Context and Influences of Mats Ek's choreography

Social, Political and Historical Context that influenced

 Mats Ek in making the modern production of Giselle.

• Sweden in the 1950's

USA - Capitalism (an individual has the right to make the best of themselves)

Soviet Union - Communism (the social classes become equal and have to earn to run the country, they are well aided like a machine).

Sweden made it clear it was NEUTRAL but had to become military to protect itself. 

This could have influenced Mats Ek in his production of Giselle because he could of used the idea for the costumes of Communism; that all the classes were equal and only earned so they could keep the country running; not earn for themselves because in the plot of Giselle - she is a peasant and Lloys is a rich person. However, he could of also used this social event to influence him by looking at Capitalism and how it is up to people themselves to make something of them and show the contrast between the richness of Lloys and his family and Giselle being the poor person.

• Sweden in the 1960's

People were encouraged to be detectives and look out for war in their own country. The Swedish welfare states were created f0r people that were not well off, caring was important in the 1960's. The country was financially well off.

Mats Ek could of used this as an influence in Giselle because he could show this in the costume by the richness of the country at this particular time. However, he could use the fact that there were detectives looking for war to influence him because he could represent the conflict of war between the characters of Hilarion and Lloys. He could also show the mental health care from the influence of the welfare states being created in 1960.

• Sweden in the 1980's

1980 was when Giselle was created by Mats Ek. The health care system changed  from being equal to privatized. Competition between doctors arose.  Companies begain to bid for cetain services. The health clinics were no longer focused on what was right for the patient; it became more about the competition to see who could get the most patients done a certain time. The patients felt like they were being churned through a system one and by one felt like they weren't being treated fairly. They were no longer being supported and didn't have a positive attitude. 

This influenced Mats Ek in Giselle because of the Health- Care Institution scene where Giselle is going crazy/mental about the situation she is in. Mats Ek didn't like the fact that everyone was just competing for money so he decided to look at the health institution in more depth to show the audience that this is whats happening to the patients - they were not getting better; just getting worse by being churned out one by one.