delga | { and now to the tragic form, as seen in art. }

OH GOD, GUYS. I've been quietly intrigued by Darcey Bussell ever since I saw her portrait in London but I've basically spent today watching her performance in The Song of the Earth, specifically the final movement, The Farewell. This is part 3 of 4, in which the ballerina and the Lover have their final dance before Death's Messenger intervenes. The pas de deux in the first half is to die for, and the pas de trois in the second (an echo of the same in the first of the four parts) is brutal. I LOVE THIS A LOT.

!!! That bit where the Lover lifts Bussell onto his HEAD?! Wow. You can find the other parts here: part 1, part 2 and part 4. The closing slow advancement in the last section is so moving. I can't even express myself over it. It's just amazing. (And the music! The music is Mahler's masterpiece, Das Lied von der Erde. It's so sad. The ballet is an adaptation of the song-cycle, which in turn is an adaptation of Chinese poetry. I think this pretty much hits all of my arts kinks.)

edit: !!! ALSO! Bussell and long-time dance partner Jonathan Cope perform the Awakening pas de deux.