TALE OF LOVE’S TREACHERY FEAST FOR EYES AND HEART
I am in awe of Jean Grand-Maitre’s concept, staging and choreography for his ballet version of Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’ 1782 novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses.
Grand-Maitre’s Dangerous Liaisons for Alberta Ballet is a visually stunning, erotically charged look at the power dynamics of greed, sex, privilege and wanton disregard for others.
Given the current revelations in the Hollywood film community, this ballet couldn’t be more topical and insightful.
The novel is a series of letters which depict the scheming seduction of innocent bystanders by two rivals and former lovers, the Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont.
Grand-Maitre presents these seductions simultaneously as a silent show at the back of the stage and as dances in front of the mimes.
It’s breathtakingly beautiful, especially when the dancers and the characters execute the same gestures, stances and moves. The mirror imaging is brilliant in its ability to emphasize the emotions felt.
There is a sword duel near the end of the play in the mime portion that is transformed into a pas de deux between Valmont and the young music teacher, Chevalier de Danceny, that mesmerizes for its simultaneous beauty and foreboding.
The mute show is like one of those old silent movies with just enough exaggeration to make it absolutely clear what is happening and how the characters are feeling. It’s so effective because the actors in the mime become the dancers on alternate nights, except for guest star Denise Clarke of One Yellow Rabbit, who plays Merteuil in each performance.
Clarke turns Merteuil into a spidery assassin whose fingers and arms beckon one minute and then dismiss the next.
Grand-Maitre has created what he calls white angels to protect the innocent and black angels to assist the villains. They also take on spidery movements and attitudes.
Valmont (Kelley McKinlay/ Garrett Groat) is determined to seduce Madame de Tourvel (Reilley McKinlay/Hayna Gutierrez), the devout wife of a local judge.
It’s obvious Reilley McKinlay’s Tourvel is struggling with her faith and sexual desires. Her arms and legs try to extend as far from Kelley McKinlay’s Valmont only to rush back to enfold him. ( Yes, the dancers are married.)
When she does succumb to her passions only to be discarded, Tourvel’s agony is heartbreaking as the nuns in the convent desperately try to stop her from killing herself.
Merteuil also urges Valmont to seduce the virginal convent girl, Cecile de Volanges (Nicole Caron/Luna Sasaki), who is in love with her young and equally virginal music teacher Danceny ( Yoshiya Sakurai/Jason Cao).
The pas de deux between Caron and Sakurai is so tender and gentle, but when McKinlay’s Valmont ravishes her, Caron curls into herself as tightly as she can.
The choreography and the dancers’ execution broadcasts the characters’ emotions. But to get the most out of the intricate story, my advice to anyone setting out to see Dangerous Liaisons is to read the novel, watch one of the nearly 10 movies based on it or read the notes in the program, which are outstanding.
Do not rely on the voice-over narration of some of the letters in this ballet production. The voices are so hollow and breathy as to be almost incomprehensible. They may be as effective as the choice of music in establishing mood and atmosphere, but they are not a good guide to the story.