»If I love you, then beware!«
From 18 March 2023, Semperoper Ballett will once again perform the popular love triangle about the ›femme fatale‹ Carmen, the loyal Don José and the daredevil torero. Mr Inger’s moving, contemporary interpretation, which takes up Prosper Mérimée’s 19th-century novella, focuses on Don José’s lovesickness.
It was Marius Pepita who first staged a ballet called »Carmen et son torero« in 1845, telling thus the story of the passionate Carmen. Georges Bizet’s opera adaptation (1875) made this emotional plot become famous in the whole world. Since then, »Carmen« has again and again served as a basis for several dance creations by renowned choreographers such as Mats Ek, Carlos Acosta or John Cranko.
Driven by the electrifying, sensual music by Rodion Shchedrin, Marc Álvarez and Georges Bizet, Johan Inger created his award-winning interpretation of this popular plot for Compañía Nacional de Danza in Madrid in 2015. Mr Inger’s narrative ballet has been part of Semperoper Ballett’s repertoire since its Dresden premiere on 25 January 2019, and it invites the audience to experience this exciting story again in 2023.