Photos by Sarah Ferguson

Choreographed by Melissa Barak

New Work for Richmond Ballet

Melissa Barak wanted to explore a whimsical dreamscape where a man takes a journey through his dreams, led by an enigmatic woman. He travels through air, sea, forests, and the dark of night chasing his sprite/ guide through his own imagination. Melissa asked for something bright, playful, colorful, and whimsical with a hint of texture and darkness. I was inspired by ancient Japanese woodblock techniques to create a print wrapping the body of our "dreamscape" of dancers, inspired by the colors of nature from sunsets to the red leaves of a Japanese Maple tree in my backyard. To set the main characters apart, we used a gray palette.