Dark Ballet
{{short description|2019 song by Madonna}}
{{good article}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Dark Ballet
| cover = Madonna - Dark Ballet (single).png
| alt = Red colored image of a woman. She wears her hair in braids and has an eyepatch with the letter X. She also seems to be wearing a crown and an armor. The words DARK BALLET and MADONNA are written in capital letters in the lower part of the image.
| type = Promo
| artist = Madonna
| album = Madame X
| released = {{Start date|2019|06|07}}
| recorded =
| genre = {{hlist|Experimental pop|electro-gospel}}
| length = {{Duration|m=4|s=14}}
| label = Interscope
| writer = * Madonna
| producer = * Madonna
- Mirwais
|misc={{External music video
| header = Music video
| type = song
| 1 = {{YouTube|6Uagw4zser8|title="Dark Ballet"}}
}}}}
"Dark Ballet" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her fourteenth studio album Madame X (2019). It was released on June 7, 2019, as the album's third promotional single. Written and produced by Madonna and longtime collaborator Mirwais, the song contains a sample from The Nutcracker (1892) by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and was inspired by the historical figure Joan of Arc. It is an experimental pop and electro-gospel piano ballad, with the use of vocoder on her vocals and lyrics about rebelling against the patriarchy.
"Dark Ballet" received generally positive reviews from music critics, who deemed it a highlight from Madame X and one of Madonna's most experimental songs. In the United Kingdom, "Dark Ballet" peaked at number 83 on the official downloads chart. A music video, directed by director Emmanuel Adjei, was released on June 7, 2019. It features rapper Mykki Blanco playing Joan of Arc. Madonna first performed "Dark Ballet" during the 2018 Met Gala, known then as "Beautiful Game", and as the second number of her 2019−20 Madame X Tour.
Background and composition
{{multiple image
| align = left
| image1 = Chaikovskii.jpg
| width1 = 150
| alt1 =
| caption1 =
| image2 = Joan of Arc miniature graded.jpg
| width2 = 112
| alt2 =
| caption2 =
| footer = "Dark Ballet" contains a sample from The Nutcracker (1892) by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (left) and was inspired by Joan of Arc (right).
}}
In 2017, Madonna relocated to Lisbon, Portugal seeking a top football academy for her son David, who wanted to become a professional association football player.{{cite magazine |last1=Smirke |first1=Richard |title=Madonna Talks Giving 'Zero You-Know-Whats' on New 'Madame X' Album at London 'Medellin' Video Premiere |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8508668/madonna-medellin-video-premiere-london-inside-interview-madame-x |magazine=Billboard |access-date=11 May 2020 |date=April 24, 2019 |archive-date=25 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190425060614/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8508668/madonna-medellin-video-premiere-london-inside-interview-madame-x |url-status=live }} While living in the city, she began meeting artists, painters and musicians, who would invite her to "living room sessions". In these sessions, they would bring food, sit around the table and musicians would start playing instruments, singing fado and samba music. Finding herself "connected through music", the singer decided to create an album; "I found my tribe [in Lisbon] and a magical world of incredible musicians that reinforced my belief that music across the world is truly all connected and is the soul of the universe".{{cite web |last1=D'Zurilla |first1=Christie |title='Medellín' introduces Madame X, Madonna's new global pop persona |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/la-et-ms-madonna-medellin-new-song-madame-x-20190417-story.html |work=Chicago Tribune |access-date=11 May 2020 |date=April 17, 2019 |archive-date=14 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200614221828/https://www.chicagotribune.com/la-et-ms-madonna-medellin-new-song-madame-x-20190417-story.html |url-status=live }} On April 15, 2019, Madonna revealed Madame X as the album's title. For the album, she worked with longtime collaborator Mirwais, who had previously worked on her albums Music (2000), American Life (2003) and Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005), as well as Mike Dean, who was a producer on Rebel Heart (2015), and Diplo.