Mozart à 2 / Don Juan
Director: Thierry Malandain
Music by: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart / Christoph Willibald Gluck

“Plot”:
Thierry Malandain choreographed two different ballets for one show: in the first half, we got to see five pas de deux, dancing to piano concertos by Mozart. In the second half, Malandain told the story of Don Juan to the music by Christoph Willibald Gluck.

Even though I love dancing and the ballet, I am not really an expert on any of it. But I found both parts of the evening really nice, classic ballet with a modern twist.

The first part consisted of five couples dancing five different relationships. And while both the dance moves and the music was very classic, it got a distinctly modern dynamic. On the one hand, that was due to the relationships portrayed that were set in scene in a modern way. I mean, there were certainly abusive relationships when Mozart was alive, too. But the way abuse is perceived and represented has changed – and Malandain sticks with the modern version.

On the other hand, the minimalistic setting – basically just a colored background – and costumes – only fleshcolored and no frills – reinforced that modern feeling, transforming the display almost in a shadow dance. And that made it quite mesmerizing.

The second part of the night – Don Juan – was much more opulent in comparison, with more elaborate costumes and more dancers. But here, too, were interspersed minimalistic elements: the stage design, for example, basically only consisted of triangular tables that were used as setting and props in various ways. Another example would be that about half of Juan’s admirers where male dancers in drag.

I have to admit that I’m only vaguely aware of the story of Don Juan (mostly what I gleaned from Don Juan de Marco, tbh), and not at all of Gluck’s version of it. But I think I got the general gist of it anyway. And also the symbolic parts that I didn’t understand so well, were at least really nice to look at, so I didn’t mind that at all.

Summarizing: a really nice evening, if you like ballet.