Dionysos (suite)
Dionysos (suite), a spirited celebration of life
« A Greek tells the myth of Dionysus, his miraculous birth and furious dance in which Greece and the Middle East meet on the Passage to India ».
Created in Milan, the ballet « Dionysos » (1984) was immediately modified and strengthened, and its « Suite » established itself as a success as part of the rich Béjartian repertoire. First slow – the « Birth of Tragedy, »… through the tavern scene, the pace increases with the entry of the « Bacchae » and reaches its peak during the sirtaki interpreted by twenty boys, especially due to the dance borrowed from « Golestan ». It is not surprising that the male dancers make more of a contribution than the female dancers: the myth of Dionysus is essentially masculine.
Over the seasons, the ballet evening was left in favour of the « suite ». Béjart placed the action in our times, in a tavern in Athens or Thessaloniki.
Gil Roman, who was the in original cast, has used his memory to reconstruct the intentions of the ballet. Of the six original paintings of Japanese artist Tadanori Yokoo that served as the backdrop, two were retained. Béjart deemed that « from these pictorial compositions emerged a true choreography that was reflected in the dancers ».
The costumes by Gianni Versace – with « Dionysos » marking the beginning of a fruitful collaboration – have left the darkness of storage to rediscover the stage lights.
Costumes, sets, music and especially dancing! « Dionysos (suite) » is a spirited celebration of life in multiple carnal and spiritual dimensions.
(Extracts of Dionysos (suite), a spirited celebration of life, Jean-Pierre Pastori, November 2010)
