Grimm - an Interesting Collaboration

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One of the highlights of the Dutch National Ballet's opening night gala in 2015 was an extract from Narnia, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe which was performed by Ernst Meisner's Junior Company and Marco Gerris's ISH Dance Collective. In The Best Evening I have ever spent in the Ballet 13 Sept 2015 I wrote:

"When we returned to the auditorium images of falling snow were projected on to the stage. Before the house lights dimmed two dancers dressed as lions were in the auditorium. Then I recognized some of the beautiful young dancers from the Junior Company on stage. The beat was compelling. The dance an amalgam of ballet and hip hop. It was Narnia, the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by Ernst Mesiner and Marco Gerris. A collaboration between the Junior Company and ISH Dance Collective. That was the highlight of the show for me. When Ernst visited the London Ballet Circle he mentioned the possibility of bringing it to the UK. It would be wonderful if that were ever to happen. Particularly if it could be brought to Leeds or Manchester."

Last month I was lucky enough to meet Marco Gerris after the Junior Company's fifth anniversary show. I told him how much I had enjoyed the extract of Narnia, The Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe that I had seen at the gala. I mentioned my review including including the last sentence.

Marco asked about Leeds and Manchester so I told him about  Northern Ballet, Phoenix Dance Theatre, the Northern School of Contemporary Dance, the Centre for Advanced Training and the Arts Council's plans to make Leeds a centre of excellence for dance.  I also mentioned The Lowry and its CAT, Northern Ballet School, Manchester City Ballet, our theatres and our city's links with English National Ballet,  I hope to have planted a seed that may one day lead to our seeing Marco's work in this country. I am aware that the Dutch National Ballet has been in touch with the Stanley and Audrey Burton Theatre but nothing has come of it so far.

Unfortunately, we are unlikely ever to see Narnia again. Apparently, the company was unable to obtain the rights it needed to re-stage Narnia (see Narnia becomes Grimm).  However, Ernst and Marco have created a new ballet called Grimm which is touring the Netherlands with great success.  According to the Dutch National Ballet's website:

"GRIMM is about two boys who find themselves in a fantasy world, where they meet Red Riding Hood and the wolf, the seven dwarves, Rapunzel, Snow White, the witch, Cinderella and other fairytale characters in succession. They get mixed up in exciting adventures, in which all sorts of elements from well-known fairytales are jumbled up in a lively parade of fairytale characters. As in all fairytales, a big role is played by love and jealousy, friendship, tyranny, intrigues and the battle between good and evil."

There is a British connection in that the score was contributed by  Scanner (Robin Rimbaud).  Unfortunately, the tour ends this week so I will be unable to see the collaboration this time but I will certainly catch future ones.

Although it has nothing whatsoever to do with ballet, I should mention that the BBC has started to broadcast a series of three programmes by Misha Glennie called The Invention of the Netherlands.  The first episode was about the low countries' early history and the Dutch Republic's war of independence against Spain.  It jolted me into thinking just how little I know of the country.  I have made scores of visits to Amsterdam over the years for business or pleasure but save for a weekend in Rotterdam with a lawyer friend who drove me around South Holland including Oudewater where, as in Pendle, they had witch trials I had never been anywhere else.

I was reminded by the programme of the Netherlands' diversity.  In Frisia, for example, the locals speak a language that is even closer to English than Dutch. In Baarle-Nassau in Brabant there are pockets of Belgium that are surrounded by Dutch territory (some just a few square yards in size) and in some places pockets of the Netherlands within Belgian enclaves on Dutch soil.  I think this may be the year for a coach or motoring holiday of one of our nearest neighbours.

The Dutch National Ballet are coming to London

The Dutch National Ballet are coming to London from the 8 to 11 July 2015 and they are bringing Christopher Wheeldon's Cinderella with them. This production was premiered in Amsterdam on December 2012 and won Wheeldon the Prix Benois de la Danse.

This will be the fourth time I will have seen this great company this year. I was lucky enough to attend the opening night of the Junior Company's tout in Amsterdam on the 6 Feb 2015. I look forward to welcoming them again to the Linbury on 6 June 2015. I shall be in Amsterdam again on 27 July for Cool Britannia. 

And there are so many tempting productions afterwards including Hans van Manen Live, Ernst Meisner's The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and a new Giselle. 

Also, don't forget that Ernst Meisner is talking to the London Ballet Circle on 20 July,

Li Cunxin and Ernst Meisner at the London Ballet Circle

As I said in Looking Forward to 2015 - My Choices 29 Dec 2014, the visit of the Queensland Ballet to the Coliseum is likely to be one of the highlights of the coming year. They will dance La Sylphde for which I have already bought my ticket. The company has a remarkable artistic director in Li Cunxin who has excelled not just as a dancer but also as a stockbroker. At the AGM of the the London Ballet Circle last Saturday I learned that he will speak to the Circle on 3 Aug 2015 at The Dining Room, First Floor, Civil Service Club, 13-15 Gt Scotland Yard.

The Circle offers a number of prizes and scholarships to outstanding young dancers (see its Prizes, Scholarships and Donations page). At  the AGM we learned of a new one to the Dutch National Ballet. As I mentioned in Meet Ernst Meisner and his talented young dancers 6 Dec 2014 Ernst Meisner, the artistic coordinator of the Junior Company will speak to the Circle this year though a date has to be fixed. The latest indication seems to be July.

The London Ballet Circle's home page asks:

"Would you like to meet the world's leading dancers, choreographers and artistic directors? Then why not join the London Ballet Circle and receive invitations to talks, visits and parties hosted by leading figures in dance?"

Well it's true. Last weekend I met one of my all time favourite ballerinas, the artistic director of the company whose mixed bill I saw no less than 4 times last year, my favourite living British choreographer and one of the outstanding young dancers who make my spirits soar. All this for £12 (£2.50 if under 25) and the thought of helping advance the careers of the next generation of dancers. Here's the link to the membership page.

Postscript 26 Jan 2015

According to Queensland Ballet's Facebook page, today is Li Cunxin's birthday. It happens to fall on Australia day which is the national day of his adopted country. I have just seen the DVD of "Mao's Last Dancer" which was enthralling. I shall now read the book. I look forward to seeing La Sylphide and meeting Li Cunxin in August. In the meantime I wish him a happy birthday and I wish him and all Australian nationals and residents a happy Australia day.

Post Postscript 27 Jan 2015

Yesterday it was Li Cunxin's birthday. Today it is Ernst Meisner's.

Here is what his company said on Facebook:

"Wij feliciteren Ernst Meisner met zijn verjaardag!
Ernst zal samen met Marco de nieuwe samenwerking tussen ISH en Het Nationale Ballet regisseren.
Hou je ogen open voor de updates van komende voorstelling "Narnia" waar deze 2 samen met een geweldige cast twee werelden samenbrengen op een manier die je nog niet hebt gezien!
Happy birthday Ernst!"

The only words of which I can be absolutely certain are the last three but I think the gist of the post is that they congratulate Ernst on his birthday and talk about his collaboration with Marco Gerris of ISH in Narnia, the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, That will be performed at the beginning of May and it looks very promising.

Ernst has posted a nice response in English thanking everybody for putting a smile on his face.

I am looking forward to making his acquaintance at his talk to the London Ballet Circle if not before.