Natacha Diels: Papillon and the Dancing Cranes for construction cranes and ensemble / Nadar Ensemble

‘To me, they are beautiful and magical beings that live imaginary second lives when the work day ends.’ In 2018, two Falcon Heavy rockets from SpaceX landed on the first floor at peculiarly the same time. This simultaneity made us forget for a few seconds their original mission and they transformed before our eyes into two graceful dancers. American composer Natacha Diels (Belgian father) is fascinated by cranes. A symbol of a city’s economic activity and progress, in her world these cranes molt into living characters capable of performing a choreography in counterpoint to the music. The hoisting of heavy loads and working against the clock are exchanged for an elegant dance and the unfolding of a butterfly, specially made for this occasion entirely from recycled materials by the young force of STORMKOP and Kras Jeugdwerk led by Fatima Shamizada. Papillon and the Dancing Cranes’ is an ode to the city of the Scheldt, an oratorio 2.0, if you will, thanks to the collaboration between