Angelin Preljocaj and Thomas Bangalter revisit the “Mythologies” to bring a critical look at our time

For two weeks, Mythologies by Angelin Preljocaj and Thomas Bangalter is invited to the stage of the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. This creation revisits different myths to question our present, which echoes ancient legends.

This show was a way to end four years of collaboration between the Ballet Preljocaj and that of the Opéra national de Bordeaux. Angelin Preljocaj’s new scenic fresco brings together dancers from each of the two ensembles. The challenge then was to combine these two schools, one of the classical tradition, the other rather contemporary. “I made sure that all the work happened in correlation. When I worked on the duets, instead of putting two dancers from home and two from Bordeaux, I systematically put dancers who did not know each other. Then bonds were forged, says the choreographer.

Around twenty tableaux are linked together in almost an hour and a half of performance, but each scene takes us into a different universe: that of Greek mythology but also an arena with wrestlers in shiny black masks fighting a duel, a tableau inspired by Mythologies by Roland Barthes. It is then a great spectacle of pain, defeat and justice that is offered to the public. The masks add a tragic note to these dancers who suffer by executing exaggerated but famous holds in this combat sport (twisted arm, stuck leg, tight neck…).

Another picture, another atmosphere: Amazons, from ancient Greece and dressed in colorful dresses. True warriors, strong and fighting women who are fantasized as much as they are feared, but who remain graceful, with a semblance of naivety. And when Queen Thalestris wants to capture the King of Macedonia, using bows and arrows, these women become harsher in their looks, more brutal in their gestures.

A famous character from mythology makes its appearance: the Minotaur. This ferocious half-man half-bull creature eager for human flesh seeks its prey with ardor in a labyrinth. The sacrificed young woman is frightened. She tries to run away, to find a way out but she ends up struggling when the monster grabs her, in vain. The atmosphere is heavy.

Then comes the last scene. Against a backdrop of images of war, businessmen in ties parade between lifeless bodies, removing the white sheets that cover them before slowly disappearing. A strong scene that illustrates the cruelty of men.

To accompany these almost bewitching dances, the choreographer called on an unexpected composer: Thomas Bangalter. A name that does not seem common but which nevertheless made millions of people dance around the world for 28 years, since he was one of the helmeted heads of the Daft Punk duo.

After becoming a reference in electronic music, the composer turned to classical and presented his first piece for orchestra. Angelin Preljocaj confides that he wanted a little electro in his show but the ex-Daft Punk was very radical and preferred to use only natural instruments. “He wrote something that is symphonic and for someone who comes from Daft Punk, it’s really a feat”, emphasizes the choreographer.

Composing a ballet score is not easy, so the process took time. The work between Thomas Bangalter and the conductor Romain Dumas began two years ago, then they advanced on the orchestration together during “a good year“. Then they continued “almost until the last moment to work on the last details“. At first there was almost 1 hour 45 minutes of music but they decided to cut some less relevant things.

The classical music composed by Thomas Bangalter is both nervous with its ruptures but also very lyrical. It perfectly accompanies the light and sometimes more combative gestures of the dancers. The mixture of instruments (strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion) of baroque inspiration helps to transport the public to another dimension. And in this musical ensemble, “there are more electronic things, extremely short and repeated motifs (…) something very complicated for the human instrumental gesture”, admits Romais Dumas, the conductor. The choreographer then let himself be carried away by the composer’s melodies to create a timeless atmosphere that almost takes us to the cinema.

Through this creation, Angelin Preljocaj wishes to confront ancient myths with our present, the contemporary world. An approach that shows the flaws of our time such as violence against women but also those of wars and conflicts. He explains that “in the mythologies we see lots of mistakes, things not to do, things that lead to disaster.” “That should serve as a lesson to us and unfortunately this is not always the case, he continues. We see though history stutters. The same things, the same mistakes, the same horrors are repeated.”

Angelin Preljocaj always tries to bounce from one show to another, to find different body writings that adapt to new themes. He can create very abstract paintings, telling stories like Romeo and Juliet or explore phenomena like gravity. PI suddenly conjure up mythologies. “And that’s what interests me. Switching from one to the other to be able to feelours”concludes the choreographer.

“Mythologies” by Angelin Preljocaj and Thomas Bangalter, until December 5 at the Théâtre du Châtelet.