“PARADE & the Velvet Gentleman” celebrates the 100th anniversary of the ballet “Parade”, premiered in 1917 by Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. This 20th century masterpiece features the music of Erik Satie scored to a one-act scenario by Jean Cocteau with costumes and sets designed by Pablo Picasso. This new version of “Parade” revisits the ballet on an interdisciplinary platform, embellishing the choreography with stop motion animation, puppetry and projection dancing. The performance includes other works by Satie, known by his contemporaries as “the velvet gentleman. The programme includes some of his masterpieces for the piano such as Gymnopédies and Gnossiennes as well as works prefiguring the minimalism of Steve Reich and the incidental music of John Cage.

 

 

Artistic director: Ruben Zahra

Pianists: Gisèle Grima & Ardita Statovci

Percussionist: Kristian Schembri

Choreography & Dancers: Diane Portelli & Dorian Mallia – Moveo Dance Company

Costume design: Ritienne Zammit

Projection Dance Sequence: MAKA Visuals

Stop-motion animation: Christ Scicluna

Masks & Puppets: Charles Bezzina

Paper Cinema: Trevor Zahra

Lights: Christopher Gatt

The event will be held on Friday 27th July at 9pm at Teatru Manoel, Valletta.

Modern Music Days is part of the Valletta 2018 Cultural Programme. Modern Music Days is organised by Teatru Manoel and the Malta Association for Contemporary Music with the support of the Ministry for Finance.