The Nutcracker
New version
Ballet in two acts
Piotr Ilitch Tchaïkovski music
Kader Belarbi choreography and staging
Anthony Rouchier composition and arrangements
Laure Muret assistant to the choreographer
Antoine Fontaine sets
Lola Sergent assistant to the sets
Philippe Guillotel costumes
Hervé Gary lights
New production
Duration : 2h10
Act I : 45 min.
Interval : 30 min.
Act II : 55 min.
At night, every child dreams that his toys have secret lives tinged with mischief and amusement. In this version of Kader Belarbi, on Tchaikovsky’s score, the closed world of the boarding school (Act I) opposes the doors of the dream, which open in Act II.
As in Hoffmann's tale, Drosselmeyer is a double character. Director of a boarding school and magician sorcerer, he orchestrates real and imaginary worlds. Through the regions of dark and fairy, children brave the forbidden, hunt night fears, feel their first emotions, share the ordeals and dream the wonderful. The young heroine Marie takes her Nutcracker and the Famous Five off towards a great adventure.
In astonishing and fantastic sets and costumes by Antoine Fontaine and Philippe Guillotel, playing between the shadows and lights of Hervé Gary, Kader Belarbi invites us to revive the wonders of childhood during this festive Christmas season.
Don Quichotte
Ballet in a prologue and four acts premiered in Moscow at the Bolshoi Theater, December 14th 1869, in a choreography by Marius Petipa
Libretto by Marius Petipa from the Miguel de Cervantes’ novel, El Ingenioso Hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha
New version in a prologue and three acts
Ludwig Minkus music
Kader Belarbi choreography and staging
Emilio Carcano sets
Sophie Kitching assistant to the set designer
Joop Stokvis costumes
Vinicio Cheli lights
Ballet du Capitole
Kader Belarbi direction
Duration - 2h 35
Act I - 50 min.
Interval - 20 min.
Act II - 40 min.
Interval - 15 min.
Act III - 30 min.
The plot of Don Quixote focuses on the thwarted love affairs of the beautiful Kitri and her lover Basilio, with moments of bravery and humorous scenes. In his new version in a prologue and three acts, Kader Belarbi wants to put back in their proper place the eponymous hero of these adventures, the Knight of the Sorrowful Countenance, and his faithful squire Sancho Panza.
Inspired by some vivid episodes of the novel by Cervantes, the choreographer invites us to follow in delusions of grandeur, between real and imaginary, the traces of Don Quixote, helmet tied up and lance in hand, riding his steed Rocinante. And as Sancho Panza says, « it is with crickets in the head » that the ingenious Hidalgo leads us into visions and wanderings between ladies to save and giants to beat down.