By Krista DeJulio – Co-Editor-in-Chief
With a quick name change and a rechoreographed ending, “Artifact 2017” kicked off its opening night on Thursday, February 23 at the Boston Opera House at 539 Washington Street, Boston and will run until Sunday, March 5 with a matinee showing of the performance. “Artifact 2017” is the first show of a five-year partnership with William Forsythe, one of the most innovative choreographers of today. Boston Ballet is the first North American company to perform “Artifact” in full.
According to the Boston Globe, the ballet was created in 1984 and reimagined what a classical ballet could be. The show is unique and features more than just ballet as an art form. Memorizing choreography, spoken word and a minimalistic set and costumes are the focal points of the show, leaving the show at two hours.
The show, well extremely innovate and extraordinary, is not for everyone. While “Artifact 2017” promises classical ballet, the rest of the show is not traditional. The spoken word aspects of what looks and feels like an evil Disney-like character brought laughter to the crowd, as did an old man with a megaphone, but left those coming for a traditional ballet at a loss. The costumes were simple variations and different colored leotards and stockings, but still beautifully worn when the ballerinas danced in unison.
Also according to the Boston Globe, “The heart of the ballet’s music is a score, partly improvised, by Eva Crossman-Hecht based on Ferruccio Busoni’s piano transcription of Bach’s monumental ‘Chaconne,’ as well as a sound collage by Forsythe himself.” The show’s ending was rechoreographed, something different than the original from 1984, thus being renamed to “Artifact 2017.”
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