Boléro

About

The program is a triptych presenting three choreographic highlights from recent Royal Ballet Flanders seasons. It opens with Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s Fall, set to music by Arvo Pärt, a multi-section piece that uses stage elements like white cloth walls and atmospheric lighting to create shifting textures and interplay among the ensemble. The second work, Martha Graham’s Chronicle, focuses on the power and resilience of a female protagonist confronted by mass forces. The choreography foregrounds the solo part and confrontational group passages, featuring original lighting by Jean Rosenthal and costumes by Martha Graham herself. The triptych closes with Maurice Béjart’s staging of Ravel’s Boléro. In this world-famous choreography, a single soloist performs an extended, physically exacting central role on a raised platform while a chorus of male dancers articulates the rhythmic drive around them. The production merges three distinct choreographic languages to showcase the company’s range.