Showing posts with label dance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dance. Show all posts

Monday, November 30, 2020

#FolktaleWeek2020 - Day 7 Picks: Dance (last day)

by Ruth Burrows (@ruthburrowsillustration)
The last day of the challenge and I’m celebrating by showing a traditional Morris Dancer. Lincolnshire has a strong history of performing this old English folk dance, with teams around the county still competing at the Lincoln Big Morris Festival. -- The earliest known and surviving English written mention of Morris dance is dated to 1448 and records the payment of seven shillings to Morris dancers by the Goldsmiths' Company in London.

 We have reached the end of #FolktaleWeek2020!

The last day's prompt is DANCE and there are some lovely creations being posted. 

Unfortunately for the event, Instagram (where the event is hosted and concentrated) was blocking recent posts for any hashtag searches beyond approximately nine entries "to help prevent the spread of possible false information and harmful content related to the election" which made it difficult to see all the entries, and especially difficult to find new artists joining the event. It's been quite the treasure hunt to find these gems all tucked away into various corners of the internet!

The event is such a wonderful way for people to discover both new art and artists, but also fairy tales, and folktales they didn't yet know too. Our favorite aspect would have to be the artists and creatives who planned in advance to participate and dug into their research, finding unfamiliar tales to use centered on each of the prompts. We've seen many folks discover tales this way, while we've seen other people create their own. We can't think of another fairy tale and folktale-focused event that has this effect! That this is so widespread across the world, includes people from all backgrounds and experiences, and is so incredibly supportive of everyone participating as well, is one of those "fairy tales bring people together" sort of dreams and we are SO here for it!

Enjoy our picks (a LOT today!) for "DANCE".

by Meldavnh (@meldavnh)
This time the story is from Aceh. A man dreams of meeting his sibling who has died of treason. He dreamed that he was told how to summon a white elephant for offering to a daughter who really liked it. The elephant was called but still didn't want to move and instead sat still like a stone. He did everything he could to get the elephant to follow him, but all failed. He almost gave up until finally he started dancing around moving his body in such a way. And what happened? The elephant started to move along with the dance. Then he began to lead the elephant with a dance towards the princess.
by Timidite.art
by Yevgeniya Troitskaya
′′ Vasilisa the wise drinks from the cup - does not finish, the remains pouring for her left sleeve. Eats a fried swan - throws bones behind his right sleeve. -- The wives of the eldest Tsarevich saw this - and there: what they do not finish - they pour into the sleeve, what they do not finish - they put in another one. And why, why - they don't know it themselves. -- As guests stood up from the table, music played, dancing began. Vasilisa Wise went to dance with Ivan Tsarevich. Waved my left sleeve - became a lake, waved right - white swans swam across the lake. The king and all the guests were surprised. And when she stopped dancing, everything disappeared: both the lake and swans."
by Martin Wills Illustrator
Folktale Week Day 7 Dance.....An interesting variation for my last post for Folktale Week. There is an opinion held that my favourite ballet Swan Lake was derived from the Russian folktale The White Duck.
by Eleonora Asparuhova (@elleasparuhova)
‘Dance with me, my love!’ - Last day of @folktaleweek - (Winter) Dance -- Thank you so much for the incredible challenge for yet another year! It’s been a pleasure!
by Cynthia Cliff Art (@ceecliff_art)
Folktale Week Day 7: DANCE. We made it! And just like in a children’s tale—when evil is conquered, a lesson is learned, or the day is won—we can celebrate with dance! And we did win too! So much creativity and joyful art was made and shared this week, it was a win for us all. I patterned my dancers after medieval mummers, who traditionally performed in dances and plays in masked costumes to celebrate holidays and were very popular at Christmas time. I didn’t go into specific stories this year for folktale week, instead choosing a medieval-ish theme and folklore snippets. It was fun being in that world for a week. 
by Big Mama Moon Badge Co
Every culture has folktales of dance and a lot include fire. Whether it's used to signify passion, cleansing, ritual or entering altered states, it certainly creates dynamic folk stories! 
by Diane Crotty
DANCE. I have always loved the story of Baba Yaga and her house on chicken legs. Here they are, having a hoodie
by Katrin Dreiling (@dreiling_katrin)
Final piece for Folktaleweek, ‘dance’. It’s an Icelandic tale about the invisible huldufolk and their queen
by Scott Keenan Illustration (@scottkeenanillo)
“Meanwhile, nearby, slippers made of iron were heated over to the wicked queen with tongs, and placed at her feet. Then she was made to walk in those red hot shoes, and to dance in them. And she did so until she fell to the ground, dead.”  
by Maria Mola (@madoucepatrie)
“Blanche’s friends are long gone...but next 24 of December in the northern woods of Lapland, the old Christmas fairy will be protecting the kids of the Earth... shushing ‘believe’ while they sleep.“ 

