Photographs by Charles Paul Azzopardi
Je Tiens La Reine
Je Tiens La Reine
Choreography by Mavin Khoo
Premiered as part of Malta International Arts Festival
WHAT HAPPENS TO A LAND AND ITS CREATURES WHEN THE PRIMAL ENERGIES THAT RUN THROUGH IT ARE SHAKEN AND SHIFTED? WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE HORROR OF OUR DREAMS BECOMES REALITY?
In Je Tiens La Reine, a band of fauns are seduced by the allure and sensuality of Calypso and her nymph sisters, drawn to the border where the earth meets the sea impulsively giving in to their darkest longings and desires. The fauns behave recklessly and their actions cause chaos and disruption as the nymphs, recognising their destructive nature, resist their hold and courageously attempt to protect their land and rituals of old. Intervening to restore order, the goddess Venus appears. Representing love, creation and prosperity, Venus’s divine power forces everyone, especially Calypso and the protagonist faun, to honour their destiny no matter what price there is to pay. Can the fauns redeem favour with Venus? Can peace be restored to this troubled land? Will Calypso return to the solitude of her cave unsatisfied or will she embrace her divine nature too? What, in the end, will be sacrificed in order to satisfy Venus? Like all tales of this kind, Je Tiens La Reine transports us to a magical place whilst reminding us of the journeys we take in our own lives.
In this contemporary adaptation of Mallarmé’s 1876 L’Après-midi d’un Faune and Debussy’s 1894 Prélude a L’Apès-midi d’un Faune, ŻfinMalta Dance Ensemble tells the story of a faun’s encounter with the Ogygia-based Calypso. Like the sources that inspired it, Je Tiens La Reine assimilates the suggestiveness of the poetry and the music and is interwoven with rituals, quests and regressions that are represented through an intricate dance choreography by Mavin Khoo, accompanied by a resonant composition by Renzo Spiteri and a narrative adaptation by Giuliana Fenech.
An extremely engaging display of technical prowess and emotive acting
Ramona Depares, The Sunday Times of Malta
Duration: 1 hour
Premiere: 15th & 16th July 2015, Argotti Gardens
Production team
Choreography: Mavin Khoo
Commissioned Composition: Renzo Spiteri
Dramaturgy: Giuliana Fenech
Choreographic Assistance & Rehearsal Direction: Athanasia Kanellopoulou, Samuel Guist, Nico Monaco
Production & Light Design: Moritz Zavan Stoeckle
Photography & Videographer: Niels Plotard
Design: Anthony Galea
Seamstress: Simona Mamo