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In Greek mythology, there's always an element of action reactions.
Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui discusses the creative process behind Medusa, exploring themes of power, mythology, and personal expression in ballet.
Key Takeaways
- Medusa's myth is used to explore themes of power abuse and victimization.
- Artistic interpretation allows for new narratives beyond traditional myths.
- Dance serves as a powerful form of personal and emotional expression.
- Collaboration with skilled dancers enhances the creative process.
- The ballet encourages audiences to reflect on responsibility and consequences.
Summary
- The ballet Medusa is inspired by Greek mythology, focusing on themes of action and reaction.
- Medusa's story highlights abusive power and injustice, reflecting contemporary societal issues.
- Cherkaoui interprets Medusa's transformation into a monster as both punishment and empowerment.
- He adds a personal twist, suggesting Medusa may willingly accept her fate to end her suffering.
- Cherkaoui shares his background, noting his late start in ballet and diverse dance influences.
- This is his first collaboration with the Royal Ballet, praising their talent and fearlessness.
- He admires dancer Natalia Osipova for her intelligence and receptiveness.
- Cherkaoui values dancers who can multitask and embody concepts larger than themselves.
- He emphasizes the importance of perspective and focus in movement to reflect real life.
- The ballet aims to convey the message that every action has consequences and responsibility is crucial.
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
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You do something and it has an effect which then brings something back upon you.
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We all have experienced these moments in our lives where something was very unfair.
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And you somehow have to deal with it, it affects you for the rest of your life.
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This ballet is really about abusive power.
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Medusa, she's a priestess for Athena, and she's very faithful to her, she is part of the temple.
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Poseidon, another god, the god of the sea, fancies Medusa and wants to force himself upon her and actually does that.
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It suddenly disconnects her from the reality of being a virgin.
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Athena can't punish the other god because gods don't punish one another, so she has to punish the human being who actually had had no blame whatsoever.
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She was the victim, which is very recognizable with the way the world works today.
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Athena makes Medusa a monster, but you could also turn this into an act of empowerment.
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Because Medusa now being a monster, she literally has so much power, and with that power she punishes everyone who's not been there for her the moment she needed it.
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And then comes Perseus, this one man that somehow manages to kill Medusa.
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And I wanted to give a personal interpretation in which I felt like maybe Medusa lets him.
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Maybe she actually feels tired of being the monster.
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I felt like I had to create connections that maybe aren't really part of the original myth, so I made my own story out of it.
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When I was young, I was always like in my head with everything.
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I was quite a weak child, I had a lot of issues with health.
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I've always been very sensitive about things, so the dancing helped me to to find a form of expression.
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I started really late with ballet, and then I went to contemporary dance when I was 19.
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I had influences from many, many different styles, and I didn't want to have to choose.
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It very quickly became apparent that I wanted to choreograph.
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This is the first time actually for me to work with the Royal Ballet.
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Rehearsals have been going really well.
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It's always stressful because there's always a deadline.
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If it was up to me, I would just keep working forever, but I know at some point I have to let it become itself.
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There's a real courage and a sense of fearlessness in the company and and huge talent.
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Natalia Osipova is someone with whom I've worked a couple of times, I adore watching her dance and move and be and she's very receptive and intelligent.
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I always look for bodies that are able to multitask, that can do many things at the same time.
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It's really nice when people are willing to give themselves to the art of dance and are there to embody something else, something bigger than them.
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I love perspective in movement.
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When you are able to have your focus somewhere else than what's actually happening, because I think that's what's so exciting about real life.
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Hopefully, when people see the ballet, there's a realization of how important it is to take responsibility for your actions.
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Every choice you make has repercussions.
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That would be the most beautiful lesson to take home.
Topics:Sidi Larbi CherkaouiMedusaThe Royal BalletGreek mythologyballet choreographyabusive powerdance expressionNatalia Osipovacreative processcontemporary dance
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