When Marcelino Sambé first encountered Glen Tetley's 1962 ballet Pierrot Lunaire, he was appalled by its unconventional style - so much so that it took him several rehearsals to fully connect with the piece.
The ballet is a haunting and eccentric work set to Arnold Schoenberg's atonal song cycle of the same name. Based on poems by Albert Giraud, it tells the story of a childlike clown who becomes infatuated with Columbine but ultimately succumbs to heartbreak and despair.
Sambé will be dancing the lead role in an upcoming production of the ballet, alongside soloist Joshua Junker. For Sambé, Pierrot is more than just a one-dimensional character - it's a complex emotional journey that requires vulnerability and depth.
When approached for the first time, Sambé found Schoenberg's music to be "horrifying" - but he has since grown accustomed to its unique rhythms and timbres. Junker, on the other hand, sees the piece as a poignant exploration of innocence and adulthood.
Glen Tetley himself choreographed the ballet in collaboration with composer Arnold Schoenberg, bringing together elements of modern dance and classical technique that were revolutionary at the time. The ballet has since become a rare and special gem in the Royal Ballet's repertoire, celebrated for its innovative spirit and emotional depth.
In an upcoming production, Sambé will be joined by Junker on stage in a stripped-down performance that promises to focus on the dancers' interactions with each other and the haunting music of Schoenberg.
The ballet is a haunting and eccentric work set to Arnold Schoenberg's atonal song cycle of the same name. Based on poems by Albert Giraud, it tells the story of a childlike clown who becomes infatuated with Columbine but ultimately succumbs to heartbreak and despair.
Sambé will be dancing the lead role in an upcoming production of the ballet, alongside soloist Joshua Junker. For Sambé, Pierrot is more than just a one-dimensional character - it's a complex emotional journey that requires vulnerability and depth.
When approached for the first time, Sambé found Schoenberg's music to be "horrifying" - but he has since grown accustomed to its unique rhythms and timbres. Junker, on the other hand, sees the piece as a poignant exploration of innocence and adulthood.
Glen Tetley himself choreographed the ballet in collaboration with composer Arnold Schoenberg, bringing together elements of modern dance and classical technique that were revolutionary at the time. The ballet has since become a rare and special gem in the Royal Ballet's repertoire, celebrated for its innovative spirit and emotional depth.
In an upcoming production, Sambé will be joined by Junker on stage in a stripped-down performance that promises to focus on the dancers' interactions with each other and the haunting music of Schoenberg.
! I've heard it's gonna be super intimate, just the 2 leads interacting with each other and the weirdly beautiful Schoenberg tunes 
. Marcelino Sambé has been through some struggles with the choreo in the past, but he's got this role nailed now 
. It'll be cool to see Joshua Junker's take on it too - I love how these dancers are pushing the boundaries of what ballet can do 
. The Royal Ballet's gotta give props to Glen Tetley for creating something so unique and emotional back in 62 
. Can't wait to see this stripped-down version, just the dancers' raw energy and vulnerability on stage... it's gonna be mesmerizing! 
it's this super old ballet from 1962 but the choreo & music are still mind-blowing 
what's crazy is that sambé was like totally turned off by it at first lol 
he thought schoenberg's music was "horrifying" but now he gets it 
i love how the new production is gonna focus on the dancers' interactions tho, can't wait to see it! 
The ballet has had like 3 main choreographers since its creation in 1962... Glen Tetley, Frederick Ashton & Nicholas Johansson 
... did u know that he's gonna be dancing Pierrot Lunaire with Joshua Junker? 
They're actually doing a stripped-down version which means less sets and more focus on the dance interactions between them & the music 
The atonal song cycle is like, super hard 2 dance 2 but Sambé's all about bringin' vulnerability & depth 2 the character 
I'm telling you, this ballet thing is more than just art... it's like, they're trying to control our minds! 
Plus, Sambé finds Schoenberg's music "horrifying" at first, but then grows accustomed to it... what if they're trying to manipulate our emotions through music? 
. Marcelino Sambé is actually a talented dancer but his performance got completely lost in that awful audio 
. And what's up with the stripped-down format? Can't they just give us some decent subtitles or something? I'm really interested in this piece, but the production sounds like it's going to be a disappointment due to poor technicalities 
.
. Bring on the haunting beauty of Pierrot Lunaire!
. The ballet's like, so avant-garde and weird, but in a good way? It's like Glen Tetley was all 'screw traditional dance' and created something entirely new and crazy. And can we talk about Schoenberg's music? It's like his atonal songs are made for a modern-day emotional rollercoaster 
. I'm intrigued by how Sambé has connected with the piece, he seems to have found this deep vulnerability in it. And Joshua Junker's interpretation of innocence and adulthood is a great contrast - I love how they're gonna strip down the production to focus on the dancers' interactions... it sounds like it's gonna be super intense 
. You know, they start off all like "horrifying" to some people, but eventually, you get used to it and it becomes the new normal 
. Meanwhile, Joshua Junker's take on innocence and adulthood is like, totally relevant to our current political landscape 
. The stripped-down performance they're doing for this ballet production? That's like what we need more of in politics – less drama and more substance 
. And Glen Tetley's choreography all those years ago? It's like a masterclass on how to bring people together through art 
.