Dante’s Divina Commedia is arguably the most important text in the Italian literary canon. This epic poem follows Dante’s journey through the afterlife (Inferno, Purgatorio and Paradiso) with his guides, Virgil in Infernoand Purgatorio, and Beatrice in Paradiso. Wayne McGregor (choreographer)’s adaptation of the text for the Royal Ballet is not entitled The Divine Comedy as McGregor notes that Dante’s Commedia relies on the words that he uses, therefore it would be near impossible to translate it into a choreographed ballet. Instead, he entitles his ballet The Dante Project. This three-act contemporary ballet aims to capture the emotions of Dante’s text. The first act, Pilgrim, is his adaptation of Inferno, the second act, Love, is Purgatorio, and his third, Poema Sacro is Paradiso. The piece overall follows Dante in his journey towards hope.
Edward Watson and Fumi Kaneko as Dante and Satan (Pilgrim)
The first act, Pilgrim, presents the audience with Dante (Edward Watson) alone on a misty stage as the corps enter in black costumes, creating the hellscape. The choreography in this act falls on the contemporary side, creating a psychedelic effect which adds to the chaos of hell. Throughout this act, the centre of the stage is in a brighter spotlight than the edges of the stage. This creates a circular spot for the dancers in the circle of hell. Dante and Virgil (Gary Avis) are often on the sides of the stage, observing what occurs in the circle at the centre; however, we see Dante’s interactions with the scene around him as he steps into the circle. In the first duet, Ferryman, Dante is involved in the scene, shown by Watson entering to lift Yasmine Naghdi which turns the pas de deux into a pas de trois. In the following duet, Francesca and Paolo, the character of Dante is entirely in the background, allowing Francesca Hayward and Matthew Ball (Francesca and Paolo respectively) to dance a true pas de deux. This pas de deux is one of the highlights of the ballet. McGregor choreographs the bufera infernale through the circular patterns that Hayward and Ball make on the floor. The gliding effect of their lift sequences captures the image of being caught in the wind.
Edward Watson and Sarah Lamb as Dante and Beatrice (Love)
Some of the other highlights of Pilgrim include The Forest of Suicides: Dido and Satan. The Forest of Suicides: Dido starts with the lights snapping on from a blackout, the corps open the variation with a strong looking pointe section, with spiky échappés stabbing into the floor, to represent the trees. The corps melt into the background to leave Dido (Anna Rose O’Sullivan)’s impactful pas de deux with Luca Acri. We see Dido’s onstage death, the only one in the piece. As O’Sullivan descends to the floor, the lights fade through red into a near blackout. When the lights lift, she has joined the corps in the forest. The Satan pas de deux is arguably the best and one of the most experimental moments in the ballet. Often, we see a classical pas de deux as an expression of romance. Therefore, it is dissonant and slightly unsettling to see a pas de deux between Dante and Satan. Furthermore, in Dante’s text, Satan is a demon with three faces, spoken of in masculine terms, therefore Fumi Kaneko is an untraditional choice in the role of Satan. The steps that McGregor choreographs for Kaneko are usually placed in allegros (jump sequences), however, they are set into an adagio. This allows for lifts in which Watson controls Kaneko’s batterie (beating of legs), creating the impression that Kaneko is frozen.
The following acts, Love and Poema Sacro represent the journey from hell to hope. In Love, McGregor explores the love story between Dante and Beatrice. In this act, three dancers take on these roles; Edward Watson, Marco Masciari and Lewis Chan as Dante and Sarah Lamb, Francesca Hayward and Rose Milner as Beatrice. The dancers in this act are different in age, showing their love story throughout time. The lighting in the sequence becomes brighter as Beatrice enters, giving her an ephemeral quality. This is carried through into Poema Sacro, with the brightest lights on Lamb, presenting her as a celestial being. The final act is the most classical yet, which appears less chaotic than the more contemporary style of the first act and showing the conclusion of the journey from chaos to hope.
McGregor’s ballet is an impactful presentation of the emotions presented in Dante’s work. Although it does not try to narrate the Commedia, we can see some of the storylines clearly present onstage, creating both a narrative and emotive piece. Watson has stated that The Dante Project is most of the company’s first performance back after theatres had reopened and it is clear in the choreography and the realisation of it that the storyline, the journey from chaos to hope, is close to the heart of the Royal Ballet. Although the contemporary style of Pilgrim is experimental, it creates a really impactful contrast between hell and heaven and it is clear to say that The Dante Project (available to stream from the Royal Opera House website until January 19 2022) is a production not to be missed.
The Forest of Suicides
Ava Siena Cohen
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