Stravinski’s ballet reimagined

A groundbreaking re-staging of Stravinsky’s ballet Apollo and His Muses from United Strings of Europe and Gandini Jugglers, exploring the essential role art has to play in a world recovering from tragedy and isolation.

“The show’s director and librettist, Bill Barclay, brushed their precise circus skills with whimsical touches of mime and a hint of narrative. But the music alone gave the movement its dynamic momentum; a friend said she would have been disappointed to encounter either one without the other.”

-Dancewatch 

The innovative string ensemble United Strings of Europe joins forces with a quartet of juggler-acrobats in a new narrative by theatrical director Bill Barclay. A new triptych of pieces re-casts Apollo as an artist recovering from personal tragedy, and who must learn how to fall in love with life, and art, again. Alongside Stravinsky’s sumptuous score for Apollon musagete, the hour-long show includes atmospheric music by Peteris Vasks and a new commission by British composer Joanna Marsh.

Combining live music with movement, juggling and stagecraft in a celebration of art’s ability to transform lives, this heart-warming and cathartic production entreats us to face ongoing challenges with optimism and wit as we emerge from the devastation of a global pandemic.

Premiere will be at King’s Place, London, October 28, 2022, followed by Leeds International Concert Series, and more tour dates to be announced.