The piece is legendary in a way – no trace is left of its choreography, nor of the costumes and scenes that were created for its execution, if not for one copy of the libretto found in the early 2000s as part of a manuscript in the Arsenal Library in Paris. The ballet is the story of a prince and princess in a remote island ruled by an evil sorcerer that can turn people into pottery at will: they turn and turn until they transform. The first mise-en-scène of the original libretto, composed by French antiquarian and proto-archeologist Earl of Caylus, dates back to 1739 and took place at the Chateau de Morville, near Paris.

A modern reading

The new arrangement, curated by New York University scholar Meredith Martin, won’t re-enact the rococo atmospheres the original was about. Rather, she will ferry the piece over to a modern social and cultural context, reading the story as the allegory of the western world’s yearning for the secret of Chinese porcelain (china, indeed) – known in the 1700s also as white gold. Working with choreographer Phil Chan, Martin reinstated the Asian component of the ballet as the centrepiece of the performance, overturning the original meaning of the story. Chan is also an activist and the co-founder of Final Blow to Yellowface, an organization that supports Asian communities in the West.

The production involves artists, dancers, and musicians of high renown, including Georgina Pazcoguin, the first Asian-American soloist at the New York City Ballet, and Daniel Applebaum. They will star as princess and prince respectively. The sorcerer will be played by Tyler Hanes, actor and dancer known in the Broadway scene.
Representations of the Ballet des Porcelaines started at the Museum of Art of New York and will be staged in Naples on June 25 and 26, at 4pm and 5pm, and in Venice on June 28 and 29, at 5pm and 7pm. In Venice, entrance will be free, subject to advance booking.