Aszure Barton, Kylián, and Béjart at La Scala: A Critical Review

At Teatro alla Scala in Milan, a triple bill of contemporary dance premiered in 2018, featuring works by Aszure Barton, Jiří Kylián, and Maurice Béjart. Canadian choreographer Aszure Barton's new piece "Mahler 10" opened the evening but was criticized for lacking originality, devolving into predictable modern American dance patterns despite a promising start with dancer Stefania Ballone. The choreography failed to capture the emotional depth of Gustav Mahler's music, reducing it to background noise. Soloists Virna Toppi and Antonino Sutera stood out, with Toppi's magnetic performance and Sutera's well-calibrated solo, while Christian Fagetti delivered a brief but beautiful diagonal solo. The review notes that choreographing to Mahler is challenging, citing Alain Platel's failed attempt and Lea Moro's successful one. The second piece, Jiří Kylián's "Petite Morte" (1991) set to Mozart, returned to La Scala after ten years, exploring suspended erotic time through six couples. The most anticipated work was Maurice Béjart's "Boléro" (1961) to Ravel, interpreted as a queer choreography about emerging from the closet, with eroticized male bodies. Roberto Bolle gave a powerful, muscular performance, transforming the solo into an objectified, self-determined presence devoid of libido, embodying the choreography's anarchic, non-reproductive sexuality. The evening received prolonged applause, but the critic warns that applause does not define a ballet's success.