From the moment Richmond Ballet began planning performances at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, there was talk about exploiting the synergistic power between art and dance.
With its first offering this season, “Moving Art 1: Passion and Power,” the company is taking that synergy to the next level. Just as the VMFA’s popular Frida Kahlo exhibit, “Frida: Beyond the Myth,” enters its last month, artistic director Ma Cong will unveil a world premiere ballet inspired by the trailblazing artist that incorporates aspects of both her life and her art.
“Frida was a fiercely resilient artist whose bold, deeply personal work continues to captivate,” says Ma. “This ballet, ‘Piensa en Mí (or Think of Me),’ will be a tribute to her strength, complexity, and creative spirit.”
As he was developing the new work, Ma drew from many sources in addition to the VMFA exhibit. “When I first learned that Frida was coming to the VMFA, I became obsessed,” he says. One early source of inspiration was the 2002 film, “Frida,” directed by Julie Taymor.
“Watching the film, the first thing that struck me was how beautiful the music was and how it really helped with the storytelling,” he remembers. “It came into my mind to use this music as sort of the bones of the piece.”
While tracks from the film like Chavela Vargas’s “Paloma Negra” are heard in the ballet, the title of the piece comes from a 1935 song that some may recognize from the 1991 Pedro Almodovar film, “High Heels.”
Ma’s evocation of Kahlo is largely symbolic but some specific events are represented, like the debilitating accident she experienced at 18 that left her in pain for the rest of her life. “The bus crash happens in the very beginning,” Ma explains. “At curtain up, one solo woman travels towards the audience with very aggressive, very powerful movements to represent that.”
The ballet features four women, all of whom will represent Kahlo at some point. “One message I carried throughout the creative process is that everybody can be Frida,” says Ma. “Frida inspired us to be whoever we want to be as a person, to be honest, be brave, and be expressive.”
In order to enhance the visual pizzazz of this premiere, Ma has brought on board top flight designers, including costume designer Emma Kingsbury. While Kingsbury has done high-profile designs for films like “The Wolverine” in 2013 and “Pacific Rim: Uprising” in 2018, the bulk of her work is in ballet.
Kingsbury says that telling stories with the human body is part of the appeal for her. “I think it’s the most incredible thing that you’ve got an art form that is right alongside peak athleticism,” she says. “It’s the extremity of it.”
In order to complete her work in Richmond, Kingsbury had to take a break from her most extensive project to date: acting as designer for a monumental multiyear effort by Teatro Alla Scalla in Italy to produce the entirety of Wagner’s “Ring” cycle, 4 operas over 3 years.
She says she’s happy to make room to work with Ma. “I’ve always loved Ma’s ability to intrinsically tap into emotions,” Kingsbury says. “He can do the most profound things, tapping into the emotion of the music and translating that to the body.”
For his part, Ma says, “Emma was the first person that jumped to my mind when I started this project. She’s not only a costume designer, but also a scenic designer. It’s very hard to find someone who has that kind of perspective, not just of the costumes, but also what they will look like in space. We are very lucky to have this relationship with her.”
Adding passion to this “Moving Art” performance will be the other dance on the bill: Trey McIntyre’s “Wild Sweet Love.” The piece has been described as “a whirlwind of romance,” propelled by an eclectic selection of recognizable songs by the likes of Queen, Lou Reed, Roberta Flack, and even the The Partridge Family.
This season, Richmond Ballet has appended titles to its formerly generically numbered “Moving Art” performances. Ma sees it as a way to set an audience’s expectations.
“We are always looking for ways to engage our audience,” he says. “These two pieces truly represent ‘passion and power,’ and [that title] gives the audience a little sneak peak. I think people will really enjoy them.”
Performances of Richmond Ballet’s “Moving Art 1: Passion and Power” will take place on the Leslie Cheek stage at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, 200 North Arthur Ashe Boulevard, from Sept. 11 through Sept. 21. Tickets and information available at https://richmondballet.com/.
