Details

Rubies was first performed by the Company in 2005, year of its triumphant return to at the Edinburgh International Festival. Taken from legendary American choreographer George Balanchine’s full-length work Jewels, which was inspired by New York jeweller Claude Arpel, Rubies is one of Balanchine’s most delectable creations. Containing stunning and virtuosic dance reminiscent of his choreography for Broadway and Hollywood Rubies is at once glamorous and exciting. The dancers are adorned in dazzling bejewelled costumes and perform energetic choreography to the angular, jazz-tinged music of Igor Stravinsky. Choreographed by William Forsythe, WorkwithinWork is the second Forsythe work to be added to Scottish Ballet’s repertoire following critically acclaimed performances of his Artifact Suite. WorkwithinWork is steeped in the beautiful slow-building arch of Berio’s Duetti for two violins. The choreography embraces the space of an open stage; beautifully winding and branching out in ever-increasing complexity. As an American working internationally for the last thirty years, William Forsythe is recognised as one of the world’s foremost choreographers. His work is celebrated for pushing the concepts of ballet into a dynamic 21st-century art form. Inspired by a range of Baroque dances and painters, including Michelangelo, Vermeer and Rembrandt, In Light and Shadow juxtaposes contemporary lines with the rich and celebratory music of Bach. Beginning with a delicate, reflective duet to the Aria from Bach’s Goldberg Variations, the ballet opens out into a rich tapestry of explosive solos, duets and ensemble work set to Bach’s Third Orchestral Suite. Pastor himself describes the piece as a suite of dances inspired by the spirit of the era and as detailed as Michelangelo’s famous Sistine Chapel Frescos which celebrates the contrast between light and shadow. Scottish Ballet website.

Creatives/Company

Company: Scottish Ballet
Corporate Sponsor(s): Adam and Comany, Hamilton and Inches
Choreographer(s): George Balanchine (Rubies), William Forsythe (Workwithin Work), Krzysztof Pastor (In Light and Shadow)
Music(s): Igor Stravinsky (Rubies), Luciano Berio (Workwithin Work), Johann Sebastian Bach (In Light and Shadow)
Lighting: Bert Dalhuysen (In Light and Shadow)
Design: Tatyana van Walsum (In Light and Shadow)