I have just noticed that Danceworks has arranged for Vadim Muntagirov to give a 90-minute master class between 14:30 and 16:00 today. Dancers in London can attend the class at Danceworks's studioat 16 Balderton Street which is just off Oxford Street almost opposite Selfridge's. It will cost £18 which is not much more than a 90-minute with any other teacher in London. The rest of us can follow the class online for £9. Bookings can be made through the Danceworks website,
There is also a master class next week with Brandon Lawrence of Birmingham Royal Ballet followed by Jane Coulston of Beyond Repair Dance Company on 11 July, Alejandro Parente and Marianela Nuñez on 25 July, Alexander Campbell on 8 Aug Nathalie Harrison on 22 Aug and Claire Calvert on 5 Sept 2021.
Standard YouTube Licence Dutch National Ballet Cinderella 22 Dec 2018 , 20:00, Stopera, Amsterdam In July 2015 the Dutch National Ballet performed Christopher Wheeldon's Cinderellaat the Coliseum. It played to full houses and audiences seemed to like it but though not all critics did. In my review, Wheeldon's Cinderella13 July 2015, I wrote:
"I enjoyed the show. I liked Wheeldon's treatment of the story, the dancing, Julian Crouch's designs and Natasha Katz's lighting. I prefer it to The Winter's Tale to which I was indifferent when I first saw it on stage but warmed to it when I saw it in the cinema and on television. It may be that Wheeldon is an acquired taste and that his critics will come round. I look forward to seeing the show again and I think it will look even better on the stage of the Stopera."
Well, I saw it in the Stopera on Saturday 22 Dec 2018 and was bowled over by it. At the end of the second act, I wrote on my Facebook page: "Christmas has been made for me by DutchNatBallet's Cinderella even if I never get a single present, a Christmas card, a slice of Turkey, a smidgeon of plum pudding, a mince pie or a whiff of mulled wine."
Why the difference? The answer came when I joined a tour of the Stopera for new Friends on my birthday in 2016 (see Double Dutch Delights17 Feb 2016). One of the senior technical staff welcomed us to the stage and showed us some of the computer equipment at his command. I mentioned that I had attended a performance of Cinderella in London the previous summer and asked him how the company found the Coliseum. He replied that the company enjoyed their visit to London very much through the Coliseum lacked the state-of-the-art equipment and facilities that they enjoy at the Stopera. That equipment enabled the tree over the grave of Cinderella's mother to grow and change colour with the seasons. It showed birds in flight and falling rain at the funeral of Cinderella's mother.
I noted the similarities between Cinderella and The Winter's Tale in my previous review. In both, the lead characters were introduced as children and both features a massive tree. In a strange sort of way, Cinderella was actually more Shakespearean than the ballet that was based on a Shakespeare play. Excitement was ratcheted up as in a Shakespearean play. When Cinderella's appeared in a golden gown the lights on stage were cut and the house lights switched to full brightness. That moment was matched at the end of the next act when Cinderella ran off stage right into the stalls and through the audience to the exit.
There was also plenty of humour that provided dramatic relief. Cinderella's stepmother, Hortensia, became tight at the ball as the evening wore on much to the embarrassment of her husband. Benjamin, the prince's friend, fell head over heels in love with the plainer of Hortensia's daughters. The most unpromising candidates queued to try Cinderella's abandoned slipper including a Balinese princess with long nails and a spiked headdress, a forest spirit with an outsized head and a knight in full armour brandishing a battle axe. Levity is not easy to induce in ballet. Ashton managed it his Cinderella in his pairing with Robert Helpmann as Cinderella's ugly sisters and Wheeldon succeeded in his version of the ballet.
In London, I had seen Remi Wörtmeyer as Benjamin, the prince's friend. On Saturday he was promoted to prince, a role that suited him well. Benjamin was danced by Sho Yamada who has impressed me twice this year. Cinderella was Anna Ol. She commanded the audience's respect from the start and not our pity. She showed her spirit from the moment her father (Anatole Babenko) introduced her to Hortensia. Hortensia had offered her a bunch of flowers that she tossed to the floor. I sensed fear on the part of the stepmother and her sisters rather than simple malice. Hortensia, a difficult role, was danced impressively by Vera Tsyganova. Luiza Bertho danced Cinderella's stepsister Edwina and Riho Sakamoto, her other stepsister Clementine. Finally, it was great to see Jane Lord on stage again as a dance teacher.
As I had benefited from attending Rachael Beaujean's talk on Giselle last month, I attended the introductory talk on Cinderella. That took the form of a Powerpoint presentation in a lecture room `below the auditorium between 19:15 and 19:45. Although it was given in Dutch which is a language I have never studied I think I got the gist of it as Dutch is closely related to Engish and German. I learned that this ballet is a co-production with the San Francisco Ballet, about Ashton's influence over Wheeldon, the significance of the tree and all sorts of other useful facts.
The ballet will run to 1 Jan 2019 and is playing to full houses. Readers who miss it this month in Amsterdam will have a chance to see English National Ballet perform a version in the round in the Albert Hall between 6 and 16 June 2019.
"We are a ballet company who like to do things a bit differently", proclaim Ballet Cymru on their home page. "We enjoy finding new ways to make what we do exciting, innovative and relevant." They can say that again. Last night's workshop at Yorkshire Dance was one of the most challenging but also one of the most enjoyable balletic experiences since my first plié at St Andrews Dance Society over half a century ago.