{{cite web |last1=Polk |first1=Milan |title=Everything We Know About Madonna's New Album Madame X |url=https://www.vulture.com/2019/04/everything-we-know-about-madonnas-new-album-madame-x.html |work=New York |access-date=11 May 2020 |date=April 22, 2019 |archive-date=22 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190422231216/https://www.vulture.com/2019/04/everything-we-know-about-madonnas-new-album-madame-x.html |url-status=live }}
"Dark Ballet" was written and produced by Madonna and Mirwais, and samples Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker (1892).{{cite AV media notes|others=Madonna|title=Madame X|year=2019|type=Liner notes|publisher=Interscope Records|id=B0030140-42}}{{cite web |last1=Earls |first1=John |title=Watch Madonna's stunning 'Dark Ballet' video starring Mykki Blanco as Joan Of Arc |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/watch-madonnas-stunning-dark-ballet-video-starring-mykki-blanco-2505545 |work=NME |access-date=18 May 2020 |date=June 7, 2019 |archive-date=4 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191004080421/https://www.nme.com/news/music/watch-madonnas-stunning-dark-ballet-video-starring-mykki-blanco-2505545 |url-status=live }} It has been described as an experimental pop{{cite web |last1=Levine |first1=Nick |title=10 Things to know this week June 10–16 |url=https://www.bbcamerica.com/on-the-beat/2019/06/10-things-to-know-this-week-june-10-16 |publisher=BBC America |access-date=18 May 2020 |date=June 16, 2019 |archive-date=20 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220072439/http://www.bbcamerica.com/on-the-beat/2019/06/10-things-to-know-this-week-june-10-16 |url-status=live }} and electro-gospel piano ballad,{{cite web |last1=Helligar |first1=Jeremy |title=Album Review: Madonna's 'Madame X' |url=https://variety.com/2019/music/news/madonna-madame-x-album-review-1203242374/ |work=Variety |access-date=18 May 2020 |date=June 13, 2019 |archive-date=13 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190613191122/https://variety.com/2019/music/news/madonna-madame-x-album-review-1203242374/ |url-status=live }} with the vocals making use of a vocoder, and lyrics that address the singer's faith and "lifelong crusade against the patriarchal forces of religion, gender, and celebrity".{{cite web |last1=Beaumont-Thomas |first1=Ben |title=Madonna: Madame X review – her most bizarre album ever |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/jun/04/madonna-madame-x-review-her-most-bizarre-album-ever |work=The Guardian |date=4 June 2019 |access-date=18 May 2020 |archive-date=4 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604114234/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/jun/04/madonna-madame-x-review-her-most-bizarre-album-ever |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Cinquemani |first1=Sal |title=Review: Madonna's Madame X Is a Fearless, Eccentric Musical Memoir |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review-madonna-madame-x-is-a-fearless-eccentric-musical-memoir/ |work=Slant Magazine |access-date=18 May 2020 |date=June 12, 2019 |archive-date=13 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200513210310/https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review-madonna-madame-x-is-a-fearless-eccentric-musical-memoir/ |url-status=live }} In the opening verse, Madonna sings with "forceful confidence" the phrase "I can dress like a boy/I can dress like a girl" and, in an ironic tone, how "our world is obsessed with fame".