San Francisco Ballet brings Pandora's box myth into the AI age at Edinburgh festival

San Francisco Ballet, the oldest professional ballet company in the United States, has brought a new production called "Mere Mortals" to the Edinburgh international festival, reworking the ancient myth of Pandora's box as a parable for the age of artificial intelligence. The piece was commissioned by artistic director Tamara Rojo, who brought together choreographer Aszure Barton, composer Sam Shepherd — also known as electronic producer Floating Points — and the multidisciplinary studio Hamill Industries.

Blending digital and physical worlds

Hamill Industries, which used AI tools in parts of its creative process, projects shifting, pulsating imagery onto a giant screen above the stage, resembling lava or the surface of the sun. These visuals often pull focus away from the dancers themselves, who perform in large, tightly choreographed groups at a driving tempo, leaving audiences uncertain whether they represent humans, gods, machines or lines of code. One striking sequence shows the dancers collectively shaping the figure of Pandora, echoing the myth of her creation from clay.

Jennifer Stahl dances the role of Pandora, while Wei Wang portrays Hope, though the symbolism is not immediately obvious without prior knowledge of the myth. Barton's choreography is described as eclectic and unpredictable, blending classical technique with a wide range of movement ideas, though the production has been criticised for not fully following through on the dramatic potential of its own storyline.

Several more intimate scenes bring human relationships to the forefront, including a rivalry between the brothers Prometheus and Epimetheus, danced by Joseph Walsh and Harrison James, and a duet between Pandora and her husband that avoids conventional romantic gestures in favour of unusual, intertwined shapes.

The score, performed live by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, blends electronic and orchestral elements, delivering dramatic tension and propulsive energy reminiscent of Stravinsky.