It started off like any other ballet class with a walk around the studio except that we had to make and maintain eye contact with each other. The walk quickened to a trot and then a tennis ball was introduced which we had to catch and throw to one another. Dan Morrison and Robbie Moorcroft who led the exercises conducted the pliés, tendus and glissés in the centre and not at the barre. We did a few unusual exercises. For example, teaming up in pairs we pulled and pushed against each other to create support.
The first hint that we had to use our brains as well as our bodies came in the port de bras. We were led gently enough through bras bas, first, second, thord and fourth, "Now it is for you to decide what comes next," said our mentor. In other words we had to choreograph the rest of the phrase. The obvious continuum for me was arms in fifth, rise and soutenu but others who included Fiona, the teacher who led me back to ballet nearly 50 years after that first plié, were much more ambitious. Dan and Robbie asked us to add steps and I tried an ababesque which is never a good idea with my sense of balance and excess weight.
About hslf way through the workshop the members of the company played an extract of the score of the company's new ballet, Dylan Thomas – A Child’s Christmas, Poems and Tiger Eggs. Cerys Matthrews was reading ome of Dylan Thomas's poems - not one I know - about the thoughts that come to mind when waking with a start in the middle of the night. The company demonstrated the way they had interpreted that poem. Each dancer expresssed it differently. It was now our turn and we each worked at it independently and in groups. Members of the company circulated and helped us polish the piece. Beth Meadway worked with me. I couldn't quite manage the elevation or coordination for a cabriole so she suggested a temps levé instead. In the last few minutes each group danced what it had learned to the other group and the Ballet Cymru dancers. It was an unmissable experience.
But the evening did not stop there for Darius James and Ballet Cymru were the first guests of Powerhouse Ballet Circle. We met in Martha's Room where we had laid on some drinks and nibbles. The Martha after whom the room is named is of course Martha Graham. After our members had introduced themselves to members of Ballet Cymru and we each had a glass in our hands I interviewed Darius just as they do in the Civil Service Club in London. "Croeso i Sir Efrog a Powerhouse Ballet" I said in my best Welsh. Happily, Peter, Alicia, Zoe and Holly were not there to correct me. I asked Darius about his career, what brought him into dance, his training in Newport and at the Royal Ballet School, his time at Northern Ballet (or Northern Dance Theatre a it was then called) and the ahievements of Ballet Cymru since he set it up in 1986. Not much happened in the performing arts in Newport in the early days but now there is a lot thanks to the Riverfront Theatre on the banks of the Usk. I invited questions fropm the floor. Amelia asked about costume and set design and Sue about how Darius rated Powerhouse Ballet. There were also questions from Miguel Fernandez and Krystal Lowe of the company,
Even thouigh I had a lot of last minute cancellations owing to illnesses and probems on the railways as well as other glitches both the workshop and the launch of the Powerhouse Ballet Circle went well. The London Ballet Circle has a very close link with Ballet Cymru and we hope to do so too. Our next guest is likely to be Yoko Ichino who has accepted our invitation in principle and I will advise members of the date and venue sooon. I also hope to arrange visits to schools and companies in the region and then, maybe, a trip to Newport. At its 70th anniversary celebrations I learned that Dame Ninette de Valois regarded the London Ballet Circle as part of a tripod of achievements of equal importance to her company and school. I hope that Powerhouose Ballet Circle will be similarly supportive of dance in the North.
Michaela DePrince in "A Million Kisses to my Skin"
Author Angela Sterling (c) 2015 Dutch National Ballet, all rights reserved Licensed with the kind permission of the company
Danceworks has just announced that Michaela DePrince will teach at its studios in London between 23 July and 3 Aug 2018. According to the studio's press release:
"Michaela will be teaching our young dancers at the Danceworks Ballet Academy Summer Intensive, a two-week programme that offers young dancers from ages 6 up to pre-professional, the chance to be coached by leading ballet stars. Students will perform at the prestigious Lilian Baylis Studios, Sadler's Wells on the final day of the course."
She visited the studios in 2015 and 2016 and on each occasion Lesley Osman sent me some lovely photos of her with her students, including an account by one of them who showed a talent for journalism as well as dance (see Michaela's Masterclass8 July 2015 and Michaela DePrince revisits Danceworks7 Aug 2016). If you or one of your offspring would like to attend one of Michaela DePrince's classes you should email balletschool@danceworks.com for further information.
I first heard about Michaela DePrince when she was still in America. I was interested to learn that she was born in Sierra Leone because my late spouse and daughter manquée also came from that country. When she joined the Junior Company of the Dutch National Ballet I attended its first performance at the Stadsshouwburg in Amsterdam. In my review of that performance I described her as "quite simply the most exciting dancer I have seen for quite a while" (see The Junior Company of the Dutch National Ballet - Stadsshouwburg Amsterdam 24 Nov 201325 Nov 2013). Michaela led me to the Junior Company who in turn led me to the mighty Dutch National Ballet which has been a source of great pleasure for me.
If you want to meet Michaela but are too old for her class at Danceworks you might do so at the opening night gala of the 2018/2019 ballet season. The evening consists of a performance followed by a party in the Stopera and it was at that party that I encountered her (see The best evening I have ever spent at the ballet13 Sep 2015). Now there is quite a crowd at that party and I can't guarantee that you will meet Michaela as I did but you would be very unlucky not to make the acquaintance of at least one or two members of that brilliant company.