by Lisa Rush (@LisaRus64043392)
#FolktaleWeek2020 Day 7 prompt word dance - Nutcracker
by Sojung Kim-McCarthy (@creativesojung)
Rabbit & Turtle -- Dragon King of the South Sea fell gravely ill & no medicine worked for him. One last thing the doctor suggested was a rabbit’s liver. So a turtle was sent on a perilous journey onto the land and into the woods to get a rabbit. -- The poor turtle was ordered to shuttle the rabbit back to land and bring the liver. The moment they arrived on the shore, the rabbit ran into the woods calling the turtle all sorts of names, and was never to be found. -- The turtle knew he would be killed if he went back empty-handed, so he picked up some rabbit poo and presented it to the king. The king took the precious medicine the turtle brought and soon recovered. 
by Bella Park (@crown_bellflower)
This is a story from Korean tradition mask dance from Bongsan region! The lions are sent by buda to punish the corrupt monks but when they beg for forgiveness and promises to change, they dance a happy dance together!
by Marta Dorado (@martadorado)
(7/7 of a new story) DANCE: A great ball was organized in the palace to celebrate that booming time. Meanwhile, not far from there, a much older dance was taking place, and a great grey wolf was leading the way.
by Anne-Marie Farrell (@farrell_annemarie)
Folkale week: Dance. 2020 was the year Her dreams were gone to pot A socially-distanced ROYAL BALL! -- Alas I kid you not. -- Prince Charming flossed, his hair he tossed Whilst Cinders rolls her eyes She’s not a fan of Zoom you see, -- Which ought not to surprise.
by Sam Rudd Design (@samrudddesign)
Day 7- dancing- folktale week- the Twelve Dancing Princesses by the brothers Grimm
by Anastasiya (@S_E_R_P_R_E_K_A)
by Kamila Stankiewicz (@st.kamila)
There lived a woman with two girls. One of them was her daughter (lazy and unpleasant as her mother), the second one was her stepdaughter (sweet and kind, no surprises). The stepmother wanted to get rid of the second one. she sent her for a night to a haunted house in the neighborhood. But against the expectations, the stepdaughter got back another day. not only in one piece but also in rich clothes, with a lot of jewelry and a big chest full of treasures. Her relatives were curious how did it happen? Isn't the house haunted? It is!- the girl confirmed.- When the sun went down, the rooms of the old house turned into chambers, and a very handsome, young cavalier asked me for a dance. But there was something wrong with him. He wanted to dance even though he was limping. (In Polish tale she asked: Kosmo dzieweczka, choć do taneczka!)
I told him, I can't dance with him-my clothes are old and full of holes. He only slammed with the whip, and a lot of whimsical, beautiful dresses were around me. At this moment I knew who he was. He insistent to start dancing. But I asked him for earnings, gloves, necklaces, fans, a lot of things but my ideas were gone, and it was only midnight and he was getting nervous. Then I saw a bucket with holes. Go to the river and bring me water, I have to wash my face. Then I'll be ready to dance. He went right away, but when was back, the whole water from the bucket was gone. So he went again and again. Finally, I heard a rooster. After its crow, the cavalier disappeared, like all palace chambers. The house was old and ruined again. But all of his gifts remained. The same evening the stepmother sent her daughter to a ruined house. She was sure that she will get even more gifts and treasures. And everything went the same as the previous night. The handsome cavalier showed up again, wanted to dance, and gave the girl all that she wanted. But before midnight, she didn't have more ideas anymore. I have even more goods than my sister. I can dance with him, why not? And they dancer. Quicker and quicker... He lost his shoe, and instead of his foot, the girl saw a black hoof. She understood, that it was a devil itself, but too late. After a rooster's crawling, the man disappeared again. But the girl didn't get back home. It was afternoon already, and stepmother still waited for her daughter to come. She decided to go to the house herself. She saw her daughter in a window from a distance and got even angrier. I wait for her impatiently, and she sits there with a spoon in her mouth and probably eats scrambled eggs, as nothing happened! But all her anger was gone when she entered the room. There was only her daughter's head on a window sill. Nothing more. Only a head, which fell off in a devilish dance.
