Sun, Dec. 08, 2024, 6.00 pm - 8.00 pm | Main Stage Premiere

Mixed Bill with works by Aszure Barton and William Forsythe

Slow Burn

Introduction at 5.20 pm

Especially in the context of romantic relationships, the term "slow burn" refers to the slow maturing of deep feelings. Will you take your time to appreciate this evening or are you more of a love-at-first-sight type? Whichever you are, this double bill will most probably make you a believer.

William Forsythe is undisputedly one of the most important dance creators of our time. The reference point and characteristic feature of his "Blake Works V (The Barre Project)" is the eponymous ballet barre placed on stage, which simultaneously creates the illusion of infinity by reaching far into the wings. “The Barre Project” was conceived at the height of the pandemic as an homage to the legions of dancers who, while holding on to any available piece of domestic furniture, attempted to sustain their professional abilities with at-home barre exercises. The piece was created via Zoom meetings and first broadcast in 2021. Since then, this production has inspired a number of adaptations of this work for the stage, including the version which will be performed in Hamburg: "Blake Works V (The Barre Project)". Forsythe's choreography is a must for all fans of classical ballet, as it combines the grace of form and the unbridled joy of dance.

"Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror." This quote by Rainer Maria Rilke fascinates choreographer Aszure Barton due to the connection between the two extremes. Joy and pain are just two sides of the same coin. In her world premiere "Slow Burn" for the Hamburg Ballet, the choreographer places two women at the center, contrasting them with large ensemble scenes. Barton sees wisdom, strength, and patience in older women as an often overlooked force in our society. The dance is set to a new composition for a large orchestra by Ambrose Akinmusire, which will particularly captivate film music fans. For the costumes of "Slow Burn," designer Michelle Jank drew inspiration from the rich opera and ballet stock costumes of the Hamburg State Opera. In line with the concept of "working with what's there," she used discarded costumes and fabrics and transformed them into new creations.

SLOW BURN (World Premiere)
Choreography: Aszure Barton
Music: Ambrose Akinmusire
Set: Aszure Barton, Michelle Jank, Tanja Rühl
Costumes: Michelle Jank
Lighting Design: Tanja Rühl
Dramaturgy: Carmen Kovacs
Conductor: Simon Hewett
Orchestra: Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra

WORLD PREMIERE:
Hamburg Ballet, Hamburg, December 8, 2024

ORIGINAL CAST:
Wise Women: Silvia Azzoni, Madoka Sugai
Joy: Lormaigne Bockmühl
EmpathyDaniele Bonelli
The Allies: Evan L'Hirondelle, Artem Prokopchuk

BLAKE WORKS V (THE BARRE PROJECT)
Choreography: William Forsythe
Music: James Blake
Set: William Forsythe
Costumes: William Forsythe, Howard Merlin
Lighting Design: Tanja Rühl after the Original by Brandon Stirling Baker
Sound: Niels Lanz
Recorded music

WORLD PREMIERE:
May 10, 2023
Ballet Company Teatro alla Scala, Teatro alla Scala, Milan, Italy. Originating from "The Barre Project (Blake Works II)", created and filmed in 2020 for its first broadcast on March 25, 2021, on the CLI Studio Digital Platform www.clistudios.com

PREMIERE IN HAMBURG
Hamburg Ballet, December 8, 2024

ORIGINAL CAST:
Futaba Ishizaki, Anna Laudere, Charlotte Larzelere, Ida Praetorius, Ana Torrequebrada
Joaquin Angelucci, Gabriel Barbosa, Daniele Bonelli, Francesco Cortese, Alessandro Frola, Aleix Martínez, Matias Oberlin, Alexandre Riabko, Moisés Romero, Alexandr Trusch

2 hours | 1 intermission
Part I: 55 minutes, Part 2: 35 minutes