Cultural diversity is a pillar of Switzerland’s constitution. Therefore, it was not surprising that Raetho-Romanic was accepted as a fourth official language in a vote in 1938—with an overwhelming majority of 91.6! Despite constitutional support, the country’s Raetho-Romanic areas are endangered. Villages in this picturesque mountain region are continuously losing residents due to unattractive economic prospects. The once glorious hotels along the pass road to the south, frequented by royals and academics from all parts of Europe at one time, have long fallen into disrepair. Unlike stagecoaches back then, automobiles do not need to stop over when crossing the Julier pass today. That is where the cultural festival Origen (Raetho-Romanic for “origin”) comes in. Founded in 2005, its first stage opened in a mediaeval castle in Riom one year later, forming the first-ever professional theatre house in the Raetho-Romanic cultural history. Nowadays, the festival invests a yearly amount of around 5 million Swiss francs (ca. 5.3 million euros) in artistic creation, as well as the renovation and construction of infrastructure, including performance sites, rustic hotels, intimate restaurants, and even a spectacular wooden theatre tower with a floating stage hanging from its star-shaped ceiling. That way, Origen can claim to contribute to the region’s revitalisation and sustainable economic future.

A perfect setting

The German choreographer Dustin Klein, known in the Czech Republic for his collaborations with the Pilsen ballet company and the Prague State Opera, has been a frequent guest at Origen festival since 2017. This year, he returns to the Surses valley with four members of the Bavarian State Ballet and his trusted acting partner, Felix von Bredow, to contemplate the Brothers Grimm fairy tale Schneeweißchen und Rosenrot (Snow-White and Rose-Red). It is an investigation of the emotional opposites within us, and their balance.

First of all, what better place could there be to bring such a story to life than a mediaeval castle surrounded by mountains and forests? The special atmosphere of this site is felt from the first moment, when—the stage in complete darkness—the audience notices the sound of footsteps. Then a face appears in the sparse light of a match: it is the narrator (von Bredow) who welcomes the spectators to the Grimms’ mystic world. A short moment later, now in a shiny pink dress, the speaker has taken on the role of a widow and introduces her two dear daughters with whom she lives in a house in the forest: Firstly, there is Schneeweisschen. Her shy personality is incorporated in a sylph-like manner, with soft développés and a contemplative port de bras. Madison Young embodies this in a solo with perfect body control, almost silently, as though her appearance was a mere dream. Secondly, there is Rosenrot. By nature very curious, she is a true whirlwind. Bianca Teixeira restlessly connects one turn after the other during her solo on Bach’s Cello Suite no. 1, both en dedans and en dehors, to either side, on pointe and demi-pointe—just like a cellist trying to push the boundaries of execution and interpretation, yet a little more through repetition.

The two sisters could not be any more different. However, as we are told by their mother, they complete each other in harmonious balance. Together, they are so groundbreakingly accomplished that they attract all the good in the world and live a life without worries. Young and Teixeira demonstrate that harmony in a cleverly choreographed duet. While partly mirroring each other, the more interesting moments are the ones when they complement each other. This is accomplished by one doing an arabesque as the other lifts her leg en avant, by one doing a tombé as the other does a développé on pointe, or by one doing a pirouette as the other simply stays on balance. At other times, they seem to have a conversation by following the question-answer motifs in Shostakovich’s Duet for Two Violins and Piano.

An unknown guest

Their bond is first tested when, unexpectedly and somewhat disturbingly, someone knocks at the door. A bear is there on all fours asking for shelter for the winter. What to do? Let him in and risk being torn apart? You have to embrace your fears and stay curious, the widow decides, and welcomes the hairy creature in. Though the girls are timid at first, they soon find a new playmate in the bear. They climb across his back and play with his face. Moreover, he is the girls’ first male contact, a not unimportant realisation which caused Klein to make him appear as a matador. In his knee socks, high-waisted trousers with golden ornaments, and furry bolero, Severin Brunhuber incorporates masculinity in a mixture of tension and suspension, showing off his muscular power in steady balances, and releasing it in an immaculate grand tour en attitude. The castle’s stage is far too small for his coupé-jeté in manège, an occurrence which only supports the impression of power. Yet, the bear never seems threatening. The girls are, in their own way, fascinated and somewhat seduced by his demonstration. While Schneeweisschen keeps her excitement to herself, Rosenrot seems to be waiting for every moment of the bear’s attention. Did she just try to kiss him? Eventually, spring arrives. Much to everyone’s dismay, the bear leaves for the forest, claiming that he needs to protect his treasures from the evil that grows from the soil.