{{cite web |last1=Barnett |first1=Robbie |title='X' marks the spot for daring new Madonna album |url=https://www.washingtonblade.com/2019/06/17/madame-x-review/ |work=Washington Blade |access-date=18 May 2020 |date=June 17, 2019 |archive-date=18 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190618141143/https://www.washingtonblade.com/2019/06/17/madame-x-review/ |url-status=live }} Following a piano interlude, it morphs into a "sinister"{{cite web |last1=Erlewine |first1=Stephen Thomas |author-link1=Stephen Thomas Erlewine |title=Madame X – Madonna – Songs, Reviews, Credits |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/madame-x-mw0003274282 |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=11 May 2020 |date=June 14, 2019 |archive-date=26 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190626211738/https://www.allmusic.com/album/madame-x-mw0003274282 |url-status=live }} and "mangled, glitching" fragment from The Nutcracker{{'}}s Dance of the Reed Pipes, in which Madonna sings in a heavily edited robotic voice "I will not denounce the things that I have said/I will not renounce my faith in my sweet Lord".{{cite web |last1=Wass |first1=Mike |title="Dark Ballet" Is Madonna's Most Experimental Single Yet |date=7 June 2019 |url=https://www.idolator.com/7794749/madonna-dark-ballet-review?chrome=1 |publisher=Idolator |access-date=18 May 2020 |archive-date=31 July 2023 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230731053412/https://www.idolator.com/7794749/madonna-dark-ballet-review?chrome=1 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |last1=Hunt |first1=El |title=Madonna – 'Madame X' review |url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/madonna-madame-x-review-2505126 |work=NME |access-date=18 May 2020 |date=June 5, 2019 |archive-date=18 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200818072833/https://www.nme.com/reviews/madonna-madame-x-review-2505126 |url-status=live }} This last part, according to AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine, evokes Stanley Kubrick's 1971 film A Clockwork Orange. Madonna then utters the phrase "The storm isn't in the air/it's inside of us".{{cite web |last1=Thorpe-Tracey |first1=C.J. |title=Reviews: Madonna - Madame X |url=https://thequietus.com/articles/26684-madonna-madame-x-review |work=The Quietus |access-date=21 May 2020 |date=June 21, 2019 |archive-date=23 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220923070227/https://thequietus.com/articles/26684-madonna-madame-x-review |url-status=live }} The song ends with Madonna's daughters Stella and Estere blowing air through their lips, simulating wind.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8516998/madonna-madame-x-iheartradio-icons-interview|title=13 Things We Learned From Madonna's iHeartRadio Icons Interview|date=June 21, 2019|access-date=June 27, 2020|magazine=Billboard|archive-date=June 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200623013344/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8516998/madonna-madame-x-iheartradio-icons-interview|url-status=live}} Madonna said the main inspiration of the song was Joan of Arc. During an interview with Rolling Stone, she explained that even after Joan of Arc won the fight against the English, the French were not pleased and "judged her". They affirmed she was a man, a lesbian, a witch, and "burned her at the stake", despite her being fearless. Madonna concluded, "I admire that".{{cite magazine |last1=Legaspi |first1=Althea |title=See Madonna's New 'Dark Ballet' Video Featuring Mykki Blanco as Joan of Arc |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/madonna-dark-ballet-video-mykki-blanco-watch-845525/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=18 May 2020 |date=June 7, 2019 |archive-date=20 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200520214425/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/madonna-dark-ballet-video-mykki-blanco-watch-845525/ |url-status=live }} "Dark Ballet" was released the final promotional single from Madame X on June 7, 2019.
