Last week, we went to a dance performance, in Seine Musicale (a rehabilitation of the former grounds of the original Renault Car factory where my childhood neighbour worked in the 1920s!). Called Mythologies, and created in 2022, it was delivered by a mix of Angelin Preljocaj’s troup and the Bordeaux Opéra dancers, with the music composed by (ex-)Daft Punk, Thomas Bangalter! The show was impressive, in a physical sense since we were seated close to the stage and the speakers. The music was a rather neo-classic mix, with no punkness involved, a wee bit on the heavy side, and the dance traditional as well, while contemporary. The skill and stamina of the dancers amazed me. The different tableaux were related to Greek mythology—except for a Maya interlude that I missed—, albeit missing a story line, but rather (too?) efficient in delivering the corresponding myth. In particular, the tableaux on the labyrinth were brilliant. The epilogue is maybe the strongest moment of the show, with corpses spread all over the stage and death figures walking through. Possibly over explained but nonetheless tragically beautiful…
