When Dancers Become Mercury

October 23, 2013

How many dancers does it take to create a black and white image of Giselle? Quite a few, if you’re the West Australian Ballet, and those dancers are covered in body paint.

 

The company’s artistic director, Aurélien Scannella, recently brought in artist (and “skin illustrator”) Emma Hack to create a series of photos to promote WAB’s 2014 season. The dancers, covered in silver body paint, look like bits of mercury as they meld into one to construct images of Giselle, Snow White and her apple, or the faces of Romeo and Juliet.

 

As Scanella said in a press release, she built her first program as WAB director around “modernization, innovation, tradition and freshness.” These campaign posters, which were just unveiled, are part of her mission to open the company’s doors to new audiences. It’s a gutsy move, and we kind of love it.

Giselle

 

 

Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs

 

Radio and Juliet
, by Edward Clug

 

 

(All photos courtesy West Australian Ballet.)