Tickets for the gala will be on sale from the beginning of June and they are usually snapped up like hot cakes. If any of my readers from anywhere in the world would like to join me at the Stopera on opening night do let me know and maybe we can form a party. If there are enough of us we may even be able to get some discounts and so some other fun things like take a day trip to IJsselstein for an adult ballet class at the Jos Dolstra Dance Institute.
Standard YouTube Licence Phoenix Dance Theatre Mixed Programme (Calyx, Shadowsand Windrush, Movement of the People) Peacock Theatre, London, 27 April 2018, 19:30
I don't know whether any ministers, members of Parliament, journalists or other opinion makers have managed to make their way over to Kingsway to see Phoenix Dance Theatre's Windrush, Movement of the People but, if they didn't they should have done because they would have learned a lot. Yesterday's triple bill was more than just art. It was an education.
It took a remark from a member of the audience at the question and answer session after the show for me to understand why Calyx, Shadows and Windrush, Movement of the People were so poignant. The questioner pointed out the link between Shadows, which was about the "knock on the door". Something that members of the Windrush generation have had to fear. The persecution of human beings springs from hate. Hate is is a form of evil. Calyx, which is inspired by Baudelaire's Fleurs du Mal, explores how evil germinates, sprouts tentacles and spreads (see my review of Sandrine Monin's Calyx in There's a reason why Phoenix was my contemporary company of the year11 Feb 2017). Sharon Watson mirrored that theme by her juxtaposition of Enoch Powell's rivers of blood speech with the toxic alphabet soup (or laundry) that the masked landladies were stirring.
Yesterday's show went very well. The dancers in all three works were brilliant. I have never seen them perform better. Everybody clapped enthusiastically and more than a few members of the audience rose to their feet. But the atmosphere in the Peacock last night was somehow different from the first night at the West Yorkshire Playhouse. That was as much a party as a performance. As I wrote in Windrush: Movement of the People8 Feb 2018:
"The final scene is a church with stained glass lighting, a pastor and his choir. It's a service but this service is almost a party. The cast invite those in the front seats onto the stage. The audience claps rhythmically and euphorically then rises to its feet as one. A triumph indeed!"
What was the reason for this change of atmosphere? I think the answer is that February was a time for celebration whereas last night was a time for reflection. How could it be anything else with David Lammy's speech ringing in our ears and all the revelations in the news so fresh in our memories?
In the questions and answers Sharon Watson was asked what had inspired her. She replied unhesitatingly that it was the experiences of her mother. She discussed the juxtaposition of Jim Reeves with Ska. "That was my Sunday morning" Sharon explained. A lady to the right of me chuckled: "yes, I remember that." And so do I, though, in my recollection, it was two tellies - one with football and the other with Songs of Praise - lashings of jollof rice or plasas, Guinness and, occasionally, if someone had recently returned from Freetown, a bottle of Star Beer.
As in Leeds and in the previews the most moving part of the performance for me was the arrival "You called and we came." A member of the audience mentioned it in the Q & A. "So often we hear the words, 'you came over and ..............' But it was not like that. We answered a call and we should never let anyone forget that."
Phoenix are giving just one more performance in London at 19:30 tonight. If you want to see them after today you will have to travel to Barnsley. Birmingham or Newcastle. But having nipped down last night to see them in London I would say that they that they are well worth the effort.
Beginners' Ballet: Adam Pudney, 8 Nov 2017 Pineapple
One of my favourite dance teachers is Adam Pudney. He teaches at Danceworks and Pineapple. I have had only three classes with him but these have been some of the most useful ever (see Pineapple20 Nov 2013 and (Another Slice of Pineapple12 July 2015). If I lived in London I would be one of his regulars.
The last time I attended one of Adam's classes was on 8 Nov 2017. I had travelled to London to do what I had expected to be a stinker of a case that turned out rather well. As I had expected the case to go into a second day I had allowed myself an extra day in the Great Wen. Finding that I did not need it I had time to scurry off to 7 Langley Street for the beginners' class with Adam.
Every time I have attended Adam's class I have had to climb up from the basement to the very top of the building. I don't know whether Adam teaches in any other studio but that is where I have always found him. Climbing those stairs is almost a workout in itself. Unlike my teachers in Leeds who start off with a walk round the studio, followed by arm stretches, followed by a run (and in Jane Tucker's case a sudden change of direction), followed by jumping facing in, jumping facing out, jumping jacks and stretches in accordance with the Ichino method, Adam does not make us do any of that, but we are more than ready for the first exercise by the time we arrive.
Adam focuses on detail and he spends a fair proportion of the class getting the basics right. The video, Ballet Tutorial: Port de Bras with Adam Pudneyon the Pineapple YouTube channel shows just what his classes are like. I was led back to ballet by Adam's compatriot, Fiona, over four years ago and although I am not exactly the right shape or size for ballet I was sure that I had picked up something. Too right I had. The first 20 minutes with Adam showed me exactly how many bad habits I had fallen into each of which he pointed out with enormous courtesy and corrected with equal assiduity.
Once Adam was satisfied that we had mastered the basics (at least for the time being) he proceeded to some barre exercises. More bad news for me. My pliés were terrible and my tendus not much better and as for my glissés and ronds de jambe, the less said the better. But we finished the barre and then proceeded to a difficult but very beautiful enchainement in the centre. There was time for pirouettes. Mine are appalling but I think I could actually get them right if I could take Adam's class regularly because he breaks the exercise down into elements that even I can understand. Those who take to them easily are annoyingly well-coordinated types who just do not appreciate the metal effort of rising onto demi, bending the legs, positioning the arms and spotting all at the same time. Though I doubt that he ever had a problem with doing all that at the same time, Adam is sympathetic. He understands that some of us do. And he really helps us to get it.
