This production of The Firebird, directed by Janni Younge and choreographed by Jay Pather, is a puppet and dance performance set to Stravinsky’s original score. Janni Younge’s Firebird draws on the symbolism and dramaturgy of Fokine’s original choreography (based on figures from Russian folklore) and reinterprets them in a contemporary South African setting, using larger-than-life puppets and African dance forms.
"The Firebird’s artistry lies in its dissonant amalgam of discrepant drives and aesthetics. A mash-up of dance styles, a mixed-media extravaganza, Firebird does not guide the audience so much as immerse and plunge it into a wretched, torn, yet nurturing realm...The strength of the production lies in its trust in the imagination above all else." – Ashraf Jamal, Financial Mail
Presented by IMG Artists in association with Janni Younge Productions
A live performance to the original composition by Igor Stravinsky
Puppetry and dance performance designed and directed by Janni Younge of Handspring Puppet Company
Choreographed by Jay Pather
This production of The Firebird, directed by Janni Younge and choreographed by Jay Pather, is a puppet and dance performance set to Stravinsky’s original score. Janni Younge’s Firebird draws on the symbolism and dramaturgy of Fokine’s original choreography (based on figures from Russian folklore) and reinterprets them in a contemporary South African setting, using larger-than-life puppets and African dance forms.