Kiki the rose - Solo
Kiki the rose is, in February 1998, the third solo that Kelemenis dedicated to the Russian dancer, Nijinsky. Premiered at the Hivernales d’Avignon, the work is inspired by a poem by Théophile Gautier, and reproduces here and there the famous Russian dancer’s port de bras in the historic Spectre de la Rose. This brief work didn’t enter the company’s repertoire.
The following month, on tour in South Africa with the Ballet of the Grand Théâtre de Genève that was performing his work for 17 dancers, Tout un monde lointain, the choreographer danced his new solo for the performers of the Ballet. The enthusiasm was such that it immediately entered the repertoire of the Swiss company and has remained ever since.
The principal dancer, Eric Vu An, performed Kiki la rose in March 2004 on stage at the Palais Garnier as a gift and in homage to Claude Bessy. He continues to perform it regularly.
Echos
Le Monde Rosita Boisseau
feb.1998
The little rascal acting like a good boy in his Sunday best, Michel Kelemenis delivers his gift-wrapped package like a child throwing a firecracker : a clever variation on Vaslav Nijinsky’s port de bras in the Spectre, his Kiki la Rose doesn’t trip on the carpet. This is no act of reverence, but rather a bounding dance number, with sharp edges, mood swings and hip movements. No sooner do his 2 arms form a crown than he shakes himself loose in the blink of an eye. Our shameless man retains the modesty of his feelings. Ten years after his rather serious Faune Fomitch, he still pirouettes with his usual elegance.