Claudia Dean Coaching

Standard YouTube Licence

I am not at all good at pirouettes so when I find something that helps me I am very happy to pass it on (see A Really Useful Video on Pirouettes 22 Nov 2014 and A Pint for Josh 24 Aug 2015). I think I have found another useful video from Australia.

Claudia Dean, who trained at the Royal Ballet School and danced with the Royal Ballet for several years, operates a coaching service in Brisbane known as Claudia Dean Coaching. Dean had uploaded many of her lessons to YouTube and there are lots of other tips on her YouTube channel.

Brisbane may only be the third most populous city in a middle ranking country but it contributes much to ballet. It hosts the Queensland Ballet and Queensland Ballet Academy. Fiona Noonan, the teacher who recently led me back to ballet, trained there. Although she spent only a few years with the Royal Ballet, Claudia Dean made her mark with the company dancing the role of The Chosen One in The Rite of Spring. A link to a YouTube video of her rehearsing the role with Dame Moniuca remains on the Royal Opera House website.

I should lke to wish all my readers a happy Easter.

A dream realized: the Queensland Ballet in London

Queensland Ballet, La Sylphide, Coliseum 8 Aug 2915 19:30

Jane Lambert and Gita Mistry

In their Annual Report for the year ended 31 Dec 2010 the directors of the Queensland Ballet wrote:

"Our dream

By 2013, Queensland Ballet will be recognised, not only in Queensland but throughout Australia and also overseas, for:

• creating and presenting a broad repertoire of quality work which ranges from the great classics, through contemporary dance, new ‘story’ ballets, and works for children 

• exciting and challenging both dancers and audiences 

• developing choreographers

• training dancers to a consistently high standard in classical ballet technique, and developing that technique through excellent coaching and creative artistic development

• having a strong and coherent artistic team led by a strong Artistic Director and Chief Choreographer

• best practice in company management."

Their season at the Coliseum which ended last Saturday shows just how far that dream has come true. Much of the credit for their success is due to their artistic director, Li-Cunxin who combines business acumen with artistic genius.

The Queensland Ballet is not a large company. it has 23 dancers according to Wikipedia (though I have counted rather more on its website) but it stages full length classics like The Sleeping Beauty, Coppelia and The Nutcracker as well as contemporary works. It is based in Australia's third largest city and it must compete for attention and to some extent audiences with the Australian Ballet in Melbourne and Sydney and the West Australian Ballet in Perth. To bring La Sylphide to one of the world's two alpha ++ cities which hosts two of the world's greatest ballet companies and sees most of the rest periodically was extremely ambitious. Some would say recklessly so.  In our view the Queensland Ballet carried off this enterprise magnificently.

The company did not choose the easiest work for its début in England.  La Sylphide is not performed very often in the UK. The last performance by the Royal Ballet was in 2012 (see La Sylphide 7 Aug 2015). Why that should be is not clear because it is a lot more credible than say Giselle. James on the day before his wedding is distracted by the image of a sylph which he follows into the woods. Well men do that.  He is not very nice to an old lady who tries to warm herself by the fire. There are no trysts beyond the grave and the ladies in white are much less offensive than the wilis. From a feminist perspective  the outcome of the ballet is satisfying. Effie is rescued from a disastrous marriage with an utter prat. Gurn is much more likely to look after her properly.  Also in the last scene James is taught some manners. if you treat the sylph and the poisoned scarf as a figment of James's lurid imagination the story makes perfect sense today.

The version that Queensland Ballet brought to London was created by Peter Schaufuss for what is now the English Festival Ballet in 1979. It is still remembered by a lot of people. When Li-Cunxin spoke to the London Ballet Circle on 3 Aug 2015 Gerald Dowler asked how many members of the audience remembered that production. It was surprising how many hands sprang up (see Li-Cunxin at London Ballet Circle 5 Aug 2015).  Not everybody liked that version at the time, particularly not in Denmark. The better known and more popular version is Johan Koburg's.

To appreciate this ballet you have to put yourself in the mind of the 19th century theatre goer. This was one of the first works (if not the first) in which a ballerina rose on pointe as part of the choreography.  The stage would have been lit not by electricity but by gas or flickering candle. The impression on the audience must have been almost magical.  Something of that magic was wrought by Yanela Piñera who reminded me of Carla Fracci who enchanted me when I saw her dance the sylph nearly half a century ago.  She was accompanied - I won't say partnered because there is no pas de deux as such - by Peter Shcaufuss's son Luke as James. It was great to see Greg Horsman and Mary Li  (nee McKendry) again. They are both well known in England.  Horsman danced Madge and Li Anne, James's mother. Mia Heathcote was a delightful Effie. I particularly liked her first dance with the foot flexing.  Vito Bernasconi was a worthy Gurn.