Reception
"Dark Ballet" received generally positive reviews from music critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic deemed it an "ominous number" and one of the highlights of Madame X. El Hunt from NME said it was "as villainous and foreboding as Ray of Light{{'}}s darkest moments", and compared it to the singer's 2002 single "Die Another Day". Slant Magazine{{'}}s Sal Cinquemani called its lyrical theme "Kafkaesque". Also from Slant Magazine, Alexa Camp praised the track for being "ambitious", as well as "a reminder of the wacky magic Madonna and Mirwais are capable of cooking up together".{{cite web |last1=Camp |first1=Alexa |title=Mykki Blanco Is a Trans Joan of Arc in Madonna's "Dark Ballet" Video – Watch |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/mykki-blanco-is-a-trans-joan-of-arc-in-madonna-dark-ballet-video-watch/ |work=Slant Magazine |access-date=18 May 2020 |date=June 7, 2019 |archive-date=8 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190608005250/https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/mykki-blanco-is-a-trans-joan-of-arc-in-madonna-dark-ballet-video-watch/ |url-status=live }} Variety{{'}}s Jeremy Helligar deemed it, alongside "God Control", as one of the moments in Madame X where "true weirdness sets in", and "the closest Madonna may ever come to her own 'Bohemian Rhapsody'". Robbie Barnett from the Washington Blade, wrote that it was one of the album's "standout" tracks, as well as "a bold statement of extreme artistic expression". Writing for Idolator, Mike Wass called it "a little heavy-handed, but nonetheless mesmerizing".{{cite web |last1=Wass |first1=Mike |title=Album Review: Madonna's 'Madame X' Pushes The Boundaries Of Pop |url=https://www.idolator.com/7803119/album-review-madonna-madame-x?chrome=1&Exc_D_LessThanPoint002_p1=1 |publisher=Idolator |access-date=18 May 2020 |date=June 17, 2019 |archive-date=25 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220925071315/https://www.idolator.com/7803119/album-review-madonna-madame-x?chrome=1&Exc_D_LessThanPoint002_p1=1 |url-status=live }} In a further review, Wass said it was the singer's "most experimental" single. Gay Times{{'}} Daniel Megarry deemed it "arguably the most bizarre" song on Madonna's catalogue, as well as the fifth best song on Madame X.{{cite web |last1=Megarry |first1=Daniel |title=We ranked every song on Madonna's new album Madame X |url=https://www.gaytimes.co.uk/culture/123810/we-ranked-every-song-on-madonnas-new-album-madame-x/ |work=Gay Times |access-date=22 May 2020 |date=June 25, 2019 |archive-date=20 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220161100/https://www.gaytimes.co.uk/culture/123810/we-ranked-every-song-on-madonnas-new-album-madame-x/ |url-status=live }}
For Nicolas Hautman, from Us Weekly, it's a "dark, glitchy number".{{cite web |last1=Hautman |first1=Nicolas |title=Madonna's New Album 'Madame X' Is 'Wonderfully Weird': Review |url=https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/madonna-madame-x-review-album-is-wonderfully-weird/ |work=Us Weekly |access-date=22 May 2020 |date=June 14, 2019 |archive-date=15 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190615125451/https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/madonna-madame-x-review-album-is-wonderfully-weird/ |url-status=live }} The HuffPost{{'}}s Daniel Welsh said "Dark Ballet" was the strangest song on the album, where the singer "takes the opportunity to let her detractors know that no matter what is thrown at her, she won’t be backing down".{{cite web |last1=Welsh |first1=Daniel |title=Madame X: Madonna Is An Artist Who's Always Had To Fight, And On Her New Album She Proves She's Not Done Yet |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/madonna-madame-x-new-album-review_uk_5d03582ce4b0985c419b4335?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAL2i7S2HoqgR_uXbso6_65KGdpiNhTh84exG5pFhhCo5IJv8MQ0ILPBsvLiwnh3RleyogQND59esz7I6MZc8RzzJxIv5uQFwo0Ti5g7F8rI8mVKJ_RUVf2dfbqTtas12W-rHdW0eOPTaTD-LYw7rycEW5G2BngKtjv9JSAorwrR- |work=HuffPost |access-date=11 May 2020 |date=June 14, 2019 |archive-date=4 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220104003426/https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/madonna-madame-x-new-album-review_uk_5d03582ce4b0985c419b4335?