The red shoes

Premiere performance.

Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales often challenge the traditional juxtaposition of subject and object, and this occurs also in his tale about the girl Karen and the Red Shoes.

In his work "The Red Shoes," Philippe Kratz approaches this complicated and strangely indissoluble entanglement between object and human being that fuels the powers of seduction and threatens with a loss of autonomy.

The course of Kratz's ballet follows the chronology of Andersen's tale and brings the fairy tale scenario to the present day; it focuses more on the relationship between the protagonist Karen and objects. In particular, on the projections associated with the relationship between people and things, thus depicting an illusory world.

In contrast to the fairy tale that ends with Karen's redemption and resurrection, the dance piece slips into isolation and complete absorption by objects.

CHOREOGRAPHY AND SET DESIGN: Philippe Kratz (Reggio Emilia/Leverkusen)
DRAMATURGY: Sarah Ströbele (Lipsia/Magdeburgo)
MUSIC: Excerpts from the soundtrack of the film "The Red Shoes" (1948 Academy Award winner) by Brian Easdale, possibly contrasted or interwoven with an original electronic music composition to be determined
LIGHT DESIGN: Carlo Cerri (Florence/Rome)
COSTUME DESIGN: Grace Lyell (Parigi)
FIRST PERFORMANCE: 19 October 2023, Teatro Sociale di Trento - DURATION: 55- 70 minutes
PERFORMERS: Nuovo Balletto di Toscana, 10 dancers (Florence)