There is a lot of drama in this ballet as well as a fair measure of levity. It was also colourful David Walker's sets and costumes were gorgeous. Steen Bjarke's lighting was the next best thing in the 21st century to gaslight. I have only one niggle and that's the dancing with folded arms. It's not Schaufuss's fault. Bournonville is unlikely ever to have seen Scottish country dancing which explains why the the reels look as though they came out of Hungary. It would be nice if a modern choreographer or a producer made those dances look a little bit more Scottish.

The audience on Saturday night loved the show. A phalanx in the centre stalls actually gave the company a standing ovation though I think these may have been the company's supporters from Brisbane. The Queensland Ballet now has fans on the other side of the world.  It can return to Australia well satisfied with its season in London.

La Sylphide

Basic Facts
Choreographer  Filippo Taglioni, August Bournonville
Composer Herman Severin Løvenskiold
Acts 2
Approximate length: 1 hour 55 minutes including intervals
First performed 1832
First performance of Bournonville's production 1836
Genre Romantic


Introduction

La Sylphide was first danced in 1832 when Europe fell in love with all things Scottish. This love of all things Scottish had all sorts of manifestations: the novels and other works of Sir Walter Scott, Donizetti's Lucia di Lamemoor, Scottish baronial architecture and lots of dramatic landscape painting like Jacob Moore's Falls of Clyde above. This ballet is in the news just now because it has been brought to London by the Queensland Ballet.

Reviews

The Australians have had good reviews from the press this week. Far better, indeed, than their cricketers though that may change as there are still three more days of play at Trent Bridge.   Louise Levene wrote in the Pink'Un "Peter Schaufuss’s version of the Romantic tragedy is a fine showcase for these well-drilled dancers" 6 Aug 2015. Zoe Anderson rejoiced in "Romantic tale features fleet-footed footwork from the Queensland Ballet" 6 Aug 2015 in The Independent. Judith Mackrell celebrated the company's "impressive mastery of a tragic fairytale" 6 Aug 2015 The Guardian.  It seems also to have gone down well on BalletcoForum. Whether that is because it is practically the only ballet in the United Kingdom this week or because it really is a good show remains to be seen. Gita and I shall see it on Saturday and I will review it on Sunday or shortly afterwards. My hunch is that it is a good show and having listened to the company's artistic director Li-Cunxin at the London Ballet Circle last Monday I think he will have made damn sure that it will be good.

Queensland Version

The show that Queensland Ballet has brought to London was created by Peter Schaufuss for what is now the English National Ballet in 1979. I was reminded of that production at Li-Cunxin's talk to the London Ballet Circle. I had completely forgotten about it and have now only the fuzziest recollection. The performance that sparkles in my memory is one by Carla Fracci as  the sylph. Here she is dancing with Schaufuss though I think the production I saw was by American Ballet Theatre and I can't remember whether I saw it on tour or when I was a graduate student in the USA.

 

However good the Australians may be the sad fact is that they will be on their plane back to Brisbane soon and this lovely ballet will hibernate again. So this resource page is my attempt to keep it alive a little in the public mind for a little bit longer.

Other Versions

First, The Royal Ballet have a version though it was last seen at Covent Garden in 2012 (see La Sylphide on the Royal Ballet's website). So, too, do the Bolshoi who ran four performances in June and will stage another on 3 Oct 2015 (see La Sylphide  on the company's website). I understand from Gillian Barton that Ballet West are planning a production for 2017. That will be really something because Taynuilt is actually in Gurn and Effie territory and the school and their teachers have so much talent.

Further Reading

For those who want to know more about the ballet there are pretty good synopses on the Bolshoi and Queensland Ballet websites. Both companies explain the historical significance of the ballet (see About Performance  on the Bolshoi site and The History on Queensland's). It was one of the first ballers (if not the first ballet) in which the ballerina danced on pointe. There are also useful articles on the ballet in Wikipedia, the Ballet Encyclopedia and The Ballet Bag.

Post Script

11 Aug 2015 There is a very interesting article by FLOSS on BalletcoForum mentioning some of the differences between the Schaufuss version of La Sylphide and the Koburg version.

Li-Cunxin at London Ballet Circle

There are many advantages to living in Yorkshire but it is over 200 miles from the nation's capital which means that you have to allow a minimum of 5 hours (or, to be comfortable, 6) to reach it. On Monday 3 Aug 2015 Li-Cunxin, the artistic director of Queensland Ballet, was the guest of London Ballet Circle. I had been looking forward to hearing him ever since I learned that he was coming to speak at the Circle's AGM in January.

