"Moonrise" - Dreams, Emotions, and Magical Realism

Last May 10th, the Chilean National Ballet performed the world premiere of "Moonrise", the most recent work by Swedish choreographer Pontus Lidberg.

Created in barely a month during Lidberg's short residency with the Ballet (his first-time collaboration), "Moonrise" is a seductive opera, full of visual and aural elements that capture the imagination of the spectator and transport them to a world of dreams and magical realism.  

Using a clever inverse wordplay of the term "Sunrise", the title itself suggests the world of slumber, where the subconscious reigns and our desires and emotions become more intense. 

According to Lidberg, "Moonrise" invites the viewer to question the nature of reality and the power of imagination, a goal that it adroitly accomplishes.

Known for works such as "Woodland", "Centaur", and "On the Nature of Rabbits", Lidberg’s choreography is emotional, lively, of clean lines, with movements that play with gravity, weight, and inertia, occupy the stage space in all its extension, and uses the human body in all its expressiveness.

With an elegant economy of resources, Lidberg skillfully paints scenes on the bare stage, evoking from a joyful party with friends to the psychological desolation of unrequited love. 

Picture: Amaru Piñones 

Small everyday gestures -like smoking a cigarette, waiting at the bus stop, or talking on a cell phone- take on a new dimension and acquire new meanings. But these gestures also help to integrate the viewer into the work, making them part of the story. 

The use of dance-theater elements, with dialogues improvised on stage by the dancers themselves, give "Moonrise" a quality of unexpectedness, in which each performance is new and different from the previous ones.

The dancers' costumes, resembling casual everyday clothes but in brighter colors, reflect the main concept of the work: an apparent reality a step beyond the normal and commonplace.

According to Lidberg, the development of "Moonrise" was done in close collaboration with the dancers. In this process, the choreographer’s ideas were interpreted by each of the dancers, who were free to make personal contributions. 

These were either approved and added to the work or discarded by the choreographer during the intense creative process. 

The final result, however, faithfully recreates Lidberg’s vision and aesthetic. 

Video: "Moonrise" (1:12)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w92tdW6nhFQ

Performed by a group of nine talented dancers through 45 minutes without interval, the choreography flows seamlessly and in constant motion, with brief pauses in which its rhythm slows down just enough to explore deeper emotions. 

From its vibrant beginning to Mozart’s "Les Noces de Figaro" overture, to its relaxing ending to Joao Gilberto’s song "O grande amor", "Moonrise" captures the viewer’s attention and never lets it go. 

Although "Moonrise" does not tell a defined story, that is precisely part of its charm - its narrative develops as separate scenes but these interconnect through the same protagonists who, as characters who enter and exit dreams, slowly thread a plot of actions and emotions.

In fact, emotions play a fundamental role in "Moonrise", and Lidberg leaves almost none unattended: love, desire, joy, sadness, loneliness, longing, despair, boredom, impatience - they all have a space in his choreography, skillfully expressed through movements, subtle gestures, music, sounds, and voice.  

Picture: Amaru Piñones

 

The use of masks increases the oneiric feeling of the piece and deepens its message. Who are we when we dream? Are we ourselves or the avatars of our own being?

Water is a constant element in this work. From its opening scene - with a fountain created by the dancers themselves in careful coordination, through the impeccable balancing of three glasses by a dancer, a magnificent duet that deftly incorporates a glass in all its movements, until the scene of a party-, water is an element of life and dynamism, and acts as a connecting element between the scenes.

"Moonrise" incorporates subtle elements that may go unnoticed by the casual viewer, but they will certainly capture the imagination of those with a more developed sensitivity.

The final message of "Moonrise" changes depending on each viewer, as each member of the audience spins his or her own story according to the elements they see on stage. 

That is the magic and charm of this work, one from which most of the audience do not seem to wish to wake up once the lights on stage die out.

We can only hope that the BANCh will perform this piece often for more public to enjoy and appreciate, and that Mr. Lidberg will return to collaborate in the creation of new pieces that may take us to his unique world of dreams and refined artistic expression. 

Event: «Moonrise» Ballet.

Performed by: Ballet Nacional Chileno, BANCH.

Location: Teatro Universidad de Chile/ Centro de Extensión Artística y Cultural Universidad de Chile, CEAC. Avenida Providencia #43, Santiago.

Choreography: Pontus Lidberg.

Dates: May 10th - 18th, 2024.

Cover picture - CEAC/Juan Pablo Garretón