Shows presented by l’Empreinte scène nationale

The seasons

In front of a hypnotic wall of projected petals, the dancers of Malandain Ballet Biarritz launch into the famous Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi, and the lesser-known works by the composer Antonio Guido, a contemporary of Vivaldi. Bringing them together in a single programme was a daring gamble that Thierry Malandain takes up brilliantly, with the purity and virtuosity that characterise his ballet. From light portés to whirling rounds influenced by Basque folklore, the director of the CCN Biarritz captures both the light-heartedness of the score and its popular spirit.

The cyclical tableaux explore elegant, poised Baroque dance as much as more graphic, contemporary interludes, in which the dancers' arms are extended by long, dark winged fabrics. Thierry Malandain has long been preoccupied with the relationship between man and nature, and here he pursues his research without being blind to the dangers that lurk. When the petals turn a sombre black, the possibility opens up that the seasons are no longer truly round. A sublime ballet, sharp and intoxicating.