An opera for large ensemble and construction cranes, Natacha Diels’ new work Papillon and the Dancing Cranes comes from the composer’s lifelong fascination with construction cranes and the dualities they embody. They are simple structures whose grace and beauty decorate the skyline of economically forward-moving cities around the world, simultaneously implying the complicated circumstances surrounding progress. They are essential characters executing tedious, repetitive activities within monstrous construction projects, and yet are rarely considered in the final product. Mirroring humans who share their lives between mundane tasks and creative dreams, the construction cranes in Natacha’s opera dream of dance and delicate fragility.