FIRST POSITION
MONDRIAN MUSE
EN POINTE The Art of Precision Stanton Welch AM talks Velocity’s creation, its connection to his other works, and what first-time ballet viewers should watch for.
Composition II in Red, Blue, and Yellow, 1930, Kunsthaus Zürich
ot hf el on otkhien gc haat rda ac nt ecres ai ns at hdea bn ac lel re, tabnedc o m e the emotions of dancers. In Velocity and Divergence , I explored different facets of classical dance. Divergence jdoaunrcnee, yws ht ihcrho ui sg wh he ya ceha ct yh pme oovf ecml a es ns itc iasl different, whereas Velocity is just one concept. Unlike Tu Tu , which reflected olinkethtoe bmeoiondastouftau,dancer and what it felt Velocity is about the ao cf cpueroapc lye awn hd ot hr ee asl pl ye leodv ea nvdi r tt hu eo sdoy n a m i c dt hains cei nn eg r. gTehtei ce, nh ti igrhe- el envseel ma pb pl er oe amc bh ot do i e s dance. To someone who might be watching Velocity and seeing ballet for the first time, what should they be looking for when it comes to classical technique? SW: I’d encourage the general public to think of the Olympics, particularly events like diving, gymnastics, or synchronized si fwyiomumc ai nng’ t, pwi nh eproei nptreevc ei sriyo nt eicshknei yc.aEl v e n do ve et ar ial l, l yeoxuc ec lal ennsct ei l loaf pt hp er epcei ar tf oe rtmh ea n c e . Tinhat’s what you should be looking for Velocity ; these excellent technicians aml lodv oe mi n eg netxst. rAe nmde tl yh ei nrterai cl at ht er, i lf la isst -speaeci ne dg aplel atkh ea tdeaxnaccetrl ys pt heer fsoarmmei ntgi ma te .t hTehierr e ’ s something so extraordinary about this synchronized perfection; that’s what gives you goosebumps.
Backing Velocity’s high-speed moves is set design by Kandis Cook, inspired by the illustrious Dutch painter Piet Mondrian. Renowned for his role in the development of abstract art, Mondrian is known for his distinctive style that emphasizes geometric forms, primary colors - red, blue, yellow - and a grid of black lines. His approach, known as Neoplasticism, reflects his interest in achieving a balance between order and dynamism, influencing modern art and design significantly. “As a painter, his work is characterized by meticulous organization, line, shape, and symmetry -- elements that resonate deeply with the world of dance,” says Stanton Welch. “When choreographing, it often feels like creating lines and shapes, and as a dancer, you focus on these elements in your own movements. My reaction to his paintings wasn’t about him as a person but about how their structured organization
Velocity was created in 2003 for The Australian Ballet – the same year, you were appointed Houston Ballet Artistic Director. Stanton Welch AM: I moved to America in 2000, so Velocity was my first work wt hiet hc oTmh ep aAnuys. tTr ahlei aonr iBgai nl l ae lt caaf tset rolfe a v i n g Velocity wo retrwe ou po fatnhde mc o mw ei nr ge pd rainnccei pr sa. l Os , nbl uy to n e nl aet ae rr,l ys oa lIl hoaf dt hae rme abl el yc as mt r oe npgr icnacsitp. aHl as v i n g been in America for a while, I brought a little more American influence to this ph ai edc ee xt ph ea rni ewnhc ae td Tf rhoe mA ums et r ba el i faonr eB. aTl lheet first movement features predominantly fmemovaelme deannt cfoecrus,sweshoilne tthhee mseacloenddancers. Do ne sspt ai tgeet, hael li rt hr eo lde as nocrewr shwe reer et heexyp ae rcet e d toof tpoepr -f toi remr bwa li ltehr ti nh ae si notre tnhsei ti ry ma nadl es k i l l ct hoeu nc at es rt prae ratl sl y. Tr oh si se wt oa si t ;a ecahcahl lde anng cee, rb u t brought their A-game. Velocity became ah isghhol ywtcaal seen tf eodr ay ogur onug pd oa nf hc eurnsgpr uy,s h i n g tohuetm-jusmelvpeosnteo aonuot-tdhaenr.ce, out-turn, and Can you walk me through what you remember of the creation process? Watching Velocity , it’s reminiscent of Divergence in a way – do you see any similarities in the two? SW: Definitely. Divergence, Velocity, Tu Tu – they’re all a part of the same concept
and symmetry mirrored my appreciation for these qualities.”
12 HOUSTON BALLET
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