Essay 'The Kingdom Of The Shades Pas De Deux'

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In "The Kingdom of the Shades Pas de Deux" from La Bayadère by Marius Petipa, I was shocked to see a minimal set. I did not expect such a bare stage for a major story ballet. I think the minimalism of the stage added to the dance immensely - it allowed the sole focus to be on the dancers and their relationship. Svetlana Zakharova’s effortless extensions add to the ethereal beauty of her role. Her lines are so beautiful, I wrote in my notes that I barely paid any attention to Roberto Bolle because of Zakharova’s trance. I believe this is a compliment to Bolle, being that in this piece, his main role is to support his lost love. Prior to my conversation with Sophie after watching the dance, I was unaware of La Bayadère’s plot, thus I wondered why the dancers’ expressions were sorrowful and blank. Then it clicked. …show more content…

The long ruffled dresses and the vest and tie added greatly to the storyline of the piece. Then, the set caught my attention - I probably did not start watching the actual dancing for quite a bit! I was very intrigued by the set because it is very minimal, yet appears very 3D and has many parts. The dancers who stay still in the background intrigued me. I wondered if they were ever going to move or change. Upon closer inspection, the woman standing by the sitting girls is initially in front of a pole, in the light, but when the camera cuts to a different angle at 6:15, the woman is suddenly behind the pole, in the shadows. The main dancers were so captivating that I did not notice this at all. I wonder if this was intentional or not. One moment I really enjoyed was at 6:52 when the camera follows Martha Graham downstage to a fence. I was not expecting the fence at all. This moment made me curious about how the camerawork of the pieces I will watch throughout the quarter will affect my

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