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAL2i7S2HoqgR_uXbso6_65KGdpiNhTh84exG5pFhhCo5IJv8MQ0ILPBsvLiwnh3RleyogQND59esz7I6MZc8RzzJxIv5uQFwo0Ti5g7F8rI8mVKJ_RUVf2dfbqTtas12W-rHdW0eOPTaTD-LYw7rycEW5G2BngKtjv9JSAorwrR- |url-status=live }} Louise Bruton from The Irish Times, stated that the song is "an experimental stand against authoritarianism".{{cite news |last1=Bruton |first1=Louise |title=Madonna: Madame X review – Big, ballsy and more than a bit bizarre |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/madonna-madame-x-review-big-ballsy-and-more-than-a-bit-bizarre-1.3920630 |newspaper=The Irish Times |access-date=11 May 2020 |date=June 10, 2019 |archive-date=10 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190610113512/https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/madonna-madame-x-review-big-ballsy-and-more-than-a-bit-bizarre-1.3920630 |url-status=live }} Johnny Coleman, from The Hollywood Reporter, noted that Madonna "does a decent Wendy Carlos impression" on "Dark Ballet".{{cite web |last1=Coleman |first1=Johnny |title=Critic's Notebook: Madonna's Cringe-Worthy 'Madame X' |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/madonna-madame-x-album-review-1218535 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=11 May 2020 |date=June 14, 2019 |archive-date=7 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200207062556/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/madonna-madame-x-album-review-1218535 |url-status=live }} Sean Maunier, from Metro Weekly, called it an "infectiously weird track".{{cite web |last1=Maunier |first1=Sean |title=Music Review: Madonna's chaotic 'Madame X' |url=https://www.metroweekly.com/2019/06/music-review-madonnas-chaotic-madame-x/ |work=Metro Weekly |access-date=19 May 2020 |date=June 7, 2019 |archive-date=31 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200131053254/https://www.metroweekly.com/2019/06/music-review-madonnas-chaotic-madame-x/ |url-status=live }} Jaime Tabberer, from Gay Star News, compared it to Madonna's previous singles "Human Nature" (1995) and "What It Feels Like for a Girl" (2001), as all three songs exude "the same ferocious attitude" and touch on the themes of discrimination and sexism.{{cite web |last1=Tabberer |first1=Jaime |title=Madonna, Madame X track-by-track review: 'Intriguing Gaga-esque weirdness' |url=https://www.gaystarnews.com/article/madonna-madame-x-track-by-track-review-intriguing-gaga-esque-weirdness/ |work=Gay Star News |access-date=22 May 2020 |date=June 13, 2019 |archive-date=30 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190730064712/https://www.gaystarnews.com/article/madonna-madame-x-track-by-track-review-intriguing-gaga-esque-weirdness/ |url-status=live }} Michael Arceneaux of NBC News called it one of the album's "oddities".{{cite web|last=Arceneaux|first=Michael|title=Madonna's new album, 'Madame X,' makes me wish she'd just focus on being her iconic self|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/madonna-s-new-album-madame-x-makes-me-wish-she-ncna1017796|work=NBC News|access-date=May 22, 2020|date=June 15, 2019|archive-date=September 17, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190917130514/https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/madonna-s-new-album-madame-x-makes-me-wish-she-ncna1017796|url-status=live}} On a negative review, Rich Juzwiak from Pitchfork said that "the 808 gloom of 'Dark Ballet' [...] is horrendous".{{cite web |last1=Juzwiak |first1=Rich |title=Madonna - Madame X |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/madonna-madame-x/ |work=Pitchfork |access-date=11 May 2020 |date=June 18, 2019 |archive-date=18 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190618080747/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/madonna-madame-x/ |url-status=live }} The Chicago Sun-Times{{'}} Mark Kennedy wrote that the song "starts promising enough but drifts into a computer-altered pile of jumbled, pointless slogans".{{cite web |last1=Kennedy |first1=Mark |title=Madonna's 'Madame X' a trying-too-hard, mess of an album |url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/entertainment-and-culture/2019/6/14/18679440/madonna-madame-x-album-review-trying-too-hard-mess |work=Chicago Sun-Times |access-date=19 May 2020 |date=June 14, 2019 |archive-date=22 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200622191702/https://chicago.suntimes.com/entertainment-and-culture/2019/6/14/18679440/madonna-madame-x-album-review-trying-too-hard-mess |url-status=live }} In the United Kingdom, "Dark Ballet" peaked at number 83 on the official downloads chart the week of June 14.
