theatre shows to watch this fall in NYC

Yesterday, I saw the premiere of Labyrinth at Abrons Arts Center, as my friend performed there. Even though it does refer to the Greek myth of Theseus, there isn’t much nudity in the play, but I thought I should mention it in my blog still (besides the fact that my friend plays there). Theseus in this play, is trying to understand himself while going through the labyrinth of his memories and emotions. While doing so, he touches more general issues from living in New York City as an artist to relationship with religion/s and global warming. When one of his alter egos talked about New York, he mocked the Naked Cowboy of Times Square, “who isn’t even naked”, so he briefly showed (flashed is probably a better word) what “really naked” was 😉

After the show, I grabbed Abrons Arts Center‘s brochure and found that there were more upcoming shows that featured full nudity. So, I’m definitely coming back for at least two of these!

animalinside

2013 Bessie Award winner Jaro Vinarský returns to the Abrons with his newest duet, ANIMALINSIDE, a suite of poem-like stories, inspired by Hungarian novelist László Krasznahorkai and German painter Max Neumann’s book of the same title. This work for two dancers investigates the extreme states of a man’s relationship to his own body, to another man, and to viewers.

In Dawn, the latest production of Hodworks, the naked human body takes center stage.

HODWORKS: DAWN

A daring piece of radical research, the work demands an exceptionally high level of consciousness, strength, and sensitivity from the performers — just as is to be expected from the Hungarian choreographer Adrienn Hód. Watch trailer here.

Making their American debut, Radio Ballet presents The Nature of Love, a choreographed fictionalization of the private and shared experiences of the performers. Avoiding worn clichés of movements and gestures, their intimate duet is lyrical, unashamedly shy, and a wry commentary on the demented state called love.

Swan Lake

swan 0000 Wannsee, Berlin, Germany

I’ve seen something that impressed me so much, I couldn’t skip it on my blog, although it has little to do with naturist activities…

Swan Lake, Pyotr Tchaikovsky‘s masterpiece, has been arguably the most popular ballet for decades and has also become classics in modern dance thanks to Matthew Bourne‘s interpretation, first staged in 1995 in London’s West End and never having a break since then with several tours around the world.

I first saw their billboards in Athens where they were on tour last autumn, but finally got a chance to see the show itself last weekend here in New York.

I won’t pretend being an expert in modern dance (although I do like it), but I hardly can imagine any other show that can beat Bourne’s Swan Lake in both choreography and emotional message, so beautiful and powerful, romantic and tragic. There is an interview with Matthew Bourne on youtube where he talks about New York’s production specifically. In short, the Prince is struggling with his false and exposed life where he cannot get love and understanding neither from his mother nor girlfriend, and then he sees (dreams of?) a flock of swans…

He falls in love with their leader, who is a reincarnation of everything the Prince actually wants to be: strong and free…

One of the things that struck me was that the swans in the show moved and behaved pretty much like swans in reality. I tell you as a zoologist 😉 , and I’ve seen plenty of them at the Wannsee lake in Berlin.)

The swans in this performance were not only gracious creatures, typically portrayed in Tchaikovky’s ballet, but also vigorous and sometimes fierce.

naturist & swan 0001 Wannsee, Berlin, Germany

They may come to you

swan 0000 Wannsee, Berlin, Germany

and bow gently.

naturist & swan 0002 Wannsee, Berlin, Germany

(oops! this one even slightly overdid it, putting his head underwater.) But they may also hiss and move menacingly if you come too close

naturist & swan 0005 Wannsee, Berlin, Germany

or simply leave all of a sudden…

And don’t even try to catch them:

naturist & swan 0000 Wannsee, Berlin, Germany

you are lucky if they decide to escape, otherwise they can actually hit you!

But if you are even luckier, perhaps you’ll be able to find your way to a swan… A possible interpretation of Bourne’s Swan Lake is a desire to be one with nature, whose symbol in the story is a swan. Maybe Matthew Bourn should have staged some of the scenes in the nude, that would certainly make the connection even more powerful and dancers’ moves even more beautiful…

naturist & swan 0004 Wannsee, Berlin, Germany

Anyways, this is how the Prince found his ultimate freedom…