by Silvia Crocicchi (@silviacrocicchi.illustrations)
🖤🖤🖤FIDDLER JONES🖤🖤🖤
(from the Spoon River Anthology)
The earth keeps some vibration going
There in your heart, and that is you.
And if the people find you can fiddle,
Why, fiddle you must, for all your life.
What do you see, a harvest of clover?
Or a meadow to walk through to the river?
The wind's in the corn; you rub your hands
For beeves hereafter ready for market;
Or else you hear the rustle of skirts
Like the girls when dancing at Little Grove.
To Cooney Potter a pillar of dust
Or whirling leaves meant ruinous drouth;
They looked to me like Red-Head Sammy
Stepping it off, to "Toor-a-Loor."
How could I till my forty acres
Not to speak of getting more,
With a medley of horns, bassoons and piccolos
Stirred in my brain by crows and robins
And the creak of a wind-mill--only these?
And I never started to plow in my life
That some one did not stop in the road
And take me away to a dance or picnic.
I ended up with forty acres;
I ended up with a broken fiddle--
And a broken laugh, and a thousand memories,
And not a single regret.
by Trudi Murray (@trudi_murray)
I’ve been making imaginary Shakespeare book covers for each day’s prompt. I would LOVE to illustrate Shakespeare in real life! -- Today’s prompt is DANCE. From two feuding families, young lovers Romeo and Juliet fall in love at a masked ball, a dance organised by her father to encourage Juliet’s betrothal to another boy, Paris. Clever Shakespeare - a masked ball is a perfect device. When real identities are hidden, isn’t love the simplest truth? When the revellers spill out into the night, there follows an epically tragic dance of headstrong love, logistical misunderstanding and slightly over-dramatic young people making rash decisions 
by Katia Hinic (@katia.hinic)
Day 7 Dance 🌿 STORY TIME! There was once a beautiful valley with a small hill in the middle. This was a sacred place, covered in lush grass, where fairies would meet and dance all night long.  Until one day, the shepherds herded their sheep on the hill, letting them graze on the soft grass. That night the fairies returned and looked upon the ruined grass in horror. All that soft ground ruined, hard and battered, it's no place to dance! 🐑🐑🐑 Despite the warnings, the shepherds let the sheep eat the grass until there was just hard stone and trampled grass underneath their feet. One of the fairies slipped and broke her leg on the hard ground, making the fairies very angry! They called upon the surrounding mountains and their white peaks and filled the valley with water, leaving the little hill as an island in the middle. Lake Bled was created, leaving the island lush and green again. And the fairies dance in the moonlight to this day 🖤 And yes, Lake Bled is an actual place, go google it (or check my latest story)! It's beautiful and looks just as magical as it sounds.
by Maja Lindberg (@illustrationsby majali)
When the mist shrouds along the fields a windless morning or evening it looks like fairies dancing. In Sweden the name for this weather phenomenon is called, ”älvdans” (fairy dance).
by Katarina Favaro (@keit_the_human)
Dance Macabre/ Danse Macabre #danzamacabra
by Kath Waxman (@kathwaxman)
Day 7 of Folktale Week 2020 -- Prompt: Dance -- Illustration: the Volta -- The connection between Shakespeare’s King Lear and Cinderella clearly demonstrates how folktales inspired Shakespeare’s many works. In Lear, his main plot uses a legend that parallels "Love Like Salt," a Cinderella-ish story that appears in Grimms' Fairy Tales. While Shakespeare’s version is a tragedy, and Cinderella ends quite differently, both stories contain similar elements. Dance is an important part of Cinderella and folktales. Dance, like stories, language, and costume reflects the life, values, and customs of a people. We all know the importance of the ball and dance in the Cinderella story.

