Melodramas receive supposedly clever and intellectual criticisms. Despite this, they gain a new dimension on stage through the magic of live performance. Ballet is an immersive experience. It offers a full fusion of senses and emotions.

Midway through the first act, I found myself moved to tears—a rare experience for me with contemporary production. For the first time, I realized how adulthood had dulled my capacity for aimless joy and creativity.

Mayerling remains a masterpiece of modern ballet. Its eruption of sensuality captivates the audience, and the unpredictable actions of a troubled protagonist keep them intrigued. After all, the brilliance of MacMillan’s vision is undeniable.

Même si je reconnais le haut niveau esthétique et et la manière innovante de revoir ce classique, je ne suis pas exactement fan de la mise en scène « zen » de Robert Wilson. Néanmoins, même pour moi, qui préfère toujours les décors flamboyants, le suicide de Cio-Cio-san à la fin de l’opéra représente l’apogée de toutes les mises en scène modernes.

Since that night, in the glow of the stars, the enchantment resides eternally in the soul.

Today is yet another ordinary day. Avoiding those dirty streets, her camera captures the melancholic street view of Paris through her window, which speaks of two hundred years of history. After living here for five years, she has become a part of Paris.

In Béjart’s creations, it is the shifting of the group of dancers, body movements, particularly the arms, and the lighting design that establish the illusion of animality and the wildness within humans.

Dance is a kind of language without a voice. Up in the box seat on the fourth floor, the facial expressions of dancers are unclear unless with binoculars. Nonetheless, these dancers on stage have delivered us strong emotions of the characters in Mayerling.

After finishing writing two dissertations these two years, my master’s degree in France has ended, and I can finally look back on my improvement and progress in my French academic writing.