Bout of the Imperfect Pearl
Bout of the Imperfect Pearl
Originally commissioned for Norwegian National Ballet’s Baroque Movements program in 2019, Bout of the Imperfect Pearl explores the duality of a woman's recovery process after being intimately betrayed. Vivaldi’s music is at the heart of the piece, with soundscapes by Jon Balke connecting the four separate classical pieces. The piece unfolds into an abstract story of a woman going through different inner stages of recovering and moving on in her life.
Originally commissioned for Norwegian National Ballet’s Baroque Movements program in 2019, Bout of the Imperfect Pearl explores the duality of a woman's recovery process after being intimately betrayed. Vivaldi’s music is at the heart of the piece, with soundscapes by Jon Balke connecting the four separate classical pieces. The piece unfolds into an abstract story of a woman going through different inner stages of recovering and moving on in her life.
As the baroque period was one of the main inspirations for the piece, Melissa used fencing as one of the bases for the movement vocabulary. Baroque fashion is used as a sort of armor for the main woman, put on as a way to hide from the world and from herself as she goes through her
psychological drama.
As the baroque period was one of the main inspirations for the piece, Melissa used fencing as one of the bases for the movement vocabulary. Baroque fashion is used as a sort of armor for the main woman, put on as a way to hide from the world and from herself as she goes through her psychological drama.
Four men make up the corps de ballet in this piece, representing different images that are meant to stem from the protagonists’ mind. Three woman appear as the lead woman spirals into a
psychological breakdown. They are extensions of herself, parts of her that she doesn’t accept or
value. A dramatic entrance leads into a dual with the 4 women and continues into a ritualistic dance
of self acceptance.
Creative team
Creative team
Choreography and Concept
Melissa Hough
Music
Classical Works by Antonio Vivaldi;
Concerto in E minor,
Cum dederit, Mandoline
Concerto No. 1, Eja Mater
Soundscape by Jon Balke
Costumes
Xavier Ronze
Lighting
Paul Vidar
Choreography and Concept
Melissa Hough
Music
Classical Works by Antonio Vivaldi;
Concerto in E minor,
Cum dederit, Mandoline
Concerto No. 1, Eja Mater
Soundscape by Jon Balke
Costumes
Xavier Ronze
Lighting
Paul Vidar
Dancers
Klara Mårtensson
Erik Murzagavliyev
Georgie Rose
Nae Nishimura
Claire Barrington
Alberto Ballester
Bart Engelen
Francois Rousseau
Kenji Wilkie
Duration
15 minutes
All photos by Erik Berg
See also
Der UteDance
5 BallerinasChoregraphy
Epic ShortChoregraphy
Preludes and ShadowsChoregraphy
Vainglorious in AprilChoregraphy
the third kind [is] uselessChoregraphy
