Last night a friend and I saw Flight of Fancy with the DC Fringe Fest. It was billed as a steampunk ballet. I loved it. If ballet is always this cool, I need to start going more.
All of the songs were alt-rock type of songs which gave the show a much more contemporary feel. It made ballet much more accessible. A lot of younger people think of ballet as something formal and culturally distant. This made it feel fresh and fun.
It starts with the aviator visiting a world where everyone is the same. The aviator comes and changes all that. People awaken their imagination and feel alive. There was one scene where the dancers had small flashlights strapped to their bodies that I thought was just brilliant.
You saw the steampunk in the costumes but it was understated. I have friends who cosplay steampunk and it can be very other the top. Here, the costumes fit the art forms.
I’m sure reviewers complain about some of the little stuff that goes wrong in some of the smaller productions you see in fringe but that means you’re not seeing the forest for the trees. I thought this show was excellent in concept and execution and will definitely be looking into more shows from this company.
Chilling to: Abraham's Daughter by Arcade Fire
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