EDUCATION Education RESOURCE rnzb.org.nz facebook.com/nzballet , with L ARLESIENNE SUPPORTED BY NATIONAL TOURING SUPPORTING EDUCATION PARTNER Introduction Carmen with l’Arlésienne, two landmark works of 20th century by French master-choreographer Roland Petit, is a programme that the Royal New Zealand Ballet is immensely proud to share with New Zealanders. These two iconic works are new to the RNZB’s repertoire, and it is a privilege to bring them to audiences in Auckland, Blenheim, Christchurch, Dunedin, Invercargill, Napier, Palmerston North, Rotorua and Wellington this summer – a high energy start to the RNZB’s performing year. As well as a wide range of insights related to the production, this resource includes a collection of cross-curricular activities to introduce you and your students to the dramatic and passionate world of Carmen. Contents Carmen with L’Arlésienne curriculum links 3 Origins 4 Ballet timeline of Carmen 6 Two ballets by Roland Petit; Carmen and L’Arlésienne 7 The Story of L’Arlésienne and Carmen 9 Music 10 Production 11 Activity: L’Arlésienne 17 Activity: Carmen 18 2 ©RNZB FEBRUARY 2017 Carmen with L’Arlésienne curriculum links In this unit you and your students will: Learning objectives for • Learn about the elements that come Levels 7 & 8 together to create a ballet experience. Level 7 students will learn how to: • Identify the processes involved in making a • Understand dance in context – Investigate theatrical production. and evaluate the effects of individual, social, cultural, and technological influences on the development of a variety of dance genres Curriculum links in this unit and styles. Values • Develop practical knowledge – Extend Students will be encouraged to value: skills in the vocabulary, practices and • Innovation, inquiry and curiosity, by thinking technologies of selected dance genres and critically, creatively and reflectively. styles. • Diversity, as found in our different cultures • Communicate and interpret – Analyse, and heritages. explain and discuss aspects of performance and choreography in a range of dance • Community and participation for the works. common good. Level 8 students will learn how to: • Understand dance in context – Investigate, Key competencies analyse, and discuss the features, history, • Using language, symbols and text – issues, and development of dance in New Students will recognise how choices of Zealand, including the contribution of language and symbols in live theatre affect selected individuals and groups. people’s understanding and the ways in • Develop practical knowledge – Extend which they respond. and refine skills, practices, and use of • Relating to others – Students will develop technologies in a range of dance genres and the ability to listen actively and share ideas styles. regarding theatrical ballet performances. • Communicate and interpret – Critically • Participating and contributing – Students analyse, interpret, and evaluate the artistic will be actively involved in their cultural features and the communication of ideas in community, understanding the importance a range of dance works. of creative environments. • Thinking – Students will reflect on their NCEA own thinking and learning after the personal experience of attending a live theatre show. Carmen with L’Arlésienne, and the use of this resource, is ideal for NCEA level dance teachers and students who are learning to analyse and appreciate a dance performance. ©RNZB FEBRUARY 2017 3 Origins Carmen is an iconic female character, synonymous with independence, fearlessness and the power of seduction. Carmen revels in her sensuality and the freedom to make her own choices. Whatever the claims made on her body, her heart and mind are her own. Literature Carmen first appeared in a novella written by the French writer and historian, Prosper Merimée (1803 – 1870), in 1845. The story was inspired by a trip to Spain that Merimée had made as a young man, and tells of Carmen, a beautiful gypsy woman, and her jealous lover, Don José. In Merimée’s version, the story is told to the author by Don José on the night before his execution for the murder of Carmen. Don José was a soldier, but deserts after becoming involved with Carmen, whom he has fallen in love with after arresting her for fighting in the cigarette factory where she works. He later joins her band of gypsy smugglers and kills Carmen’s husband in a knife fight. Carmen and Don José marry but she continues to consort with other men, including a successful young picador, and Don José is consumed with jealousy. Don José stabs Carmen to death and then gives himself up to the police, knowing that he will be sentenced to death. 