AN EVENING WITH LIGHFOOT AND LEÓN

Shoot the moon, in the photo Silas Kjølmoen Henriksen
. Photo: Erik Berg

OSLO: Lightfoot and León’s strange and wonderful world. Full of captivatingly startling dance, light and dark, the humorous and the serious. Choreography duo Paul Lightfoot and Sol León are behind some of the Norwegian National Ballet’s greatest successes – and eminently worthy of devoting an entire evening to their creative genius.

Two of this evening’s ballets have never before been performed in Norway. In Same Difference we meet seven surreptitious characters who inhabit a dark, surrealistic world. The work reflects the tone of Phillip Glass’ insistent yet beautiful music.

The delectable and much lighter Safe as Houses is inspired by Norway’s winter landscape, which the duo experienced during a season with the Norwegian National Ballet in Oslo. The dancers perform to music by Bach, while a large rotating wall conjures ever-changing scenes and situations.

The evening’s final piece, Shoot the Moon, makes a popular return. A backdrop of changing images gives brief glimpses into a series of rooms and relationships. Following its Norwegian premier in 2010, the VG newspaper gave it top rating and wrote: “Shoot the Moon is yet another amazing work by Paul Lightfoot and Sol León.”

After his performances in Shoot the Moon, followed by review in www.kulturkompasset.com,  The Norwegian dancer Silas Kjølmoen Henriksen (foto) (from Arendal), received the largest dance prize in Norway The Tom Wilhelmsen Award. Nkr. 500.000. He is now dancer in the world famouse Netherlands Dance Theatre. (The jury used a part of the review text, when they handed out the prize.)

Choreography, scenography and costumes: Paul Lightfoot and Sol León:

SAFE AS HOUSES

From Shoot the Moon. Photo: Erik BergChoreography, scenography and costumes: Paul Lightfoot and Sol LeónMusic: Johann Sebastian Bach

Music. Johann Sebastian Bach
.

Lighting design: Tom Bevoort
SAME DIFFERENCE
Music: Philip Glass
Lighting design: Tom Bevoort
SHOOT THE MOON
Music: Philip Glass
Lighting design: Tom Bevoort
Dancers from the Norwegian National Ballet
The Norwegian National Opera Orchestra
Musical direction: Per Kristian Skalstad