And Then, One Thousand Years of Peace, Edinburgh Playhouse
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Based on the biblical Apocalypse, Angelin Preljocaj’s And Then, One Thousand Years of Peace sometimes looks downright dangerous.
There are duets with one party wrapped up in plastic; heavy chains fall to the floor beside moving dancers, landing with a thump. Don’t try this at home.
Preljocaj’s dance was created in collaboration with the Bolshoi Ballet and is now danced by the French choreographer’s own company.
Some sequences look designed to show a contrast in styles. Two women, with chains around their necks, unfurl into poised classical poses. Dancers with their heads wrapped in flags stage a careful, freezeframe orgy, standing still in sexual positions.
It’s a jumble of images, some stronger than others: violence, sex, flags and some striking, floating dance. Lines of dancers move in a hypnotic, high-stepping walk, like wading birds. Less interestingly, blond-wigged women take up peep-show poses by the walls of Subdoh Gupta’s set.
In the final sequences, dancers wash their flags in sinks, slapping them to the floor in arcs of water. In the most literal biblical image, they bring on two sheep – which look interested in the puddles and inclined to wander off.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments