June 5th: Millepied's "Daphnis and Chloe"

The medium of dance is unlike any other artistic form. It combines several styles of artistry in order to craft a single performance. Additionally, every piece of dance pays homage in some way or another to the greater history of its medium. It is important to view dance 
 through this lens, so that a viewer can fully grasp the complex nature of its form and craft.

Benjamin Millepied’s new production of “Daphnis and Chloe,” which debuted at the Opéra Bastille this June illustrated these unique characteristics of dance distinctively. Millepied’s choice of work originates from the foundational pieces of the Ballet Russe. Specifically, Michel Fokine originally choreographed the work in 1912. The piece was comprised of a musical score developed by Maurice Ravel and featured the work of Vaslav Nijinsky and Tamara Karsavina. Fokine conceived the piece in hopes of reforming elements of the classical ballet. Like other choreographers of his time, he wanted to move away from maintaining a pristine form of movement. Thus, he played with concepts like pantomime and visual balance. 
Ultimately, Millepied’s production of “Daphnis and Chloe”
honors Fokine’s revolutionary ideas 
and creates a captivating work of dance.

                 

             Millepied’s production of “Daphnis and Chloe” is simply a piece of divine artwork. It is an artwork comprised of fluidity and complexity. However, like most art, it has its moments of confusion and obscurity. The first movements of Millepied’s “Daphnis and Chloe” are soft and entrancing gestures to welcome the viewer into the story. These gestures are seemingly effortless and showcase the precision of each dancer’s dexterity. They are simply beautiful.Specifically, Millepied’s principle dancers illustrate a unique caliber in their movements. Hervé Moreau, who portrays Daphnis in the piece, demonstrates the unwavering love of his character in an unending solo. In this solo, Moreau alternates from extremely slow and fast movements, which symbolically represent his character’s bliss upon meeting Chloé and finding love. The honesty of Moreau’s movements create a truly  sublime moment.

As the story of the piece progresses, the movements and gestures of the dancers are slowly lost to the story. Encapsulating images and colors are introduced to the piece like Daniel Buren’s sculptures and bright costumes. The dancers soon are objectified by these elements. It is difficult for the audience to absorb the clash of color, movement, and abstraction, which all reach a head at the climax of the piece. After this clash occurs, it’s almost impossible for the audience to regain understanding of the story. The story isn’t completely lost, but the finale lacks the clarity necessary to offer the viewer a sense of conclusion.

Millepied’s production was an experiment similar to Fokine’s initial production of “Daphnis and Chloe”. Both Millepied and Fokine meant to challenge and alter the way dance was viewed and perceived. Such challenge isn’t always accepted well. For example, Igor Stravinksy’s “The Rite of Spring” first debuted in 1913 at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris.  At this performance, the new language of the work horrified the audience to near riot. Yet, such language instilled evolution across the dance medium. It inspired dancers and choreographers to create a new movement from the old, which is a fundamental principle of dance now. Therefore, Millepied’s production of “Daphnis and Chloe” may not have completely succeeded artistically. Yet, it did succeed in moving dance forward, which is an accomplishment within itself.