Boléro is a Scènova production. We own it and hold the performance rights.
- Premiere
- 2016
- Running time
- 15 minutes
- Music
- Maurice Ravel
- Rights
- Scènova production
Ravel wrote Boléro in 1928 at the request of a dancer who wanted a ballet with a Spanish character. He chose an Andalusian dance, a single melody, a single rhythm, and let the orchestration do all the work. The piece became one of the most performed in the world.
What makes Boléro so daunting for a choreographer is exactly what makes it irresistible: there is nothing to tell and nowhere to hide. The tension can only come from accumulation.
Our version
Choreography, staging, libretto, sets and costumes were created by our artistic team for the 2016 tour. The piece is built around a single central point of support, around which the corps de ballet enters in waves, bar after bar.
It opens or closes an evening, never stands alone: fifteen minutes of music call for a programme around them.