Music video
File:Dark Ballet music video.png as Joan of Arc getting burnt at the stake]]
The music video for "Dark Ballet" was released on June 7, 2019, and was directed by Dutch-Ghanaian director Emmanuel Adjei. It starred American rapper Mykki Blanco playing the role of a transgender Joan of Arc who gets burned at the stake.{{cite web |last1=Boss |first1=Brandon |title=Why Madonna Burned Queer Rapper Mykki Blanco in Her New Video |url=http://www.newnownext.com/madonna-mykki-blanco-music-video-dark-ballet/06/2019/ |publisher=The Backlot |access-date=18 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190609135611/http://www.newnownext.com/madonna-mykki-blanco-music-video-dark-ballet/06/2019/ |archive-date=June 9, 2019 |date=June 8, 2019}} Madonna met Blanco through producer Mike Dean and became interested in working with her.{{cite web |last1=Moran |first1=Justin |title=How Madonna cast Mykki Blanco in 'Dark Ballet' |url=https://www.papermag.com/mykki-blanco-madonna-dark-ballet-2638796442.html |website=Paper |access-date=18 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190616063305/https://www.papermag.com/mykki-blanco-madonna-dark-ballet-2638796442.html |archive-date=June 16, 2019 |date=June 12, 2019}} After contacting her, Blanco flew to London and met her at her home. She had her listen to a finished version of the album and asked her to portray Joan of Arc in the video.{{cite magazine |last1=Daw |first1=Stephen |title=Mykki Blanco Explains 'Surreal' Experience of Working With Madonna on 'Dark Ballet' Video |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/pride/8514955/mykki-blanco-interview-madonna-dark-ballet-video-joan-of-arc |magazine=Billboard |access-date=18 May 2020 |date=June 7, 2019 |archive-date=3 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603105921/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/pride/8514955/mykki-blanco-interview-madonna-dark-ballet-video-joan-of-arc |url-status=live }} Blanco is openly gay and HIV-positive, and Madonna felt she could relate to Joan's struggles; "if you had existed as you in her time — you would have been burned at the stake as well", she told her. According to Blanco, Madonna served as co-director and even worked on choreography, cinematography and costume design, but remained uncredited. On June 5, she shared two previews of the video on her Instagram account: one showed her wearing a veil, intercut with religious iconography, while the other depicted Blanco being burned.
The video opens with a quote by Joan of Arc: "One life is all we have and we live it as we believe in living it. But to sacrifice what you are and to live without belief, that is a fate more terrible than dying". Told in a nonlinear narrative, it begins with Blanco held captive in a stone cell, she's wearing a dirty white robe with her wrists bound. She's then led by "stone faced" clergymen to her execution as she sings along to the lyrics. Blanco is then seen dancing, first in a cathedral wearing a gold corset, similar to the one Madonna wore on her Blond Ambition World Tour (1990), pleading with the men to spare her, and then at an altar. The final shot is of a naked Blanco, her head shaved off, being burned at the stake while a bunch of veiled nuns, one of them Madonna, look from below. The video ends with an "inspiring" quote from Blanco: "I have walked this earth, Black, Queer and HIV positive, but no transgression against me has been as powerful as the hope I hold within".
