Benjamin Millepied x Philip Glass

Dancer Craig Black writhes his way through a period apartment in upstate New York’s Mount Kisco in Benjamin Millepied and violinist–turned-creative director Tim Fain’s saturated short. Set to minimalist composer Phillip Glass’s rousing score “Partita for Solo Violin,” the film is part of Fain’s immersive multimedia film series, Portals. The experiential performance, in which Fain played live, was presented at New York’s Symphony Space at the end of September and met with rave reviews. “I’d always been fascinated by how ‘visual’ Phillip’s music was, and I knew I wanted to pair it with film in some way,” says Fain. “Not to mention it’s just some of the most passionate, dark, expressive music I know.” New York City Ballet principal Millepied, now the face of YSL’s L’Homme Libre perfume, was Fain’s first point of call for some direction and complimentary footwork after previously collaborating on the set of Black Swan. “Philip’s new solo violin works are very beautiful, haunting and heartbreaking at the same time,” says Millepied of the music inspiring his works. “Images came quickly to mind, stories and intimate moments reflecting life.”