Late entries for BIRTH
by Che Chula (@chechulalala)
#folktaleweek, so here goes first one, tiny Otesánek is born


by Cynthia Cliff (@ceecliff_art)
Folktale Week Day 1: BIRTH no 2. In children’s tales there are often magical beings that either adore babies or try to snatch them away. I’ve made one of each.
by Johanna Lohrengal Art
Tatterhood, a favourite of my son, is a Norwegian tale about two princess twin sisters that could not appear to be more different. -- One of the girls is the sweetest pup one can imagine - whereas the other girl Tatterhood is as loud as a murder of crows, wearing rags and riding on a goat while passionately waving about with a wooden spoon. -- But they belong together just as the shadows and light do and the best of it is that they know this. -- Now there are lots of strange things happening in this tale - a herd of ogres trying to ask for the hand of the fair princess, a human body with the head of a calf, a long journey and a strange wedding deal. -- But as today the Folktale Week 2020 is starting with the topic "Birth" I want to reflect on the strange circumstances of the birth of Tatterhood and her twin sister. -- The King and the Queen of a certain kingdom wished for a child and after years of trying they finally met a wise woman who shared her magic and gave them how-to instructions. After several steps the Queen was supposed to find two roses in her garden - a white one and a red one - and under no circumstances was she to eat the red one. Upon seeing the two flowers she could not stop herself and before even noticing what was happening she had devoured the red rose whose pull was just too strong. She also ate the white rose and after 9 months of dreaming and growing and hoping she gave birth to the twins. -- --- -- There is not much said about the relationship between the "ugly" girl Tatterhood and her parents but it is known that they tried to keep the two girls apart, which never worked. -- While writing this I am wondering about how it must feel for the Queen to give birth to what seems a strange changeling while fully understanding that it was her fault. -- Is she feeling guilty? Is she feeling released because finally the consequence of eating the forbidden red rose is revealed? Is she able to love a child like this, a child that is a constant reminder of her own lack of control? -- What are the ungly children that we gave birth to when we did something that we were not supposed to do? How do we take care of the offspring of our failures and wrongdoings? -- Luckily this story shows us that the things we initially consider a mistake, a bad decision, a misstep can later save the day and carry us to latitudes we would never have dreamt of.

Late entries for COURTSHIP
by Elena Yampolsky (@yelensky_illustration)
Day 3 - Courtship -- One more story from the Enchanted Forest. -- This is how the Baba Yaga's date looks like. Probably I've made a special valentine card
by Anastasiya (@S_E_R_P_R_E_K_A)

Late entries for HARVEST
by Karlen Tam (@karlen_tam)
The Great Peach Banquet (text shown above)
by Maria Over (@maria.over)
“So many herring!” Seqineq burst out in cheer as Nanuq turned around with a beaming smile across his face. A large swarm passed right underneath their kayaks and towards the nets. -- For today’s prompt “Harvest”, I adapted a belief from Northern Sweden that the Northern lights were a good omen that brought large groups of herring and secured survival.
by Sabine König (@vomheugel_design)
HARVEST, FOLKTALEWEEK 2020 ⁣🍶 The small tear jug⁣⁣⁣⁣ --  "But one night she had to run an errand from one village to another. The full moon shone on the snow-covered land, but she did not see the beauty, for her eyes were clouded by all the tears💧for her child. ⁣ -- "… a child with bare feet tripped fearfully in the cold snow ❄️ and dragged a heavy jug." ⁣ -- "... the mother recognized it and said as in a dream: "How warm is mother's arm!" Oh child, won't you come and stay at your mother's house?" asked the woman sadly. Said the child: "Dear mother mine, put away your grief and stop crying. For all the tears you shed will flow over my grave ⚰️ into this jar. Now I have to tow it, and it still gets fuller." (German folktale) ⁣ -- The child reaps the tears of his mother, he catches them in his jug and his burden becomes heavier and heavier. The child asks the mother to let him go. The sadness and hopelessness of the mother weighs on the child and it does not find peace, nor does the mother.⁣

