DIRECTOR • PRODUCER • EDITOR
TELEVISION PREMIERE: TBA
Concept • Choreography: Stephen Mills
Director • Producer • Editor (Film Edition): Paul Michael Bloodgood
Executive Producers: Stephen Mills • Cookie Ruiz
Music: Graham Reynolds
Visual Art: Natalie Frank
Costume Design: Constance Hoffman
They were meant as cautionary tales, to keep us on the straight and narrow. But many familiar childhood stories started as grim reminders of what happens when naiveté meets wickedness, and the balance between good and evil is in question. In this new, full-length work, made possible through the generous support of the Butler New Choreography Endowment, Artistic Director Stephen Mills delves into the underbelly of some of your favorite fairy tales and shows you the real beauty of the lessons they impart. Inspired by the visual art of Natalie Frank, GRIMM TALES will leave you unsettled, unafraid, and undeniably hungry for more.
PRESS
PRESS QUOTES
“Mayhem and murder star in a fairy tale ballet.”
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
“…Stephen Mills dives into the dark, uncensored side of three of the world’s best-loved fairy tales…”
POINTE MAGAZINE
“…subverting the happily-ever-after Grimm Brothers tales in favor of their more sinister roots and an emphasis on female power.”
GALERIE MAGAZINE
“It was a match made in heaven for multiple reasons.”
ARTNET NEWS
“As each story unfolds, Mills’ choreography is meticulous, not prescriptive. Dancers coil and unwind fluidly per narrative beats, encountering each other with convincing surprise or clandestinely stalking one another with poetic gaits. There’s a dreamy quality to their movements apropos of the fairy-tale settings, suggesting a world akin to our own, but having existed long enough ago that the fog of memory makes gravity a little bit softer.”
GLASSTIRE
“Frank’s drawings and Mills’ work emphasize feminist perspectives…presents the full force of the Grimm Brothers, while updating its concerns and aspirations for a new generation.”
BROADWAY WORLD
“…Stephen Mills transforms twisted versions of some well-known classics into something truly unique. Blending classical and contemporary ballet, Mills’ choreography lends itself to the challenging and at-times dark subject matter.”
ARCHAIC PRESS
“Frank’s colorful drawings underscore the provocative nature and feminist voice of the Grimms’ stories, an element that has also been adapted into the world of ballet.”
YAHOO LIFESTYLE
“Neither artist had previously embarked on a collaboration of this scope, rooted in conversation. And although daunting for both in the beginning, the experience of discomfort has paid creative dividends.”
WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY
“Dark fairy tales take Ballet Austin to a fantastical new world – viewer discretion advised.”
PAPERCITY MAGAZINE
“The numerous vantage points of hunger persisting throughout the performance point out the dilution (or perhaps sweetening) of Disney’s interpretations. Here, the violent questioning of agency over one’s body, coupled with the gender expectations of dance, create a key distinction.”
COOL HUNTING
“Good artistic collaborations entail multiple paths of individual talents merging into one, reaching a generally agreed upon destination or vision. Such is the case with Ballet Austin’s latest original work “Grimm Tales’.”
TRIBEZA MAGAZINE
“It is almost impossible to register in mere words the force and originality of this reimagining of three Grimm fairy tales. All I can say is that we are extremely lucky to see it first. I’m betting that other ballet companies around the country will be do everything possible to make sure they can restage Austin’s unforgettable “Grimm Tales’.”
AUSTIN 360
“Stephen Mills choreographed the full-length piece, inspired by
WHITEWALL
[Natalie Frank’s] drawings of The Frog King, Snow White, and The Juniper Tree. Revolving around the theme of hunger—physical, sexual, and literal—New York-based Frank created over 30 drawings to work from with costume designer Constance Hoffman and set designer George Tsypin.”
“…the result is an interpretation in ballet of stories that relate to sexual hunger (Frog King), the hunger for beauty (Snow White) and the hunger for power (Juniper Tree). That interpretation can only be described as a landmark event in early 21st century ballet. The fusion of the visual, the dance, and the music is powerful, and certainly rose to the level of shocking at times.”
SUN NEWS AUSTIN
“Ballet Austin dances a vivid, unsettled version of Grimms’ Fairy Tales”
SIGHTLINES MAGAZINE
“Stephen Mills and company embody an artist’s fabulous vision”
THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE
“Ballet Austin explores feminism and the dark side of fairy tales in the world premiere of a new ballet”
AUSTIN MONTHLY
PAUL MICHAEL BLOODGOOD • SAG-AFTRA