![]() a key part was to have the dancers really feel like they were moving in a Spanish way," she says. "The first thing Francois said to me was that he wanted to do the ballet authentically. In 2007 Fernandez spent several months teaching QB dancers the "raw earthiness" of the Spanish style and grounded-down footwork, which is in contrast to the pointe work of classical ballet. "It is very common for companies to add a Spanish touch here or there but the Queensland Ballet version has kept the true essence of the story." "Carmen is one of the most well-known stories about Spain because it brings to life the stories of the gypsies through dance and music," Fernandez says. The novel was staged as an opera in 1875 to the score of French composer Georges Bizet, whose music is used for the QB version which debuted in Brisbane in 2007.Ĭarmen was first performed as a ballet in London in 1897 and includes traditional regional and Flamenco dancing in classical choreography. "Rachel has told me, 'Don't hold back'."Ĭarmen is based on the 1845 Spanish classic by Prosper Merimee about a fiery gypsy girl who is wooed by soldier Don Jose, who then becomes jealous when Carmen falls in love with the toreador Escamillo. "It's a feisty scene between passionate and fiery women so we want to get it as close to real as we can," Marques says. ![]() "They are slapping each other, there is a lot of gesturing with their arms, their chests and their shoulders are out and they are in the moment."īrazilian-born Marques says she and Walsh regularly scratch or bruise each other as they push the boundaries to make the scene authentic. they are at each other's throats," Fernandez says. "They are totally absorbed in their roles. The fight between the two women is one of the most powerful scenes in the show, and Spanish teacher Yolanda Fernandez says she was taken by the level of intensity and commitment shown by the two dancers during rehearsals. Walsh will revive the title role of the tempestuous and seductive Carmen while Marques, as Mercedes, does not back down when Carmen teases her at their workplace, a tobacco factory. The company is rehearsing at its West End studios for the restaging of Spanish ballet Carmen at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre from May 26. Queensland Ballet dancers Rachael Walsh and Iona Marques may be known for their friendly and sweet natures but at the moment they are kicking, grabbing and face-slapping each other. Then with a shake of their tousled hair, dramatic stomping of feet and wild gestures the fight begins. TWO gypsy women glare at each other with fire in their eyes.
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