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THE DIVINE HORSEMEN
Artists of the Australian Ballet - 1969 - Photographer Hugh Fisher
Photo Courtesy of Judith Chasin-Bennahum
Synopsis:
The opening night program indicated:
The “Divine Horsemen” are those spirits or loa who may temporarily displace the conscious self
of some person and manifest themselves through a living body. In the Caribbean area this process, which is commonly
known as ‘possession” is said to be similar to that of a horse and its rider; and the loa in the “mounting” of
a person takes over conscious power and control. In “possession,” consequently the person who has been mounted
cannot and does not remember anything that happens during this period for it must be understood that the self must
leave if the loa is to enter as one cannot be man and god simultaneously. Erzulie, Ghede and Damballah are only
three members of a large pantheon, each of whom is archetypal and whose presences are invoked at communal gatherings.
Divine Horsemen was the title of a book by Maya Deren and the choreographer is consequently indebted to his friend,
the author.
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| Choreography |
| Antony Tudor |
| Music / Composer |
| Werner Egk, Variations on a Caribbean Theme |
| First Performance |
Sidney, Australia
Her Majesty’s Theatre
August 8, 1969
Australian Ballet |
| Original Cast |
| Rex McNeill, Gaileen Stock, Karl Welander, Colin Peasley, Alida Chase, Julie da Costa, Jo-Anne
Endicott, Ann Fraser, Heather Macrae, Suzanne Neumann, Carolyn Rappel, Leigh Rowles, Lucyna Sevitsky, Janet Vernon,
Ronald Bekker, Frances Croese, Gary Heil, Graeme Hudson, Graeme Murphy, Paul Saliba |
| Scenery / Costumes |
| Hugh Laing |
| ABT Ballet Revival |
| Notated |
1969 by Elphine Allen
(Benesh Notation) |
| Length |
| NA |
| Number of Dancers |
| NA |
| Licensing Information |
| Contact Us |
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