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Empreintes review – Jess and Morgs go off-piste at Paris Opera and Marcos Morau sets the chandelier swinging
| United Kingdom | politics | ✓ Verified - theguardian.com

Empreintes review – Jess and Morgs go off-piste at Paris Opera and Marcos Morau sets the chandelier swinging

#Empreintes #Paris Opera #Jess and Morgs #Marcos Morau #chandelier #off-piste #dance review #avant-garde

📌 Key Takeaways

  • Jess and Morgs perform an unconventional, off-piste piece at the Paris Opera.
  • Marcos Morau's choreography features a dramatic, swinging chandelier as a central element.
  • The review highlights innovative, boundary-pushing contemporary dance performances.
  • The production blends avant-garde concepts with the historic Paris Opera setting.

📖 Full Retelling

<p><strong>Palais Garnier, Paris<br></strong>Jessica Wright and Morgann Runacre-Temple’s Arena spills off the stage while Morau’s equally audacious Étude has balletic body snatchers</p><p>What a joy to find Jessica Wright and Morgann Runacre-Temple given full run of the grandiose Palais Garnier. The sparky duo from London, known as <a href="https://www.jessandmorgs.com/">Jess and Morgs</a>, bring their audacious blend of choreography and live camer

🏷️ Themes

Contemporary Dance, Artistic Innovation

📚 Related People & Topics

Paris Opera

Paris Opera

Opera and ballet company of France

The Paris Opera (French: Opéra de Paris [ɔpeʁa də paʁi] ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the Académie d'Opéra, and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the Académie Royale de Musiqu...

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Mentioned Entities

Paris Opera

Paris Opera

Opera and ballet company of France

Deep Analysis

Why It Matters

This review matters because it critiques new works at the prestigious Paris Opera Ballet, influencing the institution's artistic direction and public perception. It affects ballet enthusiasts, cultural critics, and the careers of choreographers Jess and Morgs and Marcos Morau. The evaluation impacts future programming decisions and funding for experimental works, while also shaping audience expectations for contemporary ballet in a historic venue.

Context & Background

  • The Paris Opera Ballet is one of the world's oldest and most prestigious ballet companies, founded in 1669.
  • Contemporary choreography has been increasingly integrated into traditional ballet companies over the past two decades.
  • The venue referenced likely includes the Palais Garnier, known for its iconic chandelier that famously fell in 1896.
  • Jess and Morgs (Jessica Wright and Morgann Runacre-Temple) are known for their innovative, cross-disciplinary dance-theater works.
  • Marcos Morau is a Spanish choreographer recognized for his visually striking, conceptual dance productions.

What Happens Next

The reviewed works may influence future commissions at Paris Opera Ballet, with potential for extended runs or international touring. Critical reception could affect the choreographers' opportunities at other major institutions. The Paris Opera may announce additional contemporary programming for their upcoming season based on audience and critical response to these pieces.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are Jess and Morgs?

Jess and Morgs are the collaborative duo of Jessica Wright and Morgann Runacre-Temple, British choreographers known for blending dance with theater, film, and visual art elements. Their work often challenges traditional ballet conventions while maintaining technical precision.

What is significant about the chandelier reference?

The chandelier is an iconic feature of the Palais Garnier opera house, famously depicted in 'The Phantom of the Opera.' Its movement in a production symbolizes both the venue's history and a departure from tradition, representing how contemporary works interact with historic spaces.

Why review Paris Opera Ballet productions?

The Paris Opera Ballet sets international standards for classical and contemporary ballet. Reviews influence artistic reputation, audience attendance, and institutional prestige, making them crucial for cultural discourse and the dance economy.

What does 'off-piste' mean in this context?

'Off-piste' is a skiing term meaning away from prepared trails. Here it metaphorically describes Jess and Morgs departing from traditional ballet conventions to explore experimental, unconventional artistic territory in their choreography.

How does this review impact dance audiences?

The review helps audiences understand whether to attend these performances and what to expect artistically. It also educates readers about contemporary ballet trends and helps contextualize experimental works within the broader dance landscape.

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Original Source
Review Empreintes review – Jess and Morgs go off-piste at Paris Opera and Marcos Morau sets the chandelier swinging Palais Garnier, Paris Jessica Wright and Morgann Runacre-Temple’s Arena spills off the stage while Morau’s equally audacious Étude has balletic body snatchers W hat a joy to find Jessica Wright and Morgann Runacre-Temple given full run of the grandiose Palais Garnier. The sparky duo from London, known as Jess and Morgs , bring their audacious blend of choreography and live camerawork to a gripping new creation, Arena, with video design by Jakub Lech. It peaks with a bravura sequence in which Loup Marcault-Derouard leaves the stage and is seen on a huge screen, racing around the opera house’s imposing halls and staircase. Arena gives the sense of choreographers in a candy store, seizing the real estate newly available to them after their hit, tech-centric reboot of Coppélia for Scottish Ballet in 2022 . The piece opens with understated, percussive coolness and shades of A Chorus Line – an athletic squad limber up with individual and collective confidence. “Next please!” barks the voiceover and a camera operator glides down the queue, capturing beady eyes, beating chests, glistening sweat. In the age of Instagram, dancers are ever-ready for their closeups and here the port de bras frequently results in tightly framed faces – but Arena exposes the perils of chronically online culture and the urge to compete, compare and conform. There is a gladiatorial element to Annemarie Woods’ costumes yet this is a dystopian contest that also feels rooted in the present day. Marcault-Derouard’s character is given a number not a name and, as his world unravels, he finds himself alternately torn apart in frenzied solos under a red filter (lighting by DM Wood), bewildered among the corps (with a driving score by Mikael Karlsson) or siloed (in a spinning interrogation room on Sami Fendall’s set). When caught in the flash of other dancers’ cameraphones, there is a sense th...
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