This hour-long cello and dance performance takes a new look at the canonical work. The performance is an unusual interpretation of Boléro, a piece by the famous French composer Maurice Ravel. The easily recognizable melody and its interpretations are visualized on stage by the choreographer Palle Granhøj, Šeiko Dance Company and the Klaipėda cello octet. Creatively deconstructed, M. Ravel’s music is performed on stage with one, several, or eight cellos at once, giving the music an unexpected and contemporary flair.
Danish choreographer Palle Granhøj works with dancers to create a gallery of portraits depicting discerning personalities, and revealing the unique qualities of each dancer in the troupe, and in this way adding to the musical canvas and interpretation of the performance. Instead of exposing the dancers’ plasticity and the specific characteristics of the choreography, P. Granhøj focuses on showing human nature, and strives to reveal men and women as they are: real, alive, and complex.
Internationally renowned choreographer Palle Granhøj is known for his authorial obstruction technique. It allows the choreographer to transform the dancers’ movements by limiting their actions, thus revealing the inner layers of their personalities. In the last 30 years his collaboration with dancers has resulted in around forty dance performances. P.Granhøj, who often combines the language of contemporary dance with classical music, has produced plays based on the works of Igor Stravinsky (Holy Spring) and Gustav Mahler (2men2mahler and Men & Mahler). P.Granhøj is constantly creating with his Granhøj Dans troupe in Aarhus, and his work has already been performed in 49 countries worldwide.
The Klaipėda Cello Octet was formed in 2017 after debuting at the Klaipėda Cello Festival. The initiator of this debut was Mindaugas Bačkus, one of the most oft-performing cellists in Lithuania and Klaipėda Chamber Orchestra artistic director. His musical interests range from baroque to contemporary opuses, from traditional to experimental cello sound. The Klaipėda Cello Quartet cooperates with the Šeiko Dance Company and has already presented several co-produced dance performances. “Boléro – Extended” is a co-production of Šeiko Dance Company, Klaipėda International Cello Festival and Granhøj Dans.
