Snow White – Ballet Preljocaj
This lush, full-length story ballet from France’s greatest contemporary ballet company features massive sets, the magnificent excess of Gustav Mahler’s symphonies performed by the Queensland Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Johannes Fritzsch, and an all-star roster of French artists including set design by Thierry Leproust, and costumes by legendary Haute Couture designer Jean Paul Gaultier.
Hailed by audiences and critics for its entrancing choreography and stunning beauty, Ballet Preljocaj’s contemporary retelling of Snow White makes its Australian debut, exclusive to Brisbane.
Choreographer Angelin Preljocaj conjures spectacular imagery from the original Brothers Grimm fairy tale of 1812, set around the innocence of a character with ‘skin as white as snow, lips as red as blood, and hair as black as ebony’ pitted against the envy, deceit and obsession of her stepmother Queen. It’s a story that has inspired countless pop-culture interpretations for film, television, music, and dance.
“In the choreographer's naturalistic and messy world, humans are crude, naive, joyous, sexual and violent, in equal doses. It's part-Pieter Bruegel, part-Henri Rousseau and, at its most edgy, part-Quentin Tarantino.” (The Los Angeles Times)
“…utterly beguiling charm. Preljocaj's choreographic imagination steals over you. His movements give a freshly vivid inflection to his characters: the teasing, nuzzling nature spirits; the evil, fluid cats who prowl around the stepmother's feet; the forest deer, whose slow, jointed gait creates an almost pixelated effect. Especially brilliant are the seven dwarves. Their entrance is a showstopper.” (The Guardian)
The story of Snow White is a Festival Focus, so also take a look at two other brilliant presentations - the new bloody reimagining from Brisbane Festival, La Boite and Opera Queensland, and over at GOMA the stunning Disney animation and the silent film that inspired it.
Video
Snow White - Ballet Preljocaj is part of the Festival Focus. Click here to take part in the Festival Conversation about Snow White and The Little Mermaid.
CHOREOGRAPHER: ANGELIN PRELJOCAJ

In 1980, he went to New York after which he resumed his studies in France before founding his own company in December 1984. His productions are now part of the repertoire of many companies, many of which also commission original production from him, notably La Scala of Milan, the New York City Ballet and the Paris Opera Ballet.
Since October 2006, the Ballet Preljocaj and its permanent dancers have resided at the Pavillon Noir in Aix-en-Provence, a building entirely dedicated to dance, with Angelin Preljocaj as its artistic director.
costume designer: JEAN PAUL GAULTIER

Known as the "enfant terrible of French fashion", he has continually revolutionised fashion – with recycled fashion in 1980 (car leather and cans turned into clothing and jewellery), the Corset Dress in 1983, and the skirt for men two years later.
His triumphant success allows him to continue his fight against the barriers of race and geography and against intolerance. The themes of his collections underline his ambition to mix genres and break rules: La concierge est dans l'escalier, Les Rock-Stars, Une garde-robe pour 2, Black Beauties and Barbes.
In 1997, he fulfilled his childhood dream by presenting his first haute couture collection and founding Haute Couture Gaultier Paris.
SET DESIGN: THIERRY LEPROUST

Since 1975, he has regularly exhibited his visual art in France and abroad where his works form part of a number of public and private collections. He has already produced the settings for many creations by Angelin Preljocaj: Amer America (1990), La Peau du Monde (1992), Le Parc (1994),L'Anoure and L'Oiseau de feu (1995), Casanova (1998), Le Sacre du printemps (2001),Le Songe de Médée (2004).
Music composition: Gustav Mahler
Music performed by: Queensland Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Johannes Fritzsch

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