ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
BELLE REDUX / A TALE OF BEAUTY & THE BEAST is a contemporary ballet that reexamines the timeless story of Beauty & the Beast in a very non-traditional way. Ballet Austin Artistic Director / Choreographer Stephen Mills, Composer Graham Reynolds and Production Designer Michael B. Raiford have created a provocative and sensual retelling of this famous romance with sets and costumes that project fantastical, Alexander McQueen-type elements against a gritty, minimalistic backdrop. The look and feel of the production, while very contemporary, was heavily influenced by the 1946 film noir, La Belle et la Bête, by French filmmaker Jean Cocteau, and many stylistic elements, including the lighting design, are reflective of that ground-breaking movie. Graham Reynolds’ haunting music blends classical instruments with industrial sounds to create a remarkable score that is both unsettling and soothing—commanding and hopelessly romantic. BELLE REDUX debuted in 2015 to sell-out audiences. It is a one-of-a-kind dance work that will surprise, intrigue and deeply engage audiences of all kinds.
A 3M Innovation Commission
CHOREOGRAPHY: Stephen Mills
MUSIC: Graham Reynolds
PRODUCTION DESIGN: Michael B. Raiford
Photography by Anne Marie Bloodgood
All rights reserved | No unauthorized use
GRAHAM REYNOLDS’ MUSIC SCORE
HIGHLIGHTS
- Choreography: Stephen Mills
- Music: Graham Reynolds
- Production Design: Michael B. Raiford
- Lighting: Tony Tucci
- Video Design: Colin Lowry
- Video / Media Design: Jeff Kurihara
- Cinematographer: Eric Graham
- Run-time: 72 minutes in 2 acts
- Dancers: 20+ (10 women & 10 men)
- Awards: 2 accolades including “Best Dancer” & “Best Costume Design”
PREMIERES
THE LONG CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS | BALLET AUSTIN
Austin, TX – 2015 (World Premiere) | ’17 | ’24
PRESS
“Mills’ version is dark, passionate and psychologically complicated, with choreography rooted in modern classical ballet but with gestures and movements that at times feel almost feral.”
Austin American Statesman
“Mills movement vocabulary merged the classical with the new-found. Edgy and abrupt shifts of silhouette altered with moments of formal grace. Small, almost quotidian gestures by one dancer came in between sweeping dramatic movements by a group.”
Austin360.com
“Marked by a dark elegance and vermilion overtones…Mills’ choreography is…seductive and passionate…”
Arts and Culture Texas
“[Mills] was able to tell the story and expose its mythic underpinnings through movement and design elements that made bold symbolic and psychological statements.”
The Austin Chronicle