Dante's Inferno Dance Analysis

Dance or Movement is a way to communicate, but not only that, it can work subconsciously through the use of hieroglyphs. - literal symbols of something. Dante’s Inferno is great for dance and specifically ballet because not only does it have a clear narrative but also ballet works through grand romanticized ideas and themes which are what Dante’s writings are full of. Dante uses inventive language and rich imagery that is far ahead of his time. The humanity in his poem, and themes he touches on are timeless; which brings us to the two productions that were both put up early this year. Glenna Burmer’s Dante’s Inferno; The Ballet and Dante’s Inferno performed by James Sewell Ballet. Both of these dance pieces trace Dante’s journey through the nine levels of Hell, as described in the Divine Comedy. Ballet Bellevue, Tice Dance Works, and Burmer Music came together on February 21, 2014, to debut Dante’s Inferno: The Ballet in The Theatre at Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, Washington. The powerful original symphonic scores from Glenna Burmer; the artist director and Tim Huling were accompanied by original choreography which was a collaboration between choreographer Ronald Tice and then Jennifer …show more content…
This dance performance premiered at Minnesota State University Moorhead on the Hansen Theatre stage March 8th of this year. James Sewell, the ballet’s founder and artistic director, said he has thought about creating an adaptation of Dante’s classic for about 30 years.
“ It’s a story of midlife crisis and redemption, says Sewell, “ explored through a contemporary lens looking for today’s meaning in a timeless tale.” Sewell’s company sticks to the original material, but the artistic director hopes his reframing will show the audience how relevant Dante’s work is