Royal Winnipeg Ballet presents SNOW WHITE at the National Arts Centre

Presented by Angeline Preliokai of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet Snow white At the National Arts Center in Ottawa, there was a truly wonderful scene. This ballet made its Canadian debut in Winnipeg just last fall, and I can honestly say I was honored to experience such a magical, theatrical and daring retelling of this classic tale.

From the stunning set design (Thierry Leproust) featuring the palace's gilded golden walls, a dark forest of shimmering birch trees, a stone facade with seven miners' towers, a glittering, floating glass panel that transforms into a coffin, and a larger-than-life figure. a mirror with a magical appearance. Although the sets are relatively simple, every detail is carefully designed and used to enhance the story and firmly embed the characters in the setting. This is not a Disney movie Snow white; Instead, Preljokai based his version on the original story by the Brothers Grimm. An even more terrifying story, this one Snow white clearly intended for an adult palate. Costumes, designed by terrible Jean-Paul Gaultier of French fashion was stylish and daring, especially in the dominatrix-style outfits and thigh-high boots of the Evil Queen (Maggie Weatherdon, alternating with Jamie Delaut).

Snow White's (Amanda Solheim, alternating with Taisi Tollasepp) dress for most of the performance is a loose white dress that represents her purity, reminding the audience that she is as innocent as a baby, long before she leaves the mat. her virginity is symbolized by a sheer red veil, which she eventually passes on to the prince of her choice (Steven Azoulay, Logan Savard).

Snow white it's a modern ballet, but some scenes have a classical feel, especially the ball scene at the beginning. Some other scenes use staging, lighting (Scott Henderson) and emotion through dance to create a masterful viewing experience. The deer hunt was one of my favorites: the deer's staccato movements (alternating with Katie Bonnell, Alanna McAdee) and its bright red heart evoked a surprising amount of empathy in a dark and neutral setting because it was so stylized.

It was hard to see the queen disguised as a merchant shoving the poisoned apple down Snow White's throat; We felt like we were voyeurs exposed to evil sexual assault. Another touching scene is the pas de deux when the prince dances with Snow White's lifeless body – both haunting and strangely beautiful, as Snow White performs her part of the dance like a rag doll with her eyes closed.

Also, many aerials were introduced into the choreography. Our first glimpse of the seven miners is as they climb down from holes in the stone wall and perform impressive acrobatics, heightening the stage. Later, the spirit of Snow White's mother (Kathy Bonnell), who died in childbirth, floats up to take her seemingly dead daughter to heaven.

In the triumphant finale, as in the original Brothers Grimm story, the evil queen is ceremoniously fitted with red-hot (and relatively ugly) iron shoes, and she pays for her crime by dancing herself to death.

The score features excerpts from Gustav Mahler's symphonies, performed by the NAC Orchestra and conducted by Julian Pellicano, combined with electronic sounds to give the piece a modern and engaging look.

NAC Dance once again brought an unforgettable show to Ottawa audiences. If you missed it, fear not: There are three more shows in the 2023-2024 season, including the popular Margie Gillies Body literature. Click the button below for more information or to purchase tickets.