The class was over far in an hour. That was far too soon. I was just getting into my stride when Adam called us into the centre for cool down and reverence. Classes in Pineapple are quite a bit more expensive than in the North because you have to take out temporary membership of the studio but they are worth the extra. It was well over two years since my last trip to Pineapple. I hope I do not have to wait quite so long for the next one.
Author Richard MacDonald Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported licence
It will not surprise readers that Sergei Polunin masterclass at Danceworks between 13:00 and 14:30 on 18 July 2017 is sold out. There is a waiting list although I am sure that must be as long as the River Nile by now but if you want to put your name down in the hope that everyone ahead of your drops out you will find the link on Danceworks 2017 Ballet Summer Masterclasses page.
I have only seen him dance once at the Yorkshire Ballet Summer School Gala at Sadler's Wells in 2013 and I remember that he was pretty impressive (see More Things I do for my Art - Autumn Gala of Dance and Song 30 Sept 2013). He had just flown in from Moscow and had a taxi waiting outside the theatre to rush him back to Heathrow where he hoped to catch his flight home.
He has changed ballet companies quite a lot over the years which does not endear him to everybody but his formidable talent is undeniable as I noted in Sergei Polunin 3 March 2017 when I reviewed his film Dancer and his video Take me to Church.
If you miss Polunin's you can still attend a masterclass with Nathalie Harrison, Melissa Hamilton or Ivan Putrov later in July and they are also special.
I had intended to write about the brilliant Southbank Centre's Alchemy Doncaster festival of South Asian arts that Gita and I attended at CAST in Doncaster yesterday and Friday but after last night's outrage in our capital, I am not in the mood for celebrating and I doubt that my readers are in a celebratory mood either. However, I do intend to report on the festival soon because the arts are the antidote to the toxins of hate that have led to terrorism and all sorts of other distressing events recently.
This weekend's festival of comedy, dance, drama, gastronomy, music, photography and poetry from British artists of South Asian heritage and artists of the South Asian diaspora living here contains a phial of the antidote. Cakes, a brilliant monologue by Bilal Zafar, in which he gently took the mickey out of folks who have a problem with Muslims with his tweets about a fictitious Muslim only cake shop in Bristol is just one example. Whether intended or not, Cakes reminds me of Sir Toby's riposte to Malvolio:
"Dost thou think, because thou art virtuous, there shall be no more cakes and ale?"
Gita and I will review Bring on the Bollywood with its brilliant dancing as well as many of the other performances this week but today our thoughts are with the victims of last night's appalling violence and their friends and relations.
Good old Danceworks. I could give Lesley Osman and her teachers a hug right now. The only days they will be closed will be Christmas Day, Boxing Day and News Year Day which is reasonable enough. The rest of the time between now and the first week of January they will be open for business and you will find their Christmas timetable here. I can't wait till Monday 9 Jan 2017 when Northern Ballet and KNT reopen so I shall be packing some shoes, leotard and tights when I trek down to London for my grandson's birthday on the 28 Dec.
The other studio that I attend in London is Pineapple and they will shut between 22 Dec and 3 Jan 2017. There are, of course, a lot of other dance studios and teachers in London which I have not checked out and many of them are listed by London Dance.
Outside London, term starts at Birmingham DanceXchange on 9 Jan as it does at Northern Ballet and KNT in Manchester. Dance Studio Leeds reopens on 3 Jan 2017 and there will actually be some classes on that day though most will re-start later in the month. Term also starts on 3 Jan 2017 at Dancecity in Newcastle. In Glasgow, Scottish Ballet's classes appear to start on various dates from the second week of January.
Should any dance studio or accredited teacher run a class in any dance style anywhere in the UK between now and 9 Jan 2017 I will publicize it here, in Facebook and on twitter. Indeed, I shall even try to attend and review it if it is at all possible.
According to its website The Ballet Retreat is a joint venture between David Paul Kierce and Hannah Bateman to produce "two and three day, adult ballet courses, held at world class professional studios for dance enthusiasts, facilitated by industry experts." The first of those courses took place in Leeds last bank holiday weekend (27 to 29 Aug 2016) and was attended by Mary Howard who is a regular member of my adult ballet classes at Northern Ballet Academy in Leeds. I asked Mary to write about her experience and this is what she sent me:
"THE BALLET RETREAT AUGUST 27th 2016
Led by
Hannah Bateman and David Kierce
There is a buzz of anticipation in the beautiful glass reception area of Northern Ballet's home in St Peters Square Leeds. It's the first day of our Ballet Retreat and everyone is anxious about how the day will progress. Hannah is calm and smiling behind her desk where we all sign in to accept our name badge and T-shirt. David is bouncing with energy and greets everyone with enthusiasm. I look around to determine how many other dancers are in my age group (over 60) there are a few which is good. There are also some male participants which is very good because they are a rare and welcome species.
