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Today we complete the critical review of the performances given at the Athens Concert Hall, during the Month of Dance. We present the Lyon Opera Ballet who gave a four programme bill by William Forsythe, Jiri Kylian, Bill T. Jones and Maguy Marin.

It is difficult not to be impressed by Forsythe’s choreographies. However, in “Second Detail”, (the choreography presented at the Athens Concert Hall), the female dancer’s partnering was rather traditional, and the sharpness of the female sexuality as shown by the female dancer standing sur pointes, were both well placed to trick the spectator. Taken together with other aspects of the work such as the speed, angular movements of the body and so on, gave the impression to the less observant in the audience that “it was the best Balanchine ever seen since Balanchine himself”. Further careful examination of these elements though, suggests that things are not what they seem: the ingenious deconstructive approach of the choreographer, quickly put an end to any sense of traditionalist union in the structure of the work (which also impacted on the dance itself) and decorative self sufficiency of the body. His choreography required from the dancers effort and technical excellence in order to execute this kinetically complex and demanding work, while they brought to light important gender issues, a web of power relationships and isolation. Therefore, ballet, in Forsythe’s hands is empowered to comment on contemporary issues, sometimes with the despair and dramatic depth we see in physical theatre or with the cynicism and bitterness of the Dancetheatre. The audience must be very concentrated during a Forsythe performance, as the kinetic combinations change with alarming speed as does the meaning of what is deployed on stage. Otherwise, the spectator loses the option of giving meaning through associations of the action in front of him, thus succumbing only to the superficial attraction of the aesthetic pleasure from the dance movements.

“Petite Mort” by Jiri Kylian, was a small essay on the ethos and the inner self of the human being, given in the quiet and allegorical manner of the modernist tradition. The programme was conceived and executed with musicality and care; it was almost a throwaway to another era during which the preoccupation with the human condition was shown without fail in images that magnified and intensified its tragic side in symbolic stage permutations.

“Soon” by Bill T. Jones was a lyrical, “digestible” work for a couple (boy on boy, girl on girl, boy-girl) set to music by Weil, Williams etc. The audience was presented with the gamut of emotions from interest to understanding to tenderness to intensity, distancing and care. The song lyrics created a special atmosphere which further aided the dynamics of their depiction. “Soon” was simple and easygoing for the best part, it also contained some nice surprises, and the audience loved it.

The last programme by the Lyon Opera Ballet was “Groosland” by Maguy Marin. She uses bodily transformations with the aid of costumes in order to identify a specific social group. These transformations define this group as a marginal “tribe” with an alleged power base which can withstand social norms and is underlined by the change in the image of the body. For some untold reasons the “tribe” never rises, but her force is clear for all to see. In “Grossland” (the country of the fat people) the comic element was more evident that ever. However, the light-hearted atmosphere in Grossland interchanged with bitter innuendo which reminded us of Marin’s previous choreographies. All in all it was an excellent work which meticulously concentrated on the movement of the overweight people but it went on for far longer than the subject matter required.