Late entry for DEATH
by Nessie (@amnessie_)
Death -- Swan Lake Act 4: Odette's Death -- Inspired by The Dying Swan


Looking forward to #folktaleweek2021!

Tuesday, February 5, 2019

Celebrate the Lunar New Year with 'Dragon Dancer'! - Interview with author Joyce Chng

Joyce Chng is a Chinese-Singaporean author who is passionate about diversity in publishing, particularly children's fiction, werewolves (especially when spotted in urban Singapore and space), and damn good writing, no matter where in the world it's written. 

She has also written a GORGEOUS tale for Lunar New Year with a touch of fantasy. 

Edit added Feb 5th: Take a look at the new book trailer below!

Isn't that stunning? But it's not just the illustrations that make this book special. The prose is so wonderful, reading aloud transforms the room you're in and takes you to a magical place. The illustrations support the story so well they seem to dance off the page. We love it here so much it's become a tradition to read it every Lunar New Year. 
Google doodle for 2019 Lunar New Year - produced by Elaine Zhu
This is actually part of an AI shadow puppet game you enjoy playing HERE.
The dragon, Shen Long (also the name of a spiritual dragon from Chinese mythology) is a character we all fell in love with instantly. The first time we read it, our youngest member spontaneously applauded at the end of the book! Now, older, he still looks forward to it, and requests multiple read-throughs, asking about all the various aspects of Lunar New Year traditions and what they mean, so we are doubly thrilled to be able to ask Joyce a few of his questions on celebrating Lunar New Year in Singapore, and add some questions of our own about her fairy and folktale influences and loves.


Note: all the illustrations for 'Dragon Dancer are by the amazing French artist Jeremy Pailler. You can find more of his work at his website HERE. In the meantime, enjoy a sampling of his work through this interview with the very gracious Joyce Chng.

~ * * * * * * * * ~
Thank you so much for taking time out of your celebrating to talk about 'Dragon Dancer' today Joyce.
JC: Thank you! I am honored to have this opportunity to talk about Dragon Dancer and Shen Long. :)

OUAB: Your writing is very atmospheric and truly dances through the descriptions and story. Having a strong dance background (albeit a different discipline), we were impressed by how much movement you evoked through your text! What was your inspiration? Have you ever been a lion dancer or apprenticed as one? (Could we have caught you acting out the movements as you wrote the text?) 
JC: I love lion and dragon dances. No, I am not a lion dancer nor was I apprenticed under a sifu. I just love the art form and the martial art behind it. I also watch a lot of lion and dragon dances. So I have theoretical knowledge, hehe. :)

OUAB: Is there a Chinese folktale or legend that the sky dragon, Shen Long, is based on?
JC: I don't know if there is a Chinese folklore or legend. But Chinese dragons are known to be benevolent and often are harbingers of great news. 
OUAB: Does Shen Long and Yao's dance describe a similar ritual to that which traditional lion dancers are enacting (seen more often in Western cities than the long dragon performance), or is it unique to dragon dances? (Do dragons also eat lettuces?)
JC: I think the dragon dance has its ritual though it overlaps with the lion dance. The dotting of the eyes symbolizes waking the dragon or lion. (They don't eat lettuce!)

OUAB: What else is included in the book (in words or illustrations) that represents other important cultural customs of a Lunar New Year celebration that people not familiar with the culture and symbolism would miss?
JC: The importance of family and the continuation of tradition. The mention of Yao's granddad. It's during Lunar New Year we also honour our elders (grandparents and parents).
OUAB: What Chinese fairy tales do you wish were better known around the world? (Any you're planning on retelling at some point? Hint, hint!)
JC: Chang' E flying to the moon. (Hopefully... One day...)

