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Education EDUCATION RESOURCE rnzb.org.nz ANDONIS FONIADAKIS WILLIAM FORSYTHE ALEXANDER EKMAN SELON DÉSIR IN THE MIDDLE, CACTI SOMEWHAT ELEVATED SUPPORTED BY NATIONAL TOURING PARTNER SUPPORTING EDUCATION IN ASSOCIATION WITH IN ASSOCIATION WITH Introduction Speed of Light, three captivating international contemporary classics by Andonis Foniadakis, William Forsythe and Alexander Ekman, is a programme that the Royal New Zealand Ballet is immensely proud to share with New Zealanders. All three works are new to the RNZB’s repertoire, and it is a privilege to bring them to audiences in Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin this summer – a high energy start to the RNZB’s performing year. Contents CURRICULUM 3 SELON DÉSIR – NEW ZEALAND PREMIERE 4 IN THE MIDDLE, SOMEWHAT ELEVATED 9 CACTI – NEW ZEALAND PREMIERE 13 ACTIVITIES FOR SPEED OF LIGHT SELON DÉSIR 18 IN THE MIDDLE, SOMEWHAT ELEVATED 20 CACTI 21 PHOTO CREDITS: Selon désir and In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated photos by Bill Cooper Cacti photos by Rahi Rezvani, courtesy of NDT2 2 ©RNZB February 2016 Curriculum In this unit you and your students will: Learning Objectives for • Learn about the elements that come Levels 7 & 8 together to create a theatrical ballet experience. Level 7 students will learn how to: • Identify the processes involved in • Understand dance in context – making a theatre production. Investigate and evaluate the effects of individual, social, cultural, and technological influences on the Curriculum links in this unit development of a variety of dance genres and styles. Values • Develop practical knowledge – Students will be encouraged to value: Extend skills in the vocabulary, • Innovation, inquiry and curiosity, practices, and technologies of selected by thinking critically, creatively and dance genres and styles. reflectively. • Communicate and interpret – • Diversity, as found in our different Analyse, explain, and discuss aspects cultures and heritages. of performance and choreography in a • Community and participation for the range of dance works. common good. Level 8 students will learn how to: Key competencies • Understand dance in context – Investigate, analyse, and discuss • Using language, symbols and text – the features, history, issues, and Students will recognise how choices of development of dance in New Zealand, language and symbols in live theatre including the contribution of selected affect people’s understanding and the individuals and groups. ways in which they respond. • Develop practical knowledge – • Relating to others – Students will Extend and refine skills, practices, and develop the ability to listen actively and use of technologies in a range of dance share ideas regarding theatrical ballet genres and styles. performances. • Communicate and interpret – Critically • Participating and contributing – analyse, interpret, and evaluate the Students will be actively involved in artistic features and the communication their cultural community, understanding of ideas in a range of dance works. the importance of creative environments. • Thinking – Students will reflect on their NCEA own thinking and learning after the Speed of Light, and the use of this personal experience of attending a live resource, is ideal for NCEA Dance teachers theatre show. and students who are learning to analyse and appreciate a dance performance. ©RNZB February 2016 3 SELON DÉSIR New Zealand Premiere CHOREOGRAPHY AND DESIGN Andonis Foniadakis Andonis Foniadakis Andonis COMPOSITION AND SOUND DESIGN Foniadakis, native Julien Tarride to Greece, began LIGHTING DESIGN his dance training Jason Morphett at the local dance school in his REHEARSAL ASSISTANT hometown, prior Harris Gkekas to studying at the State Dance School of Athens. The Royal New Zealand Ballet A recipient of first performed Selon désir in the prestigious Maria Callas scholarship, November 2015 as part of a he continued his studies in Rudra Béjart contemporary mixed programme Lausanne, in Switzerland, until 1994. presented in Leeds, Canterbury, During his successful dancing career, London and Rome. Foniadakis performed with four major companies: Béjart Ballet Lausanne (1994- 1996), Lyon Opera Ballet (1996-2002), Saburo Teshigawara / Karas Co. (2004), as well as with his own dance company, Apotosoma. As a freelance choreographer he has collaborated with many dance companies around the globe; National Ballet of Greece, Sydney Dance Company, Lyon Opera Ballet, Ballet Jazz de Montreal, Maggio Danza, National Dance Company of Wales, Dansgroep Amsterdam, Cia Sociedade Masculina Brazil, Helsinki Dance Company Finland, Washington Ballet and Copenhagen International Dance amongst others. 