Whilst we all mingle and chat over coffee, I start to feel much more relaxed. At 10:00 O'clock we watch the Northern Ballet Company at their training class in the main Burton theatre. This is amazing and very inspirational. At 11:45 we warm up with Hannah for half an hour. Beautiful relaxing exercises mostly on our Yoga mats. Now it's time for a Ballet Class in technique with David. This is very different to my usual "0ver 55" class, and I love it. We have a wonderful pianist but David's voice carries well above the music so instructions are clear. He is very entertaining whilst also being firm in his requirements of our dancing. He misses nothing and occasionally stops to correct an arm position or foot that may be straying. After this we all welcome the delicious and plentiful buffet lunch laid on by the catering team.
After lunch there is a further one hour ballet class involving exercises carried out in the centre of the studio. Following this one hour of Classical Repertoire, Hannah joins us and we begin to learn the Aurora Variation from The Sleeping Beauty. This is the culmination of a fabulous day, the music and steps of the Variation are light and so expressive of a young girl who is presented for the first time at an adult ball. After cooling down and relaxation I float down to the station in a thunderstorm of hail but also an imaginary fluffy cloud.
Over the next two days the curriculum follows a similar pattern, except on Sunday afternoon there is a Surprise Taster Class of traditional Indian dancing which involves moves that are totally alien to classical ballet: no pointed toes and much stamping of the feet. In the Classical class's we progress the Aurora Variation to it's finale. This is very rewarding and I begin to feel the exhilaration of a performer!
On Monday afternoon David extends the seating area of the theatre and whilst most of the group are seated, five people at a time perform the Variation to thunderous applause from the "audience". I must say that our six male dancers who tackled a very energetic routine from Swan Lake received not only applause but whistles and shouts of extreme enthusiasm. They were magnificent.
We exited the theatre and after a delicious afternoon tea it was time to bid farewell to our new friends, many hugs, kisses and selfies were taken. Sadly the three days were over too quickly and how I would have loved to carry on for much longer. Maybe I will see you in a future Retreat?"
I am very grateful to Mary for this report. As I would have expected, the weekend seems to have been great fun. I have seen Hannah on stage many times and I admire her dancing very much indeed. She is one of my favourite dancers with Northern Ballet - indeed with any company. Having seen Akram Khan's remake of Giselle for English National Ballet last Tuesday I for one should like to learn more about Indian dance.
Hannah and David have announced two more retreats. One at Rambert's studios in London between the 19 and 20 Nov 2016 and the other at Northern Ballet's studios in Leeds between the 14 and 15 Jan 2017. The London retreat costs £199 and the Leeds retreat £279. Places may be booked through David and Hannah's website.
"Classes are currently on Summer Break!" proclaims the DanceXchnage's website. "Our NEW autumn term starts Monday 19 September – Saturday 10 December 2016." And they try to make out they are the nation's second city.
No such problem in the real second city. Danceworks has classes through the summer as you can see from their timetable. Sodoes Pineapple.
But in Manchester our modern Ithaca, there are classes throughout the year at KNT in the Dancehouse Theatre's studios. And for the next few days something wonderful will happen.
I don't know whether there are still places on these intensives. I suspect not. But if you don't enquire on info@kntdanceworks.co.uk Tel: 07783 103 037 you certainly won't be able to come.
Standard YouTube Licence Usually at this time of the year Northern Ballet takes a slot at the Linbury. Joanna Goodman saw them there last year and reviewed their performance in Mixed Programme with a Sweet Centre14 May 2015. Unfortunately the Linbury is closed this year but Londoners can still see them in the capital.
On Mondayon 23 May 2016 Javier Torres will be the guest of honour at the London Ballet Circle. I will be in the front row of the audience to hear him speak.
Between 31 May and 1 June Northern Ballet will dance Jane Eyre at the Richmond Theatre. I am giving a talk on IP law and fashion in London on the 2 June so I will be in the audience on the 1st. My parents moved to Surrey from Manchester when I was very young and I spent most of my childhood and adolescence in that part of England. It is a lovely theatre overlooking the Green and I have fond memories of pantomimes in that auditorium.
One of the performances by Northern Ballet that I most enjoyed last year was Jonathan Watkins's Northern Trilogy and, in particular, Yorkshire Pudding. For methat was one of the highlights of the Sapphire gala (see my reviews in Sapphire15 March 2015 and Between Friends - Northern Ballet's Mixed Programme10 May 2015). Watkins will be London Ballet Circle's guest on 6 June 2016. Here is a video of Watkins from last year (see Jonathan Watkins on Working with Northern Ballet).
After that interview Watkins created 1984which I don't like anything like as much (see My First Impressions of 198412 Sept 2015, Watkins on 198414 Sept 2015 and 1984 Second Time Round 24 Oct 2015). However, Londoners will get the chance to judge for themselves as it will be at Sadler's Wells between 24 and 28 May 2016.
Standard YouTube Licence
In Prosit Neues Jahr2 Jan 2016 and Frohes Neues Jahr1 Jan 2014 I mentioned Lichine's Graduation Ball. As you can see from the video it is a charming ballet. It was once very popular. I saw London Festival Ballet perform it in the late 1960s or early 1970s, It was also in the repertoire of the Australian Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet, National Ballet of Cuba and the Ballet of La Scala, Nowadays hardly anybody seems to perform it. Why is that? It is so happy and the music is so lovely.
Admittedly there is not much of a plot. It's a bit like Grease. A girls' school holds a dance and invites the boys in the cadet corps. Both boys and girls are shy at first but they slowly break the ice. They play games and one of the boys takes a fancy to one of the young ladies. So, too, do the students' teachers and they plan to meet after the ball. Unfortunately, they spot the students and the mistress and master lead their miscreant pupils back to their respective establishments.