OUAB: What is your take on POC authors retelling popular fairy tales, such as Goldilocks, with a (for example) "Chinese twist"? 
JC: I think that's perfectly fine and awesome. That as POC and non-white folk, we view such tales with our own lens and perspectives. 
"I believe mythology and folklore gives us the space to re-myth or re-tell the story in our own terms."  Joyce Chng
OUAB: Apart from buying (and therefore supporting) tales retold by POC authors,  and reading them to diverse groups of kids, how do you suggest folk without an Asian heritage, who dearly love Chinese fairy tales and folktales can help tell and spread these tales? Any do's or don't's?
JC: Ah. I am grateful for the enormous appreciation and respect for Chinese fairy tales. Signal boost and highlight POC telling these stories. Let them tell them. And many of us have grown up in diverse backgrounds (many of us hail from the diaspora). So we bring many perspectives to the table.
OUAB: Are you ready for a lightning round - or should we call it a firecracker round - of questions?
JC: Yes please

OK - Go!

Two of your favorite folktales and/or fairy tales?  Chang'Er flying to the moon. Yang women generals.


Two favorite fairy tales/ folktales from any other culture?  The Firebird. The Little Mermaid.


Favorite Lunar New Year food?  Peng cai.


Favorite Lunar New Year custom?  Collecting red packets.

Favorite dragon ever? (After Shen Long of course!)  Draco from Dragonheart.

And... time!
Wow. What a lot of awesome insight you've given us here! 
Thank you so much for being with us today Joyce. 
Wishing you good luck, continuing success in your publishing and health for you and your family in the New Year!
~ * * * * * * * * ~

And readers, if you're wondering what any of these answers are referring to, let us wish you good google-fu as you do a little digging and discover for yourself. ;)
JUST A FEW OF MANY GLOWING REVIEWS:“A visually lush and stunning selection that is textually atmospheric and evocative. A fresh take on one of the most iconic symbols of Lunar New Year. Pailler’s intricate watercolor illustrations truly stand out. They gorgeously complement and elevate the text as Yao and the dragon slither and dance across page spreads and make striking use of white space. – Jennifer Rothschild, Arlington County Public Libraries, VA, for School Library Journal 
‘This is a book that celebrates the power of the imagination and the traditions of another culture. The illustrations waft darkly across the page, never revealing the whole picture but disclosing more the longer you look. The language is evocative and rich; it is a great book to read aloud. Together the illustrations and words compliment each other beautifully creating a dreamlike story that would also be an excellent educational springboard for exploring New Year festivities.’ – Seven StoriesNational Centre for Children’s Books 
‘I burst into tears the first time I read it, both when Yao and Shen Long triumph over bad luck, and when Shen Long, as both ancient sky dragon and grandfather, expresses his pride in Yao’s dance. This is exactly the kind of story that I wish I had been able to read to my children, but it’s just as powerful to me as an adult.’ – Jen Zink, Hugo award-winning podcast The Skiffy and Fanty Show 
‘Dragon Dancer is a gorgeous book that draws on ancestry, legend, and tradition for Lunar New Year reading. The text pulses with the energy of the dragon dance, the art coming alive from the page as the dragon writhes, corkscrews, and spins away misfortune and welcomes in prosperity. The music in the story urges dragon and dancer on, and draws the reader into the narrative: you can feel the drums pounding, the cymbals clashing, the crowds cheering. A note from the author provides a bit of personal experience of the New Year celebration. This one’s a definite purchase for my holiday collection.’ – Mom Read It
'Dragon Dancer' is available through many online retailers. We suggest you buy your local library a copy and donate it to be read for the next Lunar New Year!
Joyce Chng is also one of the editors of a unique collection of stories, titled 'The Sea Is Ours - Tales of Steampunk Southeast Asia' (edited by Jaimee Goh and Joyce Chng). It's on our 'to read' list. Here's the description:
In The Sea is Ours: Tales of Steampunk Southeast Asia, technological wonder merges with the everyday: children upgrade their fighting spiders with armour and toymakers create punchcard-driven marionettes. The fantastic has always been part of our landscape: large fish lumber across the skies, aswang represent diwata to faraway diplomats, boat people find a new home on the edge of a different dimension. Technology and tradition meld as the people adapt to the changing forces of their world.Steampunk takes on Southeast Asia in this anthology, infused with the spirits of its diverse peoples, legends, and geography. Delving into local alternate histories, we will introduce you to a dynamic steampunk world quite different from the one you may be familiar with.
You can find Joyce Chng in the following places around the web:
Twitter (most days!)

