The Divine Horseman

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.

Ballet Synopsis excerpted with permission from the Ballets of Antony Tudor by Judith Chazin-Bennahum.

Choreography: Antony Tudor.

Music / Composer: Werner Egk, Variations on a Caribbean Theme.

First Performance: Sydney, Australia. Her Majesty's Theatre. August 8th, 1969. Australian Ballet.

Original Cast: Rex McNeill, Gaileen Stock, Karl Welander, Colin Peasley, Alida Chase, Julie de 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.

ABY Ballet Revival Notated: 1969 by Elphine Allen (Benesh Notation).

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