4 ©RNZB February 2016 Immensely versatile, in addition to creating Music and performing, Foniadakis established his own dance company Apotosoma in 2003, Julien Tarride collaborated as a movement coordinator Born in France in with Darren Aronofsky on his new film 1979, composer NOAH and has been commissioned to and visual artist choreograph for three major opera Julien Tarride productions. studied at the École Nationale “Selon désir [‘according to desire’], Supérieure des premiered by the Ballet du Grand Théâtre Beaux-arts in de Genève in February 2004, attempts Lyon, and at the to tap into the structures of the opening Conservatoire de choruses of both the St Matthew and St Musique de Lyon, John Passions for the inspiration of its winning the Prix Linoissier, the school’s movements and interactions. The idea of first prize for fine art, in 2002. From Heaven and Earth, as well as the pictorial 2004 – 2006 he undertook additional representations of faith, martyrdom, studies at the Studio National des Arts agony and ecstasy found in Renaissance Contemporains du Fresnoy in Tourcoing. paintings, brings me to juxtapose His works combine performing arts the elevation of the heavenly spirit, with technologies such as music and synonymous with lightness and fluidity, computer-generated scores as well as with the earthly energy represented by the video and 3D computer-based images, and bodies intertwined with each other, and his music is mostly inspired by classical perhaps even with visions of Hell.” and contemporary music, French musique –– ANDONIS FONIADAKIS concrète and American repetitive music. Since 2002, Julien Tarride has worked as a composer and stage designer for the choreographer Andonis Foniadakis, with whom he has a long-standing and close working relationship. ©RNZB February 2016 5 Composition “The recordings of the St Matthew and Following the electronic introduction St John Passions by the Bach Collegium and the opening chorus of the St Japan, under the direction of Masaaki Matthew Passion, an electronic transition Suzuki, were probably the best sound section leads into a further electronic quality we could find when we made introduction to the opening chorus of the Selon désir using this magisterial work of St John Passion. In the end, this work is art. The interpretation of Maestro Suzuki a succession of four introductions that was so beautiful, precise and clear, that (I hope) will bring us close to the work it enabled me to construct a great multi of Bach, with the great help of Andonis track mix as part of the performance. The Foniadakis and all the dancers.” staging includes 16 speakers moving up –– JULIEN TARRIDE and down above the dancers throughout the work. At the premiere at the Grand Théâtre de Genève in 2004, the sound of the orchestra, and the instruments were split by frequencies all over the stage, front, back and sides, together with the moving speakers. In addition to Bach’s music, I composed an introduction for Selon désir. My intention was to give the audience entering into the world of Bach the incredible impression, when it begins after electronic sounds, that Bach’s music is still powerfully contemporary and compelling. 6 ©RNZB February 2016 Production Over the years he has toured all over the world with shows as diverse as The Staging Chemical Brothers in New York, Holiday on Unlike other performances, which Ice throughout Europe, CA Awards Show at generally use wings, all three works of the Pyramids in Egypt, Birmingham Royal the Speed of Light programme are using Ballet in New York and Royal Galas at pan masking, which runs up and down London’s Ritz Hotel, in the presence of Her the stage. Majesty the Queen. Each piece has its own scenic elements; He is currently dividing his time between Selon désir has some flying speakers, running the lighting departments of In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated has New Zealand Opera and his own design two small cherries, and Cacti has wooden company, Three Seven Design Ltd as boxes, cacti and a roll of white dance floor. well as teaching lighting design at Te Whaea: the New Zealand National Dance and Drama Centre. Previously for RNZB Lighting he has designed Dear Horizon, Salute, Jason Morphett Passchendaele, Coppélia, Of Days, The Anatomy of a Passing Cloud, Verge, Jason Morphett’s Si Superias and Equisses. professional career started in The design was created in close London’s West conjunction with Adonis, the End, London’s choreographer, during the RNZB’s recent theatre land, UK and Italy tour. during his college The piece has four distinct sections; the years. He soon start, as a single dancer arrives in the graduated from world of the piece via a corridor of light follow spot and as she turns upstage we build through operator to into the world proper. The second section charge hand electrician to programmer, is a mixture of duets and ensemble