Saturday, April 29, 2017

Dance Theater: Grimm Brothers Get Transported To Age of Social Media To Save Their Literary Legacy in 'Tales of Grimm'

Contemporary parables are woven together with tales of the Brothers Grimm
This unique twist on Grimm’s Fairy Tales places these literary brothers of the 1800s smack into the middle of modern day society. Perplexed by the antics of our 21st century lifestyle, the brothers’ vivid and iconic text literally dances off the page to pull inhabitants of our screen-obsessed, social-media age back into the world of books—and into the stories they thought they knew so well…

When you hear about 'tales of Grimm' you don' usually expect the brothers to make an appearance, let alone watch them in their tale telling and editing. The beauty of this concept shows exactly why and how fairy tales still have something to say.

This production sounds very unique, and if we were local, we'd definitely make time to go see this! Everything we've read about the character and concept development sounds interesting and well thought out - both as an homage to the work of the Grimms in their time (it was much more complex than collecting a bunch of tales and publishing them!), and showing how fairy tales are still as relevant today as they ever were - even taking into account people's obsession with selfies... The production, choreography and dancing too, are getting good critical reviews.

Here's the concept, from toledocitypaper:
Broken into vignettes, each classic tale has been contemporized to cope with modern issues and connected through a fun fourth wall-breaking narrative that invokes an awareness of the audience. The characters themselves emerge from the stories to exist in the real world. And at the forefront of the modern issues being faced is this sort of disconnect between society and another endangered classic art: books. “In a haste to not lose this idea of books, [the Grimm Brothers] rush back to this huge book of Grimm’s Fairy Tales that they have, and they start to rewrite all their stories to fit modern society,” (Director Michael) Lang explained, showing off a few of the props for the forthcoming performance. 
Included in the mix was an ornate gazebo, strung up with braided locks of rope, representing Rapunzel actress Semira Warrick’s lengthy hair and a conference table that will serve as the set piece for Rumpelstiltskin’s impassioned performance. “There’s a very percussive number, and he just pounds away at the table,” said Lang of Rumpelstiltskin actor Phillipe Taylor. “When I read Rumpelstiltskin, I thought, ‘You can say what you want about Rumpelstiltskin, but he did do the work.’”
“This show is such a twist on these tales and will not be what anyone is expecting,” Lang said. “The retold stories have a unique connection to the originals, and yet, are profoundly relative and anchored in today.”  (this last quote from The Blade)
The Toledo Ballet calls this piece more 'dance theater', which implies it's more theatrical in terms of presentation and story, as opposed to pure dance, and there's certainly a lot to be communicated in this one. On their Facebook page, for teaser purposes, the company posted a picture representing a section or character of the ballet, along with a neat summary.

We really like how they looked at different aspects of the fairy tales and found the human and still relevant thread in them, to explore. How the Grimm brothers, navigating modern society for the first time, help do this, is to be revealed and part of the fun.

Oh - and you might be surprised at some of the tale inclusions as well... Kudos to the director and writers who chose to boldly include How Some Children Played At Slaughtering, along with nods to other lesser known Grimm tales.

Take a look at some of the teasers below:

Opening the Book - As our book opens, the Brothers Grimm are mysteriously transported to an altered world of obliviousness and folly. While navigating through this unfamiliar sea of electronic glow, they struggle to find purpose and anxiously watch their literary “ship” sail off in the distance. Determined to save it, they revisit their tales and laboriously search for compromise.Little Red Cap - In an electronically obsessed world where all are accessible to many, our Modern-Day Red is warned to stay on the path. Ignoring parental admonitions, she quickly discovers that one can never be certain who the predators are or where they await!

