"Papillon and the Dancing Cranes" - Natacha Diels / Nadar Ensemble in Antwerp

September 27, 2021
© Thor Brødreskift (original)

Over the weekend on Saturday, September 25, Natacha Diels, Composer & Assistant Professor of Music at Penn and Nadar Ensemble presented a performance of EPIC proportions. "Papillon and the Dancing Cranes" by the American composer Natacha Diels is a repetitive and danceable composition. Her whole life, Diels has been fascinated by construction cranes. Despite their simple shape, they are gracious and form a decorative element in a city’s skyline. In Diels’ world, they are revealed as living characters. They execute a choreography in counterpoint to the music. The hoisting of heavy loads makes way for the unfolding of a butterfly. This symbolic butterfly is made of recycled material by STORMKOP, a (free)port for young adventurers in Antwerp. 

For more photos of the installation and performance, see here.

Information about the work and festival, see here.

Cover photo © Thor Brødreskift