About the work
William Forsythe's „In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated" was premiered as part of a double bill at the Paris Opéra under Rudolf Nureyev in 1987 — composed by Forsythe's regular collaborator Thom Willems. It is one of the most influential works of contemporary ballet and a key text of „neoclassical deconstruction".
Plot
There is no plot in any classical sense. Nine dancers (six women, three men) appear in dark unitards on a starkly lit stage. Two golden cherries hang in the middle of the space — hence the title: „in the middle, somewhat elevated". Forsythe takes classical ballet vocabulary (pliés, pirouettes, grand battements, adagio lifts) and pushes it to extreme speed, sharp lines, broken poses. The dancers consciously „miss" the classical form — tipping out of balance, correcting themselves, attacking afresh. Sylvie Guillem (for whom the piece was written) and Laurent Hilaire shaped the premiere with their virtuoso, almost aggressive style. Willems's electronic music — pulsing, industrial sound — contrasts the classical movement language.
Cultural significance
„In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated" is considered the most important neoclassical ballet of the late 1980s and shaped a whole generation of dancers and choreographers — from Wayne McGregor through Crystal Pite to Alexander Ekman. Forsythe's method of renewing the academic tradition by distortion, acceleration and off-balance made him the most important living choreographer of his time. The piece is today in the repertoire of most classical companies and a compulsory audition piece for ensembles worldwide.