Abstract
Henrik Ibsen’s works have consistently been subjected to a wide variety of adaptations, expanding the limits of spoken drama and dramatic text. Over time, readers and spectators alike have had the opportunity to understand Ibsen’s dramas from new perspectives. Providing a thrilling addition to the growing list of adaptations, The Norwegian National Ballet premiered a ballet adaptation of Ibsen’s problem drama, Ghosts, in 2014. Ghosts – Ibsen’s Gjengangere (Ibsen’s Ghosts), directed by Marit Moum Aune, reconsiders the story by utilizing the ballet form and kinesthetic language replaces spoken dialogue. Despite the expanding multidisciplinary field of Ibsen studies, the connection between Ibsen and dance has yet to be extensively explored. Dance studies has also seen an expansion in the academic domain over the past century—connecting with other disciplines. To answer this call to research, this thesis analyzes the juxtaposing notions between Ibsen’s modernity and classical ballet ideologies. While this production is considered a modern ballet, the strict classical ballet heritage permeates into today’s ballet sector. The legacies of classical ballet embrace ideal and unattainable images of perfection while Ibsen actively critiqued such ideals in his dramas—including Ghosts. Because of this juxtaposition, I argue that themes of gender, power, and silence are emphasized in this modern ballet. Theoretical assumptions from gender, feminist, and semiotic frameworks stress how these themes are realized. Combing the disciplines of literature, dance, theatre, and Ibsen studies, this thesis utilizes an in-depth mis-en-scéne analysis to stress that classical ballet ideologies are challenged in Ibsen’s Ghosts.