The music is by Johann Strauss the younger as arranged by Antal Dorati and was first performed in Australia by the Ballet Russe in 1940. Quite remarkable that there was an audience for Strauss when Australia and Austria (then part of Nazi Germany) were at each other's throats.
Graduation Ball would be a lovely ballet for a school or small company.
Yesterday was Alicia Alonso's 95th birthday. I was alerted to that anniversary by Javier Torres who mentioned it on his Facebook page. She founded the National Ballet of Cuba and her company's website describes her as:
"Prima Ballerina Assoluta y Directora del Ballet Nacional de Cuba, es una de las personalidades más relevantes en la historia de la danza y constituye la figura cimera del ballet clásico en el ámbito iberoamericano."
I never saw her dance except on film but I did see her company when it visited Sadler's Wells in September 2006 to perform Magia de la Danza and Don Quixote. Torres was a principal of the company, He is now a premier dancer with Northern Ballet.
As its title suggests Vincent- a stranger to himself is about the life and loves of Vincent Van Gogh. It explores the man behind the self-portrait, his relationships with the women in his life and his art. The work is choreographed by Paul Chantry and Rae Piper and directed by Gail Gordon. Piper has also designed the sets and costumes. In addition to Chantry and Piper the cast will include David Beer, Rebecca Scanlon, Sorrel de Paula Hanika and four young dancers from the company's associates programme.
Starting from Mozart's famous and much loved music Eine Kleine Nachtmusik is said to be designed to invite each member of the audience to create his or her own interpretation of the dance imagery. Instead of being just passive observers he or she will participate actively in the work. I am intrigued to imagine how this will work but, knowing Chantry and Piper as I do, I am confident that it will work.
Each performance will be followed by questions and answers which will lead no doubt to lively discussion. For those in the auditorium who are new to contemporary dance it should be a good introduction to the art. For those who are already familiar with this genre, their understanding and appreciation should deepen. If I understand the advanced publicity correctly, each evening is likely to be an education rather than just a performance.
Inala, Sadler's Wells, 10 July 2015
Isn't it strange that you can see exactly the same show with exactly the same casts in performances just days apart and yet have two completely different experiences. I saw Inalain Bradford on 25 June 2015 (see Inala at the Alhambra26 June 2015). I reported that the show was met with "a standing ovation and a lot of whooping and cheering." There was nothing like that when I saw the show again in London on 10 July 2915. A lot of polite, even enthusiastic clapping but a much more restrained reception.
That does not mean that the London audience was any less appreciative. The differences in audience reactions were discussed by Marcelo Gomes in a recent question and answer session. He explained that a quiet audience in Japan is a good sign because everybody is concentrating. In Brazil it is the reverse because a contented audience would be buzzing. London audiences are very undemonstrative compared to those in the North because they think they have seen everything. .
Although I liked Inala when I saw it in Bradford I enjoyed it rather more second time round. There are a number of reasons for that. Having seen the show before I knew what to look out for. Another reason why I liked it better is that I was able to buy a programme in London and could therefore follow the show. A third reason is that I sat in the second circle in Sadler's Wells and could see the the lighting displays and the patterns of the dancing on the stage which I had missed in Bradford because they were not visible from the stalls.
As in Bradford the best part of the show was Ladysmith Black Mambazo's singing. Except for the last one where the singers waved goodbye it was quite impossible to guess the meaning of the songs because they were sung in Zulu. The advantage of the programme is that the "Score" page summarized the songs . Some of those summaries seem very strange to a modern British audience:
All those cattle I used to pay the dowry should be paid back, When will the cows come back again?
That song was answered by
"The cows will be returned. The bridge has failed. They will be returned. All of them."
The dancing expressed the music of each song but did not relate directly to their subject matter and perhaps that was a missed opportunity. A ballet could have been created for each of those songs and individual dancers could have represented a character in the song. For instance, the theme of Warmuhle Intombi is
"You are so beautiful young lady! It's time to choose the way you go and the one to be with!"
That suggests a pas de deux or perhaps a pas de trois and that may even have been what we got but my recollection of the dancing is that it was all abstract and that all the dances formed one single choreographic piece.
Although the show is marketed as a Zulu ballet it is more musical theatre than ballet. It is an opportunity to hear a beautiful style of singing which is not often heard in this country and to see some exuberant dancing. If you like that sort of thing then this show is for you. But don't go to the show expecting ballet for that is not what you will get.
McQueen is a creative review of the life of tragic fashion
designer Alexander (Lee) McQueen (Stephen Wight), as told to Dahlia (Dianna
Agron), a fictional girl who apparently breaks into his house (or does she?)
because she needs a dress. Like Lee, Dahlia is directionless and clinically
depressed. He takes her on an adventure through his life story, in one night, during
which time he makes her a dress which brings out her unique beauty – helps her
see who she really is. There are various hints, but we are never actually told
this.
The story is a vehicle, perhaps an allegory for McQueen’s artistic
principle that fashion is the purest form of self-expression – how you dress (or
in Lee’s case, the dresses he designs) expresses what you are. When Lee doesn’t
have creative inspiration, he loses his way.
In a series of scenarios from his life, Lee effectively turns
himself inside out to his mysterious intruder and they help each other through
the night.
