The piece BAL is inspired by the lives of two legendary figures of Luxembourgish folk dancing, Josephine and Claudine Bal. Born in Luxembourg in the 1920s, the sisters Bal have developed Luxembourgish folk dancing into a highly theatricalised form and, with their company, the Ballet National Folklorique du Luxembourg, have enchanted audiences both in Luxembourg and abroad. The creation is based on an extensive documentation collected in a series of international archives as well as on unique testimonials by contemporaries of the family Bal and former dancers of the troupe. Further collaborations with archivists from around the world have made it possible to reconstruct fragments of the original repertoire, which it will be a rare treat to experience again after more than forty years since the company’s disbandment. With this, BAL offers a rare glimpse of an extraordinary luxembourgish cultural heritage that is largely lost.
The piece will be supported by an exhibition of rare historical photographs that document the sisters’ early life and gradual success.
In English and some Luxembourgish.
Concept and direction: Simone Mousset
Performed by and devised in collaboration with: Simone Mousset, Elisabeth Schilling
Music: Maurizio Spiridigliozzi
Costumes: Mélanie Planchard
Production: Mierscher Kulturhaus
Co-production: TROIS C-L Centre de Création Chorégraphique Luxembourgeois
Developed with the support of: the Ministry of Culture Luxembourg, the Fonds culturel national Luxembourg and SACEM Luxembourg.
Première: 25/26 April 2017 Mierscher Kulturhaus
28 April TUFA Trier
httpss://www.kulturhaus.lu/fr/121/0-id-336-mode-getdetails/
httpss://www.tufa-trier.de/33.html?&no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=3828
