Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the names and pronouns of sources used in the article as well as reflect the accurate name of Ballet Austin. The Texan regrets this error.

Unsettling art, striking dances and playful yet eerie music came together for Ballet Austin’s  “Grimm Tales,” which ran from Sept. 26-28. Immersing the audience into three dark stories, the performance left lasting impressions long after the final bow. 

Natalie Frank, visual artist for “Grimm Tales,” discussed the female origins of these fairy tales and why they were created. 

“So these stories, first of all, were never intended for children,” Frank said. “They’re all oral tales that belonged to women … and they were a way for women to talk about their life, anxieties, their desires.”

One tale in the ballet, “The Juniper Tree,” showed physical hunger, driving the evil stepmother to cook a little boy and serve him to his father for dinner. “Snow White” illustrated the spiritual desire to maintain youthful beauty. “The Frog King” revealed a sexual longing, with the princess unraveling the frog’s identity. 

Frank said she feels many stories undergo “Disneyfication,” which waters down these stories and makes them more inviting to an audience. She said she believes these versions do not reflect contemporary values.

“I don’t think we need to patronize an audience or patronize a viewer or readership with stories because we feel they should be happier,” Frank said. 

Frank also said this approach minimizes the complexity of tales through the common narrative of women needing saving.

“So in response to that, we choose to focus on the nuances of the female characters, whether they’re evil or divine or somewhere in between,” Frank said.

Stephen Mills, artistic director, said he believes observing art keeps individuals mindful of themselves. 

“The themes I see in (this) ballet are selfishness, vanity, cruelty and greed,” Mills said. “But we also see humanity. We see hope, and we also see good triumphing over evil.”

Mills said he wants to create authentic ballets, focusing on what he finds interesting instead of what critics want to see. 

“I can only give my perspective, and I can’t judge whether somebody’s going to like it or not,” Mills said. 

After the show, Graham Reynolds, musical composer for “Grimm Tales,” said he enjoyed the challenge of translating music from recording studios into music for live performances. 

“I like every palette to be different,” Reynolds said. “I love to put up the art book on the piano, open it to a page, and start playing, capture some ideas, and then notate them.” 

Mills said the musical score of this ballet differs from all other scores because of its dark ambiance. The music incorporates instruments uncommon for ballet, like an African instrument with steel fingerings. 

“It’s sinister in so many ways, but sweet as well,” Mills said. “It’s got this great topography that happens throughout the score.”

During the process of developing the ballet, creatives were encouraged to use their imagination to produce innovative and unique work.

“Stephen (allowed) everyone to be an artist and fulfill their role in the way that they saw fit,” Frank said.

Mills said the most rewarding aspect of art-making is the collaborative process, but failure is always an option. 

“Fortunately, this was not a failure, it was a great success,” Mills said. “I’ve made 60 dances throughout my career, and they’re all my favorites, but this is an important one.”