Matthew Bourne, one of the most respected choreographers from the United Kingdom will be performing an alternative version of the classic ballet by Tchaikovsky on 19, 20, 21 and 22 November at the Teatro Real.
With his dance company, New Adventures, Bourne has updated this performance in order to connect with a new generation of dancers and audiences. Therefore, the swans are performed by a bare-chested male ballet corps, subverting one of the icons of ballet blanc, while rewriting the myth in the form of desire and liberation.
In this adaptation, the main character is a repressed and lonely prince, trapped in a cold environment, controlled by a distant mother, the queen. Instead of falling in love with a swan princess, he is fascinated by a male swan, a symbol of freedom and self-discovery. The swan plays a dual role: it is also the Black Swan/Seduction, a dark and ambiguous figure who confronts him emotionally and sexually. In the end, the story is not about breaking a magical spell, but rather an inner psychological journey. This generates a tragedy regarding sentimental repression, a search for true love and the impossibility of escaping his own pain.
Born in London (United Kingdom) in 1960, Matthew Bourne is a choreographer and director known for reinventing ballet classics and musical theatre with a contemporary and provocative approach. He started his dance training at the Laban Centre at the age of 22 and in 1987, he founded his own company: Adventures in Motion Pictures, which was later renamed as New Adventures. He rose to international fame with his version of Swan Lake in 1995. Since then, he has developed innovative adaptations of works such as Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, The Nutcracker and Romeo and Juliet, always with an original and psychological outlook.
Artistic File:
- Music - Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
- Director and Choreographer - Matthew Bourne
- Stage Design and Wardrobe - Lez Brotherston
- Lighting - Paule Constable
- Sound - Ken Hampton
- Video and Projections - Duncan McLean
- Assistant Artistic Director - Etta Murfitt
- In-House Assistant Director - Neil Westmoreland
