Following the successes of Narnia and GRIMM, Dorian (14+) is the third joint production by choreographers Ernst Meisner and Marco Gerris. For their adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Gray, the famous book by Oscar Wilde from 1891, the two choreographers have opted for a thriller-like approach, filled with tension and suspense, for adults and adolescents. This time, dancers from Dutch National Ballet will also be joining dancers from the Junior Company and ISH Dance Collective.
In their production, Meisner and Gerris follow the storyline of Wilde’s novel, but place it in an eccentric contemporary setting. The protagonist Dorian goes over the top in his craving for beauty and adoration, and suffers the consequences. He ends up in a downward spiral, becoming trapped in a labyrinth where he can no longer tell reality from fantasy. As in Narnia and GRIMM, Meisner and Gerris once again blend different dance styles in an exciting and immersive mix of hiphop and ballet.
Joey Roukens, one of today’s best-known young composers in the Netherlands, is writing a new, full-length score especially for Dorian. In recent years, he has composed works for various Dutch and international orchestras, including the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, where he was composer in residence. Meisner and Roukens previously worked together on the ballet In Transit. In the larger theatres, Roukens’ new composition will be performed live by Dutch Ballet Orchestra.
Oscar Wilde’s philosophical novel The Picture of Dorian Gray is about being totally wrapped up in the pursuit of eternal youth. The protagonist Dorian Gray wants to stay as young and handsome as the portrait painted by his friend Basil, wishing that his likeness in the painting would grow older and uglier in his place.
Co-production Dutch National Ballet & ISH Dance Collective
Choreography Ernst Meisner and Marco Gerris
Music Joey Roukens
Set and costume design Dieuweke van Reij
Lighting design Mike den Ottolander
Musical accompaniment (performances in Dutch National Opera & Ballet)
Dutch National Ballet Orchestra conducted by Karel Deseure
Composers in the crosshairs of our attention