It received positive reviews from critics. Althea Legaspi from Rolling Stone, called it "cinematic". Alexa Camp noted a "blink-and-you'll-miss-it" shot from Carl Theodor Dreyer's 1928 film The Passion of Joan of Arc at the very beginning. She also saw similarities to Madonna's 1989 video for "Like a Prayer", specifically in the use of religious imagery and the story revolving around a persecuted black person. Camp concluded that by casting a person of color and not herself as "the oppressed", Madonna was highlighting "the disproportionate impact of the patriarchy on minorities". For Paper{{'}}s Justin Moran "[Mykki Blanco's] take on Joan of Arc mirrors how his own everyday relishes the in-between", also pointing out the singer's absence in the video. Mike Wass hailed the video as a "gothic nightmare" and "eerie".{{cite web |last1=Wass |first1=Mike |title=A Gothic Nightmare: Madonna Teases Eerie "Dark Ballet" Video |url=https://www.idolator.com/7794631/madonna-teases-eerie-dark-ballet-video?chrome=1 |publisher=Idolator |access-date=18 May 2020 |date=June 6, 2019 |archive-date=25 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220925071315/https://www.idolator.com/7794631/madonna-teases-eerie-dark-ballet-video?chrome=1 |url-status=live }} According to CNN's Chloe Melas, the video was "fresh proof that Madonna has never been afraid to push the limits".{{cite web |last1=Melas |first1=Chloe |title=Madonna releases jarring 'Dark Ballet' video inspired by Joan of Arc |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2019/06/07/entertainment/madonna-dark-ballet-music-video/index.html |publisher=CNN |access-date=18 May 2020 |date=June 7, 2019 |archive-date=21 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190721201409/https://edition.cnn.com/2019/06/07/entertainment/madonna-dark-ballet-music-video/index.html |url-status=live }} In June 2019, it was named by Billboard as one of "The 20 Best Music Videos of 2019 (So Far)".{{cite magazine |title=The 20 Best Music Videos of 2019 (So Far): Staff Picks |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/list/8516848/best-music-videos-of-2019-so-far |magazine=Billboard |access-date=22 May 2020 |date=June 20, 2019 |archive-date=1 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200301165327/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/list/8516848/best-music-videos-of-2019-so-far |url-status=live }}
Live performances
Madonna first performed "Dark Ballet", known then as "Beautiful Game", at the 2018 Met Gala. After singing "Like a Prayer" and a cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" (1984), she began singing the song wearing a corset and a metallic arm accessory, her hair was braided and parted down the center.{{cite magazine |last1=Nolfi |first1=Joey |title=Watch Madonna's surprise Met Gala performance of 'Like a Prayer,' 'Hallelujah' |url=https://ew.com/music/2018/05/08/madonna-met-gala-2018-performance/ |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=18 May 2020 |date=May 8, 2018 |archive-date=9 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180509013041/http://ew.com/music/2018/05/08/madonna-met-gala-2018-performance/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Longeretta |first1=Emily |title=Madonna Sings 'Like a Prayer' and 'Hallelujah' Inside the 2018 Met Gala: Watch |url=https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/madonna-sings-like-a-prayer-at-met-gala-2018/ |website=Us Weekly |access-date=18 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180509032014/https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/madonna-sings-like-a-prayer-at-met-gala-2018/ |archive-date=May 9, 2018 |date=May 8, 2018}}
Several dancers, wearing similar costumes, performed a choreography that seemed to control and restrain her movements.{{cite magazine |last1=Daw |first1=Stephen |title=Madonna Debuts New Song 'Beautiful Game' in Full Video of Her Met Gala Performance |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8470588/madonna-beautiful-game-full-met-gala-2018-performance-video |magazine=Billboard |access-date=18 May 2020 |date=August 16, 2018 |archive-date=10 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190610050121/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8470588/madonna-beautiful-game-full-met-gala-2018-performance-video |url-status=live }} A fragment of "Dark Ballet" was included during Madonna's performance of "Future" and "Like a Prayer" as an interval act in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2019.{{cite magazine |last1=Kaplan |first1=Ilana |title=Watch Madonna and Quavo Perform 'Future' in Controversial Eurovision Set |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/madonna-quavo-future-eurovision-controversy-837263/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=18 May 2020 |date=May 19, 2019 |archive-date=21 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190621200637/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/madonna-quavo-future-eurovision-controversy-837263/ |url-status=live }} The song was then included on the singer's Madame X Tour (2019−20), where it was the second song of the setlist.