Home to the Compañía Nacional de Danza (CDND), home of the Teatro de la Zarzuela and cradle of dancers like Victor Ullate and Angel Corella, Madrid has the highest standards when it comes to dance. And now Ballet of Lights Madrid, a show of dance, light and story (literally) that comes to the emblematic Círculo de Bellas Artes for selected dates, has been added to that record of excellence.
What is Ballet of Lights?
Imagine rereading your favorite classic childhood stories, from Sleeping Beauty to Peter Pan to Cinderella. Only through a dance performance in which the dancers’ costumes are illuminated by countless points of light and the steps are part of an original choreography. Ballet of Lights is the union of the purest ballet with the most innovative staging, making the magic of those tales feel a little closer in real life.
Ballet of Lights in Madrid: what stories are there right now?
Designed for ages 5 and up, Ballet of Lights shows are approximately 60 minutes long (much friendlier than the 3-hour version we are used to). The show is adding new dates every season, but right now these are the ones we can already enjoy in Madrid:
Sleeping Beauty
The seed of Sleeping Beauty dates back to the fourteenth century with the French narrative Perceforest and, after many (many) adaptations including those of Charles Perrault, the Brothers Grimm or Robinson Planché and Richard Doyle, the story became an essential of the classic tales … and ballet. Something that we can experience in this show in which the story is told through each step with the timeless music of Tchaikovsky.
Cinderella
What would good night tales have been without this princess and her fairy godmother. First published in 1697 by Charles Perrault and later reinterpreted by the Brothers Grimm in the 19th century, Cinderella is also one of the most popular stories in the dance world. Especially in ballet. Something that we can already experience in this show with an unforgettable soundtrack that includes Danse Macabre by Saint-Saëns, Clair de Lune by Debussy or the end of the Willem Tell Overture.
