and Béjart Triptych presented earlier in Spring, the journey that engaged dancers and audiences in the creativity of 20th-century masters will continue with an evening of works from William Forsythe and The Blake Works, which in 2023 saw La Scala’s Corps de Ballet become part of the creative development of the choreographer.
In November, the highly anticipated return of this production—characterised by a profound sense of freedom, dynamism, and joy in overcoming one’s limits—will see all artists recognised in the work done with Forsythe. To crown this project and explore this thread of expression is the work of British composer James Blake, which began in 2016.
Said Ramos Ponce and Francesco Mascia Prologue. Photograph: Brescia e Amisano ©Teatro alla Scala (2023)
What’s more, the Milanese Company has become the protagonist of a new creative venture: a complete immersion in Forsythe’s style, which will bring the choreographic elements of Prologue, The Barre Project, and Blake Works I to the stage. This project began with Blake Works I, created for the Paris Opera Ballet in 2016; each of the four subsequent Blake Works was a unique project, with different musical selections, choreography, and ensemble sizes with which Forsythe worked.
The production for La Scala was the first complete version of this work, conceived by Forsythe as a suite of ballets based on pieces by James Blake, spanning his career from the beginning to more recent compositions. A composer, the choreographer himself pointed out, with a solid foundation in classical studies, revealing extraordinary and sophisticated counterpoints and harmonies, capable of ranging with ease between structures close to the great classical ballet compositions and more contemporary genres.
Arduino Martina. Photograph: Brescia e Amisano ©Teatro alla Scala (2023)
The evening opens with Prologue, an overture created with La Scala dancers to the song Lindisfarne I, repeated several times throughout the work and brought forth with a different choreographic interpretation. The first part of the evening continues with The Barre Project, conceived at the height of the pandemic as a tribute to the legions of dancers who tried to maintain their professional skills by exercising at home.
Created with Tiler Peck, Lex Ishimoto, Brooklyn Mack, and Roman Mejia, it was filmed and broadcast in 2021 via streaming to a global audience, addressing the restrictions on live performance at that time.
The programme closes with Blake Works I, based on seven tracks from Blake’s album The Colour in Anything.
by Chidozie Obasi