{{cite magazine |last1=Sheffield |first1=Rob |author-link1=Rob Sheffield |title=Why Madonna's Madame X Tour Is the Gloriously Insane Mess of Your Dreams |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-live-reviews/madonna-madame-x-tour-sheffield-887601/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=18 May 2020 |date=September 20, 2019 |archive-date=15 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210115080021/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-live-reviews/madonna-madame-x-tour-sheffield-887601/ |url-status=live }} The performance featured "Joan of Arc references, religious garb and battles with dancers in gas masks reminiscent of the mice in The Nutcracker", as well as a ballet breakdown halfway through.{{cite web |last1=Katz |first1=Leslie |title=Madonna's Madame X comes alive, rises |url=https://www.sfexaminer.com/entertainment/madonnas-madame-x-comes-alive-rises/ |work=San Francisco Examiner |access-date=18 May 2020 |date=November 6, 2019 |archive-date=18 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191218100225/https://www.sfexaminer.com/entertainment/madonnas-madame-x-comes-alive-rises/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Bell |first1=Josh |title=Five Thoughts: Madonna at the Colosseum |url=https://lasvegasweekly.com/ae/music/2019/nov/08/five-thoughts-madonna-colosseum-vegas-november-7/ |work=Las Vegas Weekly |access-date=18 May 2020 |date=November 8, 2019 |archive-date=19 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191119170208/https://lasvegasweekly.com/ae/music/2019/nov/08/five-thoughts-madonna-colosseum-vegas-november-7/ |url-status=live }} At one point, the singer gets pushed off a piano by one of the dancers.{{cite web |last1=Pareles |first1=Jon |author-link1=Jon Pareles |title=Madonna Is Still Taking Chances |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/18/arts/music/madame-x-madonna.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=19 May 2020 |date=September 18, 2019 |archive-date=23 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190923131632/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/18/arts/music/madame-x-madonna.html |url-status=live }} Billboard{{'}}s Joe Lynch praised the number's "compelling mixture of Christian iconography and pagan pageantry".{{cite magazine |last1=Lynch |first1=Joel |title=As Madame X, Madonna Is Her Most Authentic Onstage Self In Years |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8530575/madonna-madame-x-tour-bam |magazine=Billboard |access-date=18 May 2020 |date=September 20, 2019 |archive-date=20 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190920154636/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/8530575/madonna-madame-x-tour-bam |url-status=live }} The performance was included on the live album Madame X: Music from the Theater Xperience.
On October 9, 2021, following the release of the Madame X concert film, Madonna gave an "intimate cabaret performance" in the basement of Marcus Samuelsson's Harlem restaurant Red Rooster, and sang Lounge renditions of "Dark Ballet", "La Isla Bonita" (1987), Madame X album track "Crazy", and Cape Verdean coladeira song "Sodade"; she was dressed in a black cocktail dress with a "dramatic leg slit", lace gloves and long blonde wig.{{cite web |last1=Munzenrieder |first1=Kyle |title=Inside Madonna's secret Madame X show that ended up on the streets of Harlem |url=https://www.wmagazine.com/culture/madonna-madame-x-harlem-show |work=W |access-date=3 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211010003036/https://www.wmagazine.com/culture/madonna-madame-x-harlem-show |archive-date=October 10, 2021 |date=October 10, 2021}}
Credits and personnel
Charts
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
| scope="col"| Chart (2019)
! scope="col"| Peak |
|---|
| {{single chart|UKdownload|83|date=20190614|artist=Madonna|song=Dark Ballet|rowheader=true|access-date=May 21, 2020|refname="UKDownload"}} |
Release history
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" |
| scope="col"|Country
! scope="col"|Date ! scope="col"|Format(s) ! scope="col"|Label ! scope="col" class="unsortable"| {{Abbr|Ref.|References}} |
|---|
| scope="row"| Various
| June 7, 2019 | {{hlist|Digital download|streaming}} |
References
{{reflist}}
{{Madonna songs}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Songs about Joan of Arc
Category:Experimental pop songs
Category:Mass media portrayals of HIV/AIDS
Category:Songs with feminist themes
Category:Songs written by Madonna
Category:Songs written by Mirwais Ahmadzaï
Category:Song recordings produced by Madonna
Category:Transgender-related mass media
Category:Popular songs based on classical music
Category:Arrangements of compositions by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky