DVD + Blu-Ray:
Alexander Ekman: Play

Enter Alexander Ekman's surprising and dreamlike universe with "Play", his first collaboration with the Ballet de l'Opéra de Paris, out on DVD & Blu-ray!

A sparkling personality on the contemporary dance scene, Swedish choreographer Alexander Ekman has been invited for the first time to work with the dancers of the Paris Opera Ballet. His language, both visceral and tinged with humour, combining theatricality, and classical and contemporary vocabulary alike, perfectly resonates with the incredible versatility and stage presence of the Ballet : the result is "Play", a piece that evokes the world of childhood and its careless pleasures. But beyond pure entertainment, this performance contemplates the meaning and the importance of play when we become adults…

Best known for the spectacular quality of his pieces and their dreamlike imagery, like for instance his "Midsummer Night’s Dream" (also released on DVD and Blu-ray by BelAir Classiques), the Swedish choreographer fills the stage of the Palais Garnier with an entrancing energy. The metallic structures, dancers suspended in space, and the elevations are but a few of the powerful images that will strike the audience’s imagination!

For this new creation, Alexander Ekman worked with his acolyte composer Mikael Karlsson, but also with a talented team of instrumentalists not often seen on the stage of the Palais Garnier, among them gospel singer Callie Day or the incredible drums and marimba player Adelaïde Ferrière. An unexpected performance, carried along by enticing rhythms and communicative energy!

Genre Ballet
Recording location Opéra national de Paris (Palais Garnier)
Production year 2017
Duration 106 min.
Video format Color, 16/9, NTSC (DVD), Full HD (Blu-ray)
Audio format PCM 2.0, Dolby Digital 5.1 (DVD) , DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 (Blu-ray)
Director Tommy Pascal
Composer Mikael Karlsson
Choreography by Alexander Ekman
Dance Company Ballet de l'Opéra national de Paris
Costumes Xavier Ronze, Alexander Ekman
Soloist Stéphane Bullion - Danseur étoile
Soloist Muriel Zusperreguy - Première danseuse
Soloist Vincent Chaillet - Premier danseur
Distribution DVD Naxos Distribution