Why is this review appearing on Terpsichore, a blog about
dance? Well, many of the scenes include dreamlike sequences where a group of dancers
depict mannequins, wearing McQueen’s stylishly eccentric creations. The
mannequins are his muses and Terpsichore is the muse of dance. David Farley’s
production design and Christopher Marney’s choreography were striking from the first
scene. I loved the opening sequence, where at some points it was hard to
differentiate between dancers and mannequins. The dancers were all well cast,
as they looked like living mannequins and they moved together beautifully as a
group, with points of choreographic interest – posing and turning with lifts
and exquisite silhouettes at different parts of the stage. Their skill belied
the challenge of working with a relatively small space and a busy, changing
set. In a later, party scene, the mannequins appear again, now representing
beautiful party people – models perhaps – dancing and swaying around the stage in
couples and formations, drawing Lee and Dahlia deeper in to the night.
The staging was perfect, and the lighting created and
intensified the atmosphere, which was dark, but somehow optimistic. I found a
balcony scene overlooking London particularly striking. Another fabulous
creative device was when Lee fits a beautiful dress onto Dahlia on stage,
transforming her from an obsessive fan to a late night muse who helps Lee find
the inspiration that keeps him alive. This was so impressive – a nice detail
was that he left one pin in the shoulder strap.
A lively, exquisitely designed production with fantastic set
and production design, beautiful dancing and choreography and some excellent
acting including a great Isabella Blow cameo from Tracy-Ann Oberman is let down
by a plot full of holes. Here are just a few. Who is Dahlia? Is she real, or
imaginary? Is she his alter ego? There are many references to her being already
there, a doppelganger etc. Well if she is, it’s a bit bizarre that she’s an ‘I
want, I want’ person, when Lee himself was obviously an ‘I get, I get’ person. Also
if she is part of him, how come he has to tell her his life story? She’d
already know all of that!
Dahlia makes a lot of suggestions that she is part of Lee,
or his alter ego, but a lost American girl seems a strange alter ego for a
talented, tortured designer at the height of his fame.
The reason the plot holes are so easy to spot is that the
play is set between Isabella Blow’s suicide and Lee’s own. By this time his
talent was globally recognised and he was at the pinnacle of his career. The
programme included a useful timeline of his life, so when you read the
programme, you wonder about the inaccuracies in the play. For example, Lee
wasn’t ‘made’ by Isabella – he was a successful tailor before he was accepted
to study on the MA course at St Martin’s and she bought everything in his graduate
show. While in this play Isabella claims to be his Svengali, in reality she was
a catalyst for his second career.
The play makes no reference to Lee's time at St Martin’s or
his widespread recognition - including as British designer of the year – and
only touches lightly on his serious issues with drugs.
The theme of self-harm and suicide – Dahlia gives no reason
why she is so troubled – is treated lightly given
Lee’s actual demise. The play ends on a possibly optimistic note, which is a
plus point. Dahlia says she has had the best night of her life, which suggests
that she is an individual in her own right. If she signifies part of Lee’s
character, surely wandering around London reminiscing about his past to an
imaginary friend is unlikely to be the best ever night for an internationally acclaimed
fashion designer.
Even if you excuse the plot holes as artistic license, the
wordy script made several scenes feel unnecessarily long. I would pick out in
particular the scene in Lee’s dying mother’s house which could have been cut to
less than half the length to get the message across. This was towards the end
of the play and there was a distinct shuffling among audience members – the
seats are not particularly comfortable.
Overall it was an entertaining show. The staging was
beautiful and Stephen Wight was genuinely convincing as Lee McQueen. It helps
that he really does look like him. He delivered his lines well – even the clunky
ones – and he was on stage for the entire 1 hour and 40 minutes. Dianna Agron,
however, was less impressive. At first I tended to agree with some critics who
wrote that her acting seemed wooden, but her obvious professionalism throughout
made me think that this is how she had been asked to portray the character
Dahlia who would have fitted nicely into Twin Peaks.
And there was indeed a David Lynch quality about McQueen.
The acting was generally pretty good, and I liked Tracy-Ann Oberman’s excellent
take on Isabella Blow, though again half the number of words would have got the
message across. I particularly liked her wafting around elegantly in the
background of the dance sequences and other scenes.
I also have to declare a personal interest in McQueen, the
play. My friend Amber Doyle is the dance captain, and I go to her ballet
classes, so I was anticipating some excellent dancing. And I was certainly not
disappointed. The perfect stylish dancing and choreography was one of the very
best things about this show. I also felt that some reviewers were a bit harsh
about the actors, particularly Stephen Wight, who I thought did a good job with
an unwieldy script.
McQueen’s problem is that it is a hybrid – it’s not a musical,
and a contingent in the audience who had come to see Agron based on her performance
in Glee must have been disappointed that her only bit of singing is a few
snatches of Billy Joel’s ‘Always a woman to me’, a song which I unfortunately
associate with the John Lewis ad a few years ago.
McQueen is not a biography either, because it’s highly
selective – it misses out important facts about McQueen’s life and influences
and half the story is about an imaginary character, or doppleganger. Nor is it a
ballet, either although much of the story is told in the dance sequences. All
this means reviewers struggle to place it.
McQueen is an entertaining, beautifully staged tribute to a
tortured and sadly missed talent and it successfully captures the strange and
wonderful world of fashion – its creativity and its cruelty. It’s been
described as self-indulgent, but what is fashion – and indeed much art too – if
it is not self-indulgent? That’s the beauty of it! If you like fashion and
dance, you’ll like McQueen. I did.
