“Castor and Pollux”, c.1767 by Joseph Nollekens (1737-1823). A close copy of the antique group originally excavated in Rome (Ludovisi Collection, 1623).
The Triadic Ballet is a performance created by Oskar Schlemmer (1888-1943), “the master of the theatre workshop.” Premiered in 1922, the ballet had been born from a combination of artistic practices from the famous German art school, Bauhaus.
Schlemmer originally collaborated with
Paul Hindemith (1895-1963), the composer, for the music. It is considered an iconic performance piece of the Bauhaus.
Schlemmer was interested in presenting the human form as art itself and the functionality of Bauhaus through geometric costumes and robotic dance, contrasting with traditional ballet. The costumes represent geometric forms, particularly three forms - the square, triangle, and circle. There are three parts to the ballet - the yellow, pink, and black.
There is the relationship between shapes, colours, and movement. The costume itself directly impacts the dance, creating doll-like figures of the dancers, due to their restrictive nature.
As time has gone on, the ballet continues to be performed and slightly adapted. It’s hard to believe that this dance was created in the early 20th century.
