(c) Olivier Houeix Ballet Biarritz: The Four Seasons
Seville, Teatro de la Maestranza — Sala Principal
About the Event
In 17th‐ and 18th‐century France, the common people simply danced, while the aristocracy practiced the belle danse. King Louis XIV enjoyed dazzling his courtiers with graceful combinations of foot and arm movements, complex steps performed with an upright posture, and refined gestures that, over time, would become part of the codes of classical ballet. Choreographer Thierry Malandain, building on an idea conceived at Versailles by Laurent Brunner and Stefan Plewniak, revives and transcends that ideal in *Les Saisons*, where Vivaldi’s *The Four Seasons* is paired with the work of the same name by his lesser‐known contemporary Giovanni Antonio Guido, who made his musical career at the court of the Sun King.
Fans will no doubt recall the Malandain Ballet Biarritz’s 2021 performance at the Teatro de la Maestranza set to Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony. Premiered in 2023, *Les Saisons* integrates the human figure into a gradually degraded natural world, within a seasonal cycle that is increasingly blurred and, ultimately, absent from our lives. The black petals provide continuity to the scene in a performance of vibrant elegance where the beauty of dance evokes lost harmony. The work will be performed by 22 dancers.
Cast / Production
Associate director: Yves Kordian
Choreography: Thierry Malandain
Music: Antonio Vivaldi, Giovanni Antonio Guido
Set and costume design: Jorge Gallardo
Lights: François Menou
Costume design: Véronique Murat, Charlotte Margnoux
Address
Teatro de la Maestranza, Paseo de Cristóbal Colón, 22, Seville, Spain — Google Maps
