The Puppets’ Ball –

Le Bal Marionnettique

Puppets & Audience

The Puppets’ Ball ? oh yes, you know, this is not just any ball – it is a very special ball.
A ball like you’ll only experience once in your life

There are 130 puppets – yes yes, 130 – at least – they are there – sometimes whole, sometimes in pieces – they are waiting for you – but yes – why? – how, why? – to do what?
But what are we doing on a ball night? We dance, pardi ! quelles idées curieuses vous avez parfois, mon ami.

Who is dancing?
But the puppets, that’s obvious.
They are not there to look pretty.
Ah, I see – you are reassured.
For a moment, you thought you were going to dance too.

But – dear friend – friend dear – dear very friend – well …how can I tell you?
Do you really believe that at least 130 puppets, whole or in pieces, are going to dance, like that, all by themselves?
You think – magically – that they will come to life?
Or that maybe the theatre has so much money to throw away that it will call at least 130 dancers, whole or in pieces, to dance in front of you?
Mmm

The puppets are going to dance – because you, yes yes, you, are going to make your puppet dance, whole or in pieces – this – well – this will be your choice. I mean : whole or in pieces. No more for you to choice. Isn’t that wonderful ?

Of course, it’s wonderful

What do you mean you don’t like to dance?
But it is not you who dances, it is the puppet
So the objection is totally refused.
You won’t be ridiculous, no one will know you are there. You won’t be old or fat, too tall or too thin, too ugly or too lame, you’ll be the puppet carrier, the night the puppet celebrates the end of the season by going dancing and that’s it.

It’s exceedingly easy to dance when you’re dancing “busy” making something dance – something not someone – something will never cry because you slipped on ‘its” foot – a chair, a puppet, and that’s it; the whole shebang is thrown on the dance floor, and it’s a lot easier than standing there like an old Major Shepard trying to be cool on a modern dance floor.
Which is why this puppet ball is a perfect ball. Yes monsieur, yes madame.

An ideal activity to end a theatrical season, with the public and here it is, everyone dances and still it is a show, because around you, there are 130 puppets that dance, in whole or in pieces.
Of course, there are also artists who dance with the puppets and you and I – otherwise it would be a bit pathetic a bit too fast.
They give ideas, they lead the dance, they show little choreographies and the evening turns into a dream.

Mmm ?

You want to see ? all right

This one below shows the rehearsal – okay -it is in French – but -to say what ? that the dancers are the audience – it shows you the preparation of the audience, how you put on your first puppet, how you start to “play” it by playing its head with your hand, how you learn to dance with it, how you will keep the same puppet for 3 dances, because the director loved the practice of the tango dances with three dances with the same partner, whether you like this partner or not, there are three dances to get acquainted with the puppet.

And you’re still going to tell me you’re not going to dance?
I don’t believe it for a second!
It will be wonderful

Bonne soirée !

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Featured Image : Le Bal Marionnettique / The Puppets’s Ball – by Les Anges au Plafond – 2020