IMPRESSIONS: PROTOTYPE's “Cion: Requiem of Ravel’s Boléro” by Vuyani Dance Theatre

It may be one of the most hummable pieces in the Western canon. Set in C major, ¾ time, and thumping with a relentless ostinato rhythm, Maurice Ravel’s “Boléro” is an exercise in escalation and repetition. Starting with a snare drum that expands to a full orchestra, the dual-melody composition becomes thicker, louder, and more layered, like musical lasagna.

In Cion: Requiem of Ravel’s Boléro, which made its U.S. premiere at the Joyce Theater as part of PROTOTYPE (an opera and theatre festival), the familiar phrases appear — by both voice and instrument. Their presence acts as . . .

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Vuyani Dance Theatre; photo by Siphosihle Mkhwanazi