A dozen pregnant women wanted - for ballet

Far from being heavy, lumbering and clumsy, pregnant women are often fascinating, beautiful and serene, according to the artistic director of one British ballet company.

And to prove it, Balletlorent is recruiting 12 pregnant women to star in a dance production alongside six professional ballet dancers.

"MaEternal" will be performed in the northern English city of Newcastle in May and is offering the 12 who get through the auditions "a chance to share with an audience the beauty of what it means to carry the life of another within you."

Artistic Director Liv Lorent, who, coincidentally, is pregnant herself, says she has always been keen to combine trained dancers with people from all ages and stages in life to make her ballet productions richer.

"I've done projects in the past where I have invited all sorts of people -- children, old people, builders, footballers, doctors, all sorts -- to take part," she said.

"This is another development of a long-held wish to mix up the different physical types in my choreography. The shape of people changes the way they move, and I like that very much."

She notes the stark contrast between the typically lithe light and muscular physique of a dancer, and the softer, rounder contours of a pregnant woman, and delights in it.

"You can't get a 25-year-old size 8 ballet dancer type body to move with the weight, the gravitas or the sheer cheerful spirit of a pregnant woman," she said.

Lorent promises that no previous dance experience is necessary to audition for a part in MaEternal. The only requirement is that anyone wishing to take part should be up to 32 weeks by the time of the performance on May, 14. Beyond that, she says, the risk is too high of unplanned dramas on stage.

As well as recruiting 12 pregnant women, Lorent has also signed up Lynn Campbell, an active birth therapist who runs pregnancy classes in and around Newcastle, to advise on the movements and abilities of expectant mothers.

"Culturally we don't always have the words to celebrate the beauty of pregnancy, and although people are often fascinated by it, they don't know how to express that, so they say things like 'Aren't you big!'" Campbell said.

"So this is a real opportunity for pregnant women to be seen in a new way."

(Agencies)

在英国一家芭蕾舞公司的艺术指导看来，孕妇并不笨重、迟缓、笨拙，相反，她们常常十分美丽迷人、宁静安详。

为了证明这一事实，“芭蕾洛伦特”公司目前正招募12名孕妇，与另外六名专业演员共同出演一部芭蕾舞剧。

这部名为《MaEternal》的芭蕾舞剧将于5月在英国北部城市纽卡斯尔上演，顺利通过选拔的12名孕妇届时将“有机会与观众共同分享‘生命孕育之美’”。

“芭蕾洛伦特”公司艺术指导丽芙•洛伦特自己也是个准妈妈，她说为了使自己的作品更加丰富，她一直喜欢邀请不同年龄、不同社会背景的人与专业演员同台演出。

她说：“在过去的一些作品中，我邀请过小孩、老人、建筑工人、足球运动员、医生等各种各样的人参与演出。”

“我一直希望能在编舞中加入各种不同体型的人物，邀请孕妇同台是又一次新的尝试。人的体形会改变其动作方式，我对此很感兴趣。”

洛伦特注意到，舞蹈演员身体轻盈柔软、体格健美，而孕妇的形体则更加柔和圆润，她对这种鲜明的对比很感兴趣。

她说：“你不可能让一个身形苗条的25岁芭蕾演员跳出孕妇的那种厚重、庄严或欢愉的感觉。”

洛伦特说，报名参选者不需要有任何舞蹈经验。唯一的条件是有意参演的孕妇在5月14日演出当天孕期最多为32周。她指出，如果超过32周，上演“意外剧目”的风险太大。

除招募孕妇外，洛伦特还聘请了一位名叫琳•坎贝尔的生育专家，为参演孕妇提供动作及技能指导。坎贝尔在纽卡斯尔市内及周边地区开设有孕期培训班。

坎贝尔说：“从文化意义上说，我们似乎一直没有合适的言辞来赞美孕育之美，尽管人们常被这种美所吸引，但却不知道该如何表达，所以总会说‘你的肚子好大啊！’之类的话。”

“所以孕妇跳芭蕾是以一种全新的方式展示孕育之美的绝好机会”。

Vocabulary:

serene: 宁静、安详