Balanescu Quartet October 1, 2008

Djanogly Theatre, DH Lawrence Pavilion
Lakeside Arts Centre

Alexander Balanescu, violin
James Shenton, violin
Katie Wilkinson, viola
Nick Holland, cello

‘Second Breath’ - The life and work of Maurice Blik, holocaust survivor
& ‘Play’ - Ballets Russes on the Beach 1936/1940

An installation and performance by the groundbreaking Balanescu String Quartet. Second Breath is a moving reflection on the life of Maurice Blik, sculptor and child survivor of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. The film includes archive family photographs of Maurice at work and exploration of his magnificent bronzes, cut with flashbacks to the Holocaust. The film sequences, directed by Gillian Lacey, are projected into the performance area, fading in and out of darkness, articulated by Alexander Balanescu’s music. The companion piece Play is composed for rare unearthed footage of members of the Ballets Russes in unguarded moments on a beach during Australian tours in 1936 and 1940. With spins and leaps in the sand, in their swimsuits, enacting scenes from their repertoire with mock seriousness, members of the legendary dance troupe display their youthful energy to the new technology of colour film.

Official Website: http://www.lakesidearts.org.uk/Music/ViewEvent.html?e=1241&c=7&d=0