Grace, comedy and black humor
Ballet troupe from the dance company les ballets eloelle thrills beijing audiences with a unique show
An all-male ballet troupe recently performed in Beijing. The show, Men in Tutus, was staged at the Beijing Exhibition Theater. In the dressing room, the boys put on their fake eyelashes, their dance skirts and toe shoes with skill and grace. And, as they appear on stage as four little swans, the audience erupts with laughter. The dance company, Les Ballets Eloelle, founded in 1996 has 15 ballets in its repertoire where the male dancers play both male and female roles. The show, brimming with classical and popular elements, is also filled with black humor. Les Ballets Eloelle has taken its shows to several countries including Australia, China, France, Italy, South Korea and Japan.
For China Daily
From left: Jonathan from the United States inspects his costume; Victor from the Philippines works on his makeup; leg warmers help prevent injury; performers get ready to go on stage. Photos by Li Sanxian |
Tetsushi Segawa and Wataru Tokue from Japan perform a dance called Pirates. |
Clockwise from top: Victor Trevino, director of Les Ballets Eloelle; cross-gender performance of Swan Lake; performers from Les Ballets Eloelle. |
(China Daily 07/15/2017 page19)