Yuri Possokhov’s 2011 ballet RAkU takes its title from a style of Japanese pottery characterized by a firing technique in which items are removed from the kiln red-hot (and sometimes placed in a container of combustible material to cool). But its plot was inspired by a 1950 incident in which a novice monk burned down Kyoto’s famed Zen Buddhist Temple of the Golden Pavilion. Gary Wang’s libretto pushes the action back to the feudal period and turns the story into a tragic romance that opens with a princess and her husband dancing a pas de deux before he goes off to battle accompanied by four warriors. While he is away, the princess is violated by a monk, who then sets the temple ablaze as the soldiers return with the ashes of the dead prince. Shirley Sun’s 2017 film consists of two parts. The first follows preparations by Possokhov, composer Shinji Eshima, and the chief dancers of the San Francisco Ballet—Yuan Tan (the Princess), Damian Smith (the Prince), and Pascal Molat (the Monk)—that include discussions and rehearsal footage. The second presents the full ballet, which received a mixed critical reception when it premiered, but has since been performed by a number of companies. With its fine combination of background information and elegant finished production, Sun’s film makes a strong case for RAkU. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)
Fire & Ashes: The Making of the Ballet RAkU
(2017) 64 min. DVD: $149 ($349 w/PPR). DRA. Juno Films. Closed captioned. Volume 33, Issue 6
Fire & Ashes: The Making of the Ballet RAkU
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