The fantastical underwater fairytale - but not as you know it
This visually stunning performance of The Little Mermaid by the San Francisco Ballet could not be more different from the happy-go-lucky 1989 Disney film, and instead tells a dark, heart-breaking story of sacrifice and unrequited love.
In John Neumeier’s evocative and compelling take set to Lera Auerbach’s haunting and dramatic score, a beautiful mermaid saves and falls in love with a handsome prince. Lithe and floating, she stretches her limbs like a contortionist creating the appearance of a shimmering blue tail until she has it horrifically removed so she can live alongside the prince on land.
An evocative and dark take on the fairytale
In constant pain as she walks on her human feet, she tries to assimilate herself with humans, but she is lonely, left out and treated as a freak. In a heartbreaking scene, she attends the marriage of her beloved prince where The Sea Witch hands her a magic knife and tells her if she plunges it into the heart the prince her tail will grow back and she can return to the sea. Unable to murder the man she loves, she resigns herself to live on land with a broken heart.
Danced elegantly by the San Francisco Ballet, America’s oldest professional ballet company, his poignant production provides a deeply emotional take on Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale. Exploring the resilience of the human spirit, loss and alienation, it is a stark and tragic reminder that no matter how strong your love is, there is no guarantee it will be requited.
Director & Chief Choreographer John Neumeier
Music Lera Auerbach
Conductor Martin West
Cast
Yuan Yuan Tan - The Little Mermaid
Lloyd Riggins - The Poet
Tiit Helimets - The Prince
Sarah Van Patten - The Princess
Davit Karapetyan - The Sea Witch