NB, The image, by photographer Sam Mardon, shows the theatre’s
special McQueen cocktails. This is because I had asked a contact at the theatre
whether it was ok to take photos at any point and was told roundly that anyone
with a camera would be escorted out. Having read some mainstream reviews I had
considered putting a camera in my bag to facilitate an early exit! I’m glad I
didn’t. The photo was taken on an iPhone before the show.
The 12 wonderful young dancers of the Dutch National Ballet Junior Company will be here in just over a week. I saw them in Amsterdam on 6 Feb 2015 and they were excellent. They will perform at the Linbury on 5 and 6 June 2015. You can get an idea of what to expect from my review The Dutch National Ballet Junior Company's best Performance yet8 Feb 2015, the video that I have embedded above and their video We are the Junior Company.
“It has been a wish of Artistic Director Ted Brandsen for a long time to have a Junior Company to bridge the gap between school and company. While Christopher Powney was Director at the National Ballet Academy and placing the school on the international map, it seemed the right time to start such a young group. I was involved in setting the Junior Company up and it has been great to have the chance to develop the way we like this venture to go together with Ted and Christopher (now Jean-Yves Esquerre) during the years. We had a great start last year, with seven of the first group actually having joined the main company now."
He continued:
"Of course it is great to have the connection with the main company and this is also hugely important, as our young dancers also work with the main company in the large productions. This year they are part of Swan Lake and Cinderella. Apart from that they perform their own program in which they dance soloist roles and get a lot of experience. It gives our ballet masters, artistic staff and Ted Brandsen a chance to see the young dancers tackle bigger roles and give them a lot of stage experience which they wouldn’t get if they had just been in the corps de ballet. It was great seeing the dancers grow during the season and see how they gained confidence!”
I replied that “I noticed a considerable difference between the Junior Company’s opening night in November 2013 and their performance at the Linbury in May 2014 after they had spent several months touring the Netherlands and Spain.”
Since I saw them in February the dancers will have had 4 months to mature, to get used to working with each other and to hone their technique. They have toured the Netherlands with the show that they will perform in London. Members of the Junior Company just collaborated with ISH to create Narnia, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobewhere hip hop meets ballet. Several have danced with the main company. Some have even danced with the company abroad. We can expect great things of them when they come to London.
According to the Royal Opera House's website there are still a few tickets for sale for both nights. You can access the site by clicking this link. Ernst Meisner be the London Ballet Circle's guest on 20 July 2015 so there will be a chance to discuss this project and show with him in person.
One of my personal ballet highlights of last year was dancing in one of Chantry Dance Company's workshops in Lincoln. the workshop was followed by a performance of Sandman and Dream Dance by Paul Chantry and Rae Piper where I saw just how good that husband and wife team were. I followed them to Grantham for Chasing the Eclipseand Halifax for The Happy Prince on their Autumn tour. I also attended their associates' show at Sadler's Wells, a networking event and one of their summer school presentations. I have also got to know Paul and Rae better through following them on twitter and Facebook. I like what they stand for and I admire their erudition.
The company has just announced its 2015 tour which will take in Grantham, Halifax, London and Worcester and present two new ballets: a work based on the life and loves of Vincent Van Gogh which will pursue the man behind the self-portrait, yearning for affection, balancing genius with madness and Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. Other than that the associates will have a chance to dance in those shows I know very little about them but as soon as I have more information I will pass it on.
Chantry Dance has also mentioned new open modern, pre-associate and associate classes in Grantham. The modern classes will be given by Gail Gordon who has choreographed shows in the West End. There will also be an Easter Musical Theatre Workshop in Grantham on 10 Feb 2015. Mel, who attended last year's summer school, tweeted that Gail's jazz class demanding but also a lot of fun.
Finally, this company which is much more than a dance troupe, is recruiting a fund raiser "who is passionate about seeing the type of work [they] do develop, and believes keenly in the company's work and mission." They are looking for "friendly, personable and genuine people who want to be part of our charity's work and become a valued member of the CDC team." If you think that you fit the description send an email with your CV to rae@chantrydancecompany.org explaining:
1) why you are suitable for the post 2) your relevant experience 3) what you find attractive about working with CDC 4) why you wish to see CDC develop further.
I wish all candidates who apply for the post the very best of luck. It sounds a super job for the right person.
................. I think I'd spend a lot of my time in Danceworks. I doubt if I'd ever get any work done. My long suffering clerk would suck his teeth and lament "We see less of you now than when you were in Yorkshire, Miss."
Because there is so much happening at that studio.
First, there is a talk by Ed Watson on 10 Feb 2015 between 19:15 and 20:45. I'm also giving a talk that earlier day (though on a very different topic at a different venue) but I shall be in town so will be able to hear him. Tickets are now sold out but there is a waiting list. Here is a link to the Royal Ballet's YouTube clip on The Winter's Tale where he discusses his role as Leontes.
Post Script
5 Feb 2015 Yesterday I found myself at a networking event in Upper Grosvenor Street which is not much more than an few grands jetés away from Balderton Street so I moseyed on over to pay Danceworks a visit. There were some very nice people of the front desk who invited me to take a peep at the classes. There seemed to be street, jazz and some kind of stretching exercises while I was there. They all seemed a lot if fun. Had I brought my shoes and leotard I would definitely have joined in. Had I not had a train to catch I would have bought myself a Danceworks t-shirt and leggings from Selfridges and danced in bare feet. I am looking forward to returning on the 10 Feb to see Ed Watson and to taking my first class on Sunday 15 Feb.
