Entrusted by Rudolf Nureyev in 1987 for the Ballet Ópera de Paris, In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated is a play by William Forsythe based on the perception of speed – fast and slow. The choreographer makes use of the language of classical dance to “write the stories of today.” In The Middle uses the traditional way of composing a theme and its variations, that is, Forsythe creates a sentence that develops, evolves and transforms in the body of each ballet dancer. A ballerina dances the opening theme and progressively drives an increasing number of other performers until the set is complete with nine people: six women and three men. The music by Thom Willems presents accelerations and slowness that dialogue with the choreography; both the dancers and the audience are taken by surprise by turbulences the play presents at different times. For the scenario, the choreographer had thought of several everyday golden objects, hung by invisible wires. From this initial idea, he opted for the synthesis, translated by two cherries, which won a symbolic meaning: two small mirrors that reflect the performance hall. The title of the work refers to these two cherries in the middle, somewhat elevated, at the scene. São Paulo Companhia de Dança is the first company in Latin America to have a work of Forsythe in its repertory.

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