The rich language of a Shakespeare play can pose a challenge for even the most veteran of thespians, but to replace the Bards famous words with human movement presents a whole other test of creativity.
Vancouver-based dancer/choreographer Crystal Pite was up to the task. In her latest full-length work, , staged by her contemporary dance company , Pite has created a visually unique performance based on motifs from Shakespeares classic tale of vengeance and forgiveness.
[Pite] was looking for a script that she could use to challenge herself as a choreographer, said Kidd Pivot dancer Eric Beauchesne. She found [The Tempest] very interesting in terms of characters; she saw almost the same people that she had in her company in the play.
Beauchesne plays the magic-wielding protagonist, Prospero, and six other dancers round out the cast.
The Tempest Replica had its world premier in October, 2011 at the K眉nstlerhaus Mousonturm in Frankfurt where Kidd Pivot was in residence for two years. The troupe returns to home base this weekend for the 麻豆传媒映画d茅but.
Beauchesne says those familiar with the original Shakespeare play will recognize the fundamental elements of the story in the narrative dance adaptation.
The main plot points of The Tempest are there; the epilogue is there; the tension between revenge and compassion and forgiveness is there, he said.
Kidd Pivot retells the early-seventeenth-century story in two visually distinct parts. In the first half, which, much like the play, opens with a shipwreck, the dancers wear faceless, chalk-white suits. Beauchesne describes this segment as an etherial neopantomime that employs simple body language to deliver the essential plot points of the story.
Its almost like a little model of the piece at first, with puppet-like looking dancers that have no face, he said.
In the second part, the dancers change into street clothes and the emotion and tension of the characters is palpable.
The aesthetic of the movement is very lush and powerful and articulated and very passionate, said Beauchesne, explaining that the plays timeless themes of revenge, compassion, virtue and forgiveness maintain their relevance in todays urban society.
To give depth to the choreography and help the audience follow the action, The Tempest Replica makes use of multimedia tools a projection screen, video clips, and some written text.
And much like The Tempest, which is regarded as Shakespeares final play, this most recent Kidd Pivot work will be the companys last production before taking a hiatus.
The Tempest Replica is at the 麻豆传媒映画Playhouse on Friday, Nov. 9 and Saturday, Nov. 10 at 8 pm. Tickets at .
