Petrushka | INGER

Petrushka is a doll, a toy in the hands of a magician that makes it dance and jump, in front of everyone’s amazed gaze, in a great popular and bizarre event.

Petrushka is a soulless body that dances along his Master’s voice.

Stravinsky and Benois placed their story in St. Petersburg in 1830, during its carnival, in the middle of a great folk fair.

Stravinsky et Benois wanted to present the soul of that 'wimp', who fights in the midst of the mass for the impossible love of the Ballerina, against the oppression of his 'master', against the Moor and against the pressure of the public that he hopes to entertain and make laugh.

Johan Inger takes us to the current and always controversial World of Fashion, where dolls become Mannequins, the Magician becomes an international fashion and mass guru, the protagonists and consumers of an incredible circus of vanities.

Johan Inger with the intention of bringing this story to his aesthetic and narrative world, review this classic in a present and contemporary way providing the necessary dose of criticism and reflection on the world of consumerism, where praise of the youth discards previous generations without further consideration nor emotions.

In my version of this ballet, Petrushka is a window mannequin brought to life with identity and a purpose by a fashion designer. Once used and stripped from his temporary function, he is thrown away into a pile of other used mannequins and battles to understand his destiny, until he meets the Ballerina. He madly falls in love with her but the ballerina herself is in love with the Moor, who will not accept any competition for the Ballerina. The idea that Petrushka’s life purpose would only lead to a broken heart is the controversial point of this story that I am questioning: a tragedy that occurred since centuries and keeps arising when least expected.

"Petrushka" | JOHAN INGER
Choreography: Johan Inger
Assistant: Christophe Dozzi
Music: Igor Stravinsky
Dramaturgy: Gregor Acuña Pohl
Scenography: Curt Allen Wilmer with estudiodeDos
Costumes: Salvador Mateu Andujar
Lighting: Fabiana Piccioli
Duration: 36 min

With the participation of the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Kazuki Yamada

Creation for Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo
Premiere held on December 8th 2018, Salle Garnier Opéra de Monte-Carlo