The Ballet Preljocal ballerinas wore All Black colours. Photo / Brett Phibbs.
Heaven knows what Rudolf Nureyev would have made of it - or Te Rauparaha, for that matter.
You didn't need an Ouija board to decipher Carl Hayman's thoughts, however. "It was a bit feminine," he said as he left the Ballet Preljocal.
This was a show where ballet
met the haka for almost certainly the first time and the results were, well, interesting. The Angelin Preljocaj-choreographed show was Aix-En-Provence's cultural homage to the All Blacks and a delegation including Hayman, Chris Jack, Mils Muliaina and Andy Ellis attended.
There was a slight air of bemusement when they left after two dances - Haka and Centaures - though Jack was quick to point out that while certain aspects of the extravaganza might have gone over their heads, it was great to see that the haka had made such an impact around the world.
"It is an honour, really, that they did a dance to it, bringing our culture to Europe," he said.
The dance involved 15 ballerinas dressed in replica All Black shirts putting their own spin on the actions and words of the All Blacks' two hakas, Ka Mate and Kapa o Pango.
"It's not quite as ferocious, that's for sure," Muliaina said. "But it was nice to be on the other side of it for once."
The second dance involved two half-naked men imitating the rituals of two bulls vying for dominance (we think). As a smiling Jack commented: "It was a bit more artistic."
The All Black delegation took pleasure, however, in the fact one of the dancers bore an uncanny resemblance to Australian halfback George Gregan. "That comment was passed," Jack said.
