The new ballet “Of Light, Wind and Waters” by choreographer Kim Brandstrup will premiere on January 18 by Ballett Zürich. It is inspired by the life and fairytales of Hans Christian Andersen and features music by Hans Abrahamsen and Anna Clyne, including excerpts of Abrahamsen’s Schnee, 10 Præludier, Vier Stücke - aus 6. Kleine Klavierstücke, Traumlieder and Double Concerto. Brandstrup already used Schnee and Double Concerto for his choreography “Shaken Mirror” in 2016.
The music for “Of Light, Wind and Waters” is a sound collage by Ian Dearden, with whom Brandstrup has been working for over thirty years.
The year 2025 marks the 150th anniversary of the death of the Danish poet Hans Christian Andersen. The evening-length ballet intertwines motifs from Andersen’s fairytales and aspects of his own life. Brandstrup works with stories such as “The little Mermaid” and “The Snow Queen” as well as with the lesser-known “The Shadow”. He remarks that many of the characters in Andersen’s stories reflect the authors own desires, losses, and disappointments. The ballet puts Andersen on the stage and lets him encounter the characters of his fairytales.
For more information about the work, please see the website of Ballett Zürich.