Magifique

Although set to a suite selected from Tchaikovsky's best-known ballets (The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and Sleeping Beauty) that is only occasionally interrupted by droning synthesizer noises “composed” by Nicolas Dupéroir, Thierry Malandain's thoroughly abstract ballet borrows nothing from Tchaikovsky's plots beyond a few references to mice and swans. Dancers from the choreographer's Biarritz company, wearing mostly skin-colored leotards (or sometimes black plastic coats and headgear) engage in a series of athletic routines ranging from a mass foot-race to an extended pas de deux. The dancers also wheel barres, poles, and large rectangular boxes outfitted with mirrors around the stage to create a simple but ever-changing environment for the episodes, while Jean-Claude Asquié's subtle lighting effects add a further element to the visual mix. As Malandain explains in the 25-minute “making-of” featurette that is the sole extra, the title simply comes from his childhood mispronunciation of “magnifique” and can mean “magic-maker.” He also admits that Magifique has no story per se, but—as some of the dancers also point out in their remarks—simply expresses the varied experiences of human existence in music and motion. And if that sounds either a bit arrogant or somewhat fuzzy-headed, the work itself—by turns exhilarating and evocative, as well as dazzlingly performed—will silence most criticism. Presented on DVD and Blu-ray in PCM stereo, this is highly recommended. (F. Swietek)