I know, I know, a ballet based on Kafka doesn't sound that accessible, but trust me they really made something worth your time.
Taking a fresh and modern approach to the institution of Ballet without all the desperation to be avant garde, they created a wonderful tone of grotesquely hiding within the mundane, where there is dialogue, but they applied Pingu rules: the dialogue never really matters (it's not in English, no subtitles), it's just there. This for me really helps lower the work to our level, to speak to us on our terms in a language of movement.
And speaking of movement: one has in their minds a certain idea of what a ballet should look like (pirouettes, en point shoes etc.) but here perhaps the word "ballet", even if technically correct, is misleading. They sought to tell a story but do so in stylized movement. The mechanical movements of the morning routine lead to the reveal of Gregor and his transformation. They daringly decidedly to forget the giant insect (he was never really an insect; the book acknowledges more than six legs) concept and instead convey his new form with movement (and that he is in his underwear) using a disquieting, ambipedal movement to make us believe he is now inhuman without any costume or makeup. They are still able to find some humanity in there though.
The stark, minimalist sets which don't even have real walls, you imagine, go great with the kafkaesque atmosphere without even showing any bureaus but they have some really interesting stagecraft ideas I won't spoil that take you into Gregor's little world.
The almost cartoonish reaction of Gregor's family (everyone is great in this by the way) accentuates tragedy this story is trying to convey. They changed Greta from doing Cello to doing ballet (of course) and her beginner's drills Add a lot (still a challenging role though).
The music is restrained and eerie, dark but so sad. One might easily consider this whole medium to be a rather aloof and abstract way to touch the emotions, but it is truly a tear jerking delight that I am so glad I caught.
