West Australian Symphony Orhcestra

Echoes of Van Gogh, for Wubkje Kuindersma and West Australian Ballet

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As night falls, Vincent Van Gogh’s eclectic creations will come to life in dance. See Dutch choreographer Wubkje Kuindersma’s vision of the famous painter's tumultuous life take the stage for the first time in this passionate and complex new ballet.

Echoes of Van Gogh broadly follows Vincent van Gogh's development as an artist. However, it is not a biographical portrait. The aim is to share his personal fascinations: nature, painting, colors, people, with the audience. We focus on his inner need to express himself, the tenacious will to develop as an artist, and his longing to be part of a greater whole.

Even though Van Gogh's personality is extraordinary and specific, the ballet deals with universal human questions: identity, a place in the world, a personal destiny.

The makers see Van Gogh as an eternal outsider, who longs to be an insider. He wants to be together with fellow artists, women, and the simple, hardworking people he loves to portray.

He feels a strong connection with the poor farmers who work the earth: sow and mow. Bloom in spring, harvest in summer. Sheaves of corn and hay bales. The bareness of the fields lying fallow in winter. The full life cycle.

His is a permanent fever to create. As an artist, he has the inner conviction that his time will come, but during his lifetime recognition is not forthcoming. When he decides to dedicate himself to his art, he is already 27 years old. In the following decade he literally creates thousands of works, mainly landscapes, portraits, and paintings of flowers and trees.

Premiere: 8-23 September, in His Majesty's Theatre, by West Australian Ballet and West Australian Symphony Orchestra

Choreographer Wubkje Kuindersma
Set & Costume Designer Tatyana Van Walsum
Lighting Designer Jon Buswell
Dramaturge Janine Brogt
Music Anthony Fiumara
Conductor Jessica Gethin