OPEN REHEARSAL – THE RED SHOES

Open rehearsal at 6:00 PM – Performance at 8:30 PM

Dancers from the Nuovo Balletto di Toscana present The Red Shoes, choreographed by the award-winning German choreographer Philippe Kratz, dedicated to the homonymous fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen.

As in the tale of the girl Karen and a pair of strange red shoes, Andersen repeatedly challenges in his works the traditional dichotomy between subject and object. Kratz’s creation, with music specially composed by Pierfrancesco Perrone, addresses this strangely indissoluble bond, which is not determined solely by functional utility or vain desire for possession but can also entail a loss of autonomy. The projections related to the desires that dominate our world of goods and consumption are also reflected by dividing the scenic space in two. In contrast to the fairy tale, which ends with the violent liberation of the protagonist from the red shoes and her redemption, Kratz’s choreography ultimately focuses on questioning the role of objects in interpersonal relationships.

I don’t perceive Karen as disobedient or vain, a perspective that is emphasized in the fairy tale. Nowadays, we are so accustomed to consuming and often see products as a means to an end, to get noticed by others, to relate to others, and to emphasize our individuality. Karen also tries to connect with others and find security through the red shoes. In this, she fails miserably. Yet, what she seeks corresponds to a desire that many of us probably know: to belong to a collective and yet remain an individual.
Philippe Kratz