Snow White

2008 Creation

Piece for 26 dancers
Choreography Angelin Preljocaj
Music Gustav Mahler
Additional music 79D
Costumes Jean-Paul Gaultier
Set design Thierry Leproust
Lighting Patrick Riou
Assisted by Cécile Giovansili et Sébastien Dué
Assistant to the artistic direction Youri Aharon Van den Bosch
Rehearsal assistant Claudia de Smet
Choreologist Dany Lévêque
Absailing trainer Alexandre del Perugia
Scenery construction Atelier Atento
Costumes maker Les Ateliers du Costume
Special thanks to Jean-Paul Gaultier
Dancers Isabelle Arnaud, Neal Beasley, Virginie Caussin, Gaëlle Chappaz, Hervé Chaussard, Damien Chevron, Baptiste Coissieu, Craig Dawson, Davide Di Pretoro, Sergio Diaz, Sébastien Durand, Caroline Finn, Céline Galli, Alexandre Galopin, Yan Giraldou, Natacha Grimaud, Emma Gustafsson, Ayo Jackson, Jean-Charles Jousni, Émilie Lalande, Céline Marié, Lorena O’Neill, Bruno Péré, Zaratiana Randrianantenaina, Nagisa Shirai, Julien Thibault, Yurie Tsugawa, Yang Wang
Created during a residency at Grand Théâtre de Provence (Aix-en-Provence, France)
Coproduction Biennale de la danse de Lyon / Conseil Général du Rhône, Théâtre National de Chaillot, Grand Théâtre de Provence, Staatsballet Berlin (Allemagne)
Chorégraphie primée aux Globes de Cristal 2009
Duration 1h50
Premiered on 25 September 2008 (Biennale de la danse de Lyon)

Snow White is a great romantic contemporary ballet, based on the Grimm brothers’ version of the fairytale.

Angelin Preljocaj is working with all 26 dancers of the company on the most beautiful scores of Gustav Mahler’s symphonies. The costumes are designed by Jean Paul Gaultier, and the set by Thierry Leproust.

"I was very keen to tell a story, offer something magical and enchanted. No doubt it was to avoid getting into a rut. And also because, like everyone, I love stories. I have followed the version by the Grimm brothers, with just a few personal variations based on my own analysis of the symbols in the tale. Bettelheim describes Snow White as an œdipus in reverse. The wicked stepmother is without doubt the central character in the tale. She is the one who I examine through her narcissistic determination not to give up on seduction and her role as a woman, even if it means sacrificing her stepdaughter. The understanding of symbols belongs to adults as well as children; it’s for everyone, and that’s why I like fairy tales.

Snow White is a narrative ballet with its own dramatic content. The places are represented by Thierry Leproust’s set. The 26 dancers of the company play their parts in costumes by Jean Paul Gaultier."

Angelin Preljocaj

Around the creation