Mats Ek Swan Lake

Ek who is best known for his full length reworkings of ballet classics like giselle sleeping beauty and swan lake is swedish dance royalty.

Mats ek swan lake.

Seeing that work live it was screened on television years ago it s clear. The company is on a world tour with ek s 1987 reworking of swan lake. But eight years before bourne s work mats ek had created his own equally alternative swan lakefor the cullberg ballet. His new full length ballet a swan lake nominated for a 2015 benois de la danse takes a fresh look at tchaikovsky s classic work.

I had forgotten just how good mats ek s swan lake svansjön is. When one says mats ek one usually gets two opposite reactions from the dance world. Legendary swedish choreographer mats ek s ballet was created for the dancers of the opéra national de paris and is here danced by star names including nicolas le riche and marie agnès gillot the name appartement comes both from the word for a living space but also from associations with separation and isolation. His choreography like marmite is one of those topics that leave little room for middle ground.

Alexander ekman is an internationally acclaimed choreographer recognized for his ability to pair wit and playfulness. Ek has chosen a contemporary approach to the story of swan lake turning the ethereal swan into a sturdy creature not unlike a down to earth swedish lass of today. Mats ek s extensive production of ballets includes more than twenty works for the cullberg ballet among them sensational reworks of classics like giselle 1982 swan lake 1987 and carmen 1992. It is over a decade since i last saw cullberg ballet present the work.

After leaving the cullberg ballet mats ek became guest choreographer with major international dance companies.