4 ©RNZB FEBRUARY 2017 Opera Ballet Georges Bizet was commissioned to compose The story of Carmen, and especially its iconic a full length opera for the Opéra Comique heroine, has also inspired many dance works, in 1873. After several suggestions from the of which Roland Petit’s 1949 ballet is the theatre’s management, which the composer most enduring. It was premiered by Petit rejected, Bizet suggested Merimée’s novella and his company ‘Les Ballets de Paris’ at the as a suitable scenario for the new opera Prince's Theatre in London on 21 February which, as was always the case at the Opéra 1949.This version is in five scenes and offers Comique, would include spoken dialogue a striking mix of classical ballet, Spanish- as well as singing. The opera had a long style movement, mime, and freshly invented gestation, with the theatre’s management dramatic dance action. at times being very uncomfortable with Get a glimpse of Roland Petit as Don José and its risqué subject, and then difficulties in his wife as Carmen dancing the famous Pas finding a singer-actress who could portray de deux : the title role. The premiere took place at the Opéra Comique on 3 March 1875, and was a https://www.youtube.com/ moderate success. The critics were divided, watch?v=9n1xS1u5ZLo in part because nothing like Carmen had been seen on the operatic stage before. It was not a mythological music-drama, like Wagner, and it was not a lavish spectacle like the works of Massenet or Gounod. The ‘amoral’ heroine and the low life setting disgusted some critics. After 33 performances, Carmen was not seen in Paris again until 1883. Outside Paris, it was a different story, with productions of Carmen soon seen in Vienna, Brussels, London and New York. By the time of the Opéra Comique revival in 1883, Carmen had entered the repertoire of opera houses throughout Europe and the Americas, and has continued to be one of the most frequently-staged and popular works in the operatic canon. Carmen rehearsal with Peter Schaufuss and Susan O'Gan, Berlin Opera Ballet, 1995 RP PRIVATE ARCHIVES ©RNZB FEBRUARY 2017 5 Ballet timeline of Carmen 1845 Carmen first appears in 1800 Prosper Merimée’s novella 1875 First performance of Bizet’s 1900 Carmen Opera in Paris 1949 Premiere of Roland Petit’s Carmen ballet in London 1953 Poul Gnatt (1923 – 1995) founds Poul Gnatt the Royal New Zealand Ballet (RNZB) 1967 Russian composer Rodion Shchedrin writes his Carmen Suite, using Bizet’s music and scenario but orchestrated for strings and percussion 1967 Cuban choreographer Alberto Alonso creates Carmen Suite, a one-act ballet using Rodion Shchedrin music arrangement 1976 The RNZB performs Philip Charfield’s Carmen choreography on Rodion Shchedrin music score 1992 New Carmen ballet by Swedish choreographer Mats Ek premiered by the Cullberg Ballet in Norsberg, Stockholm 1999 Dutch choreographer Didy Veldman creates a full-length dance theatre version of Carmen for the Northern Ballet in the UK 2000 2002 the RNZB performs the Carmen ballet of Didy Veldman 2010 the RNZB restages Didy Veldman’s Carmen ballet 2017 New Zealand premieres of Roland RNZB Carmen ballet 2010 Petit’s Carmen and L’Arlésienne ballets by the RNZB 6 ©RNZB FEBRUARY 2017 Two ballets by Roland Petit; Carmen and L’Arlésienne Choreography ROLAND PETIT Music GEORGES BIZET Staging LUIGI BONINO, with GILLIAN WHITTINGHAM Lighting JEAN-MICHEL DÉSIRÉ Set design (L’Arlésienne) RENÉ ALLIO Costume design (L’Arlésienne) CHRISTINE LAURENT Set and costume design (Carmen) ANTONI CLAVÉ help of his father, founded Les Ballets des ROLAND PETIT Champs-Elysées, creating ballets like Les (1924 – 2011) Forains and Le Rendez-vous, soon followed by his landmark Le Jeune Homme et la Mort. Despite his young age, Petit was already demonstrating his uniquely theatrical vision of ballet, to which he remained faithful throughout his life. In 1949, he created Carmen, in London, with dancer Renée (‘Zizi’) Jeanmaire (b. 1924) in the title role and with himself as Don José. Jeanmaire and Petit had first met as students at the Paris Opéra Ballet; they went on to marry in 1954 and were lifelong artistic "The work of Roland Petit is a crucial collaborators. link in the chain of the development of By the early 50s, his career was becoming dance theatre and story ballets around increasingly international as more ballet the world." companies around the world asked him to MIKHAIL BARYSHNIKOV, 1997 stage his ballets including Carmen. As for his L’Arlésienne ballet, it was created in 1974 for Born in Villemomble, outside Paris, Roland the Ballets de Marseille which became the Petit entered the School of the Paris Opéra Ballets National de Marseille-Roland Petit in Ballet in 1933 at the age of nine. In less than 1981. a decade, he became a member of the Paris Alongside his works for Marseille, Roland Opéra corps de ballet before to be promoted Petit created new works for other companies to the rank of sujet (soloist) at the Paris including the Paris Opéra Ballet, American Opéra Ballet. Ballet Theatre, the Staatsoper and Deutsch At the age of just 20 Petit decided to leave Oper of Berlin and the Teatro alla Scala.