A challenging encounter

The following scenes bring a new dynamic into the piece. The sisters meet a grumpy dwarf when strolling through the forest. He is a furious and heavily unbalanced character who, in his rage, has his beard stuck in a tree stump and later gets tangled in his fishing net. When the girls save him, he yells at them. Ariel Merkuri’s aggressive chaînés, kick-like grand rond, and the seemingly tireless combination of Italian changements and double tours en l’air lend the dwarf an explosive energy. He even has the girls help him steal a crystal—dramatically placed in the castle’s historic stone wall. They cannot know that the treasure is the bear’s and that the bear is in fact a prince.

When the bear finds out about the theft, a big fight breaks out. It is not simply a fight between the rightful owner and a thief, it is also a fight between a harmonious world and one of jealousy and greed. It would not be a fairy tale if good did not prevail, if the prince did not regain his original appearance and marry Schneeweisschen, whilst his brother weds Rosenrot. But is evil dead forever? It is not, says the narrator, for it keeps on living within every one of us. We need to keep seeking the right balance.

The balance of life

Its simple story aside, Klein’s schneeweisschen + rosenrot develops a surprisingly deep meaning. It is well thought through and reflects the complexity of the classical “good versus bad” problematic. Nothing is exclusively “good” nor “bad”. The four dancers left the audience wanting for nothing. Compared to the classical vocabulary chosen, a few more contemporary moves could perhaps have added more weight to the central question. The mix between spoken story and danced emotion is well balanced and interlaced, and von Bedrow’s text is particularly concise during the choreography’s few snatchy moments. Unfortunately, the costumes, especially for the two female dancers, seem slightly left out of that symbiosis. The tops are unnecessarily short, leaving the ballerinas with nearly nothing but their skin-coloured leotards and red or white sleeves. A little more of that beautiful material would have helped depict the two as the lovely girls they were interpreting.

The quality of dance productions such as schneeweisschen + rosenrot underline Origen’s strong standing in comparison to similar festivals in the country’s urbanised areas. This year’s edition offers the novelty of consecutive dance performances in two different venues renovated by Origen. The break in between is long enough for a quick dinner at the only restaurant in Riom, run by Origen. After the second show, the festival-run wine bar invites spectators for a relaxing drink. Finally, Riom’s only hotel is part of Origen, too. It is impressive what the organisation has done to revitalise the Surses valley. Yet, with every new hotel or restaurant that they open, one may ask: Is Origen the valley’s sole future? How many of the locals gain a new perspective if the festival covers every aspect of a visitor’s stay itself and if the 250 helpers share the equivalent of only 37 full-time jobs? The construction of a new outlook tower—its architecture inspired by the valley’s confectionery history—in partnership with local construction companies and the Federal Institute of Technology is a good example of how existing establishments can be included in Origen’s visions, and how a cultural festival can create concrete value for the community. A similar approach for other projects and areas of activity is certainly desirable. Just as in schneeweisschen + rosenrot, the right balance continuously needs to be sought—a balance between escapade and joint venture.

 

Written from the performance of the 10 August 2024 in Riom Castle, Surses.

 

schneeweisschen + rosenrot
Choreography: Dustin Klein
Text, acting: Felix von Bedrow
Costumes: Pauline Kappelmann
Sound: Franck Bourgoin
Light design: Konstantin Binkin
Dancers: Severin Brunhuber, Ariel Merkuri, Bianca Teixeira, Madison Young
Premiere: 8 August 2024