Briar Rose - Bearing witness to the malice of his daughter’s childhood journey, a father’s love and desperate desire to protect provokes him to close her eyes from uncertainty, heartache, and pain. In time, he recognizes that by obsessively closing her eyes from the world she ends up with no world at all!


“Hansel” & Gretel - Overwhelmed by the endless tasks of motherhood, and frustrated by her sluggish husband, “Hansel” & Gretel’s modern-day mom fantasizes of taking her young offspring deep into the woods … and leaving them there! Her dream of freedom and self-indulgence is suddenly interrupted by Gretel’s cry for rescue from a tyrant old teacher. Her maternal instincts quickly remind her that, in reality, she would assiduously fight any battle for the family she loves.

Rapunzel - From the expectations constructed by society’s “tower”, Modern-day Rapunzel contemplates her “braids” of doubt, fear, guilt, and hope. Releasing the grips of entanglement, she reflects and ponders upon her place in a world yet to come.

How Some Children Played at Slaughtering - Each generation cries, “The world has gone mad,” though a journey through history reveals a far more reprehensible past! Exposed to a constant barrage of violence, our unattended children create a “game” of their own.

Rumpelstiltskin - Discouraged by nepotism and a bias environment, our modern-day Rumpel strives for a beat of his own. He industriously follows the rules of his daily grind until a bombardment of injustice forces him to his breaking point.

The Little Glowing Hand - 
Torn from the pages of her literary existence, Storybook Red struggles to make out her peculiar new surrounds. Her curiosities are intrigued by the illumined hands that appear to guide the bizarre ways of her unacquainted peers. Feeling scared and alone she studies a Modern-Day Teen in search of familiarity, understanding, and home.


The Displacement of Red - Feeling anxious and muddled, Storybook Red endures her bewildering journey. Alarmed by the tatters of her rapidly fading pages, she clings to the mast of her fairy-tale “ship”. She discovers the book that may provide resolution; but her efforts are blocked by her uneasy source. 

It's billed as a family friendly production and the company has had some wonderful promos during April at the Toldeo Lucas County Public Library. Check out some of those pics below:


As you may have gathered from the summaries above, however, this production, while being family friendly is not 'kiddie' - something some colleagues of ours have been discussing recently: quality theater for young audiences. Parents in particular may want the heads-up that the production doesn't shy away from some pretty harsh realities: bullying, oppression, murder and even genocide are all alluded to at least, if not represented, but then, if you will recall, it's in the Grimm texts as well. It all depends on how these are handled. We haven't seen this ourselves to be able to assess how all these issues are portrayed, but between the promos and this lively 9 minute interview you can listen to online  HERE that talks about this exact issue of bringing children to the show, hopefully you can make a good assessment for any children you're wanting to take. (Note: the link worked at the time of posting but we don't know how long it will be available to listen to.) Here's what the director Michael Lang said to the Toledo City Paper:
... while Tales of Grimm is ultimately a family-friendly performance, the stories contained within hew closely to the original tales put forth by the occasionally macabre Grimm Bros. These aren’t the Disneyfied translations one might otherwise expect from the former dancer-turned-director who was one of the original cast members of Beauty and the Beast on Broadway. “I don’t save [Red Riding Hood] in the end. I feel like with this message, it needs to be a message. This doesn’t always end well. I’ve got a lot of lighthearted moments as well, but there are a lot of moments that make people sit back and go, ‘Oh wow.’”
“I’m on this kind of quest, and I think that’s why the theme of this show has turned out like it has, to get people to put their phones down for a little bit and get back to theater and art,” said (Director Michael) Lang. “ Dance is always a tough sell, but this is for everybody, not just the people that love ballet.” 
You only have tonight and tomorrow to go catch this show! Quick! Go grab a ticket! (And then tell us all about it, would you?)