Both Gita and I had things to do on Monday morning which meant that we set off from Bradford at 15:30 that afternoon. As I work in London I have to go down there quite often and I have found that the quickest and most convenient way is to drive to Luton Parkway and then take Thameslink into town. "Why not leave the car at Sheffield and take the train all the wau?" I hear you say.  Three reasons. Although you can get some good deals on East Midlands Trains if you can book well in advance fares can be hideously expensive if you can't. Also, car paring costs an arm and a leg ar Sheffield station car park compared to £2.50 after 17:00 and at weekends at Luton Parkway. Secondly, you have to allow yourself an hour and a half from leaving home to boarding the train in order to drive to Sheffield, park your car, collect your ticket from the very slow and very temperamental ticket machines at Sheffield station and clamber with your luggage upstairs and over a bridge to reach the platform for the London train.  By contrast it is only 145.5 miles from Dodworth (where I pick up the M1) to Luton Parkway and takes an average of 2 hours and 37 minutes. Thirdly, there are 4 fast trains an hour on Thameslink which take me to within walking distance to most places in the West End City that I need to reach, Also East Midlands' express trains from Sheffield and the Midlands often stop at Parkway.

Although we left with high hopes on Monday we did not have very realistic expectations of hearing much if anything of what Li-Cunxin had to say. But the gods were smiling upon us.  There were no major delays or hold-ups on the M1 despite extensive roadworks on at least 4 stretches. We arrived at Parkway just after 18:30. The East Midlands express which usually departs at 18:32 had been delayed by a few minutes enabling us to catch it.  It delivered us to St Pancras just after 19:05. The doors of a departing Piccadilly line train opened for a second allowing us to sauté in and a Northern line train pulled in at Leicester Square just as we reached the platform. We dashed out of Embankment like bats out of hell and sprinted towards the Nigerian embassy. We squeezed into the lift and caught the voice of our chairperson as she introduced Li Cunxin and his interviewer Gerald Dowler.

I have never seen so many people at a London Ballet Circle meting. The room was packed.  Our numbers were swelled by members of the Queensland Ballet Friends who had flown from Brisbane to support their call. Extra chairs had been sent for and the chair invited those of us who could sit on the floor to do so at the front. Gita and I found a spot where we could hear and see everything and could catch the moderator's eye. We had made it and exchanged high fives.

I can't say anything about the talk because of the Chatham House Rule that applies to meetings of the Circle. Dowler interviewed Li Cunxin magisterially allowing plenty of pauses for questions. Although I knew quite a lot about Li-Cunxin before he spoke from his book Mao's Last Dancer and film of the same name the interview filled in lots of gaps in my knowledge. Li-Cunxin has clearly done great things for Queensland Ballet in the three years since he took it over. Afterwards he signed copies of his book and exchanged greetings with those like Gita and me who stayed to shake his hand.

Li Cunxin was here because the Queensland Ballet is dancing La Sylpide at the Coliseum. The show opened last night.  Gita and I will see it on Saturday and review it shortly afterwards. La Sylphde is a very special ballet for all kinds of reasons (see Queensland Ballet's La Sylphide - Why it is so special 22 July 2015). On 29 Dec 2014 I identified this season as one of the highlights of the coming year (see Looking Forward to 2015 - My Choices 29 Dec 2014).

One reason why I admire this company even before I have seen it is that it says that it is dedicated to sharing its  love of dance with as many people as possible. It  does that through performances, dance workshops, training programs, public talks, industry experiences, online resources and more (see the Learn page on the company's website and follow some of the links).  Of course, Northern Ballet does that here too and I am one of the beneficiaries of its Over 55 classes. So, too, do Ballet Cymru in Newport and Scottish Ballet at The Tramway. However, I get the impression that Queensland Ballet are particularly committed to bringing dance to everyone within their massive state of over 715,000 square miles. I wish this company well in London and I hope to see it back soon.

Queensland Ballet's La Sylphide - Why it is so special

In Looking Forward to 2015 - My Choices 29 Dec 2014 I singled out the Queensland Ballet's La Sylphide as one of the likely highlights for 2015. I bought my ticket for the show nearly a year ago.

I did so for three reasons.  The first and most important is that La Sylphide is one of the oldest and most beautiful ballets in the modern repertoire but it is one that is performed relatively rarely in this country and much less frequently than Giselle. As I wrote in December:

"La Sylphide is not a ballet that we see very often in this country which is strange because it is set in Scotland. It is much less creepy that Giselle though it does have a witch and sylphs. The costumes are gorgeous: colourful tartan for the men and flowing white romantic tutus for the women. Løvenskjold's score is not quite as well known as Adam's but it is not bad. This year we shall have a taster when principals and soloists of the Royal Danish Ballet visit the Peacock on the 9 and 10 Jan 2015 and then the real McCoy in August when the Queensland Ballet come to the Coliseum."

I saw the Danes when they were in London and my appetite for this show was well and truly whetted by them (see Royal Danish Ballet Soloists and Principals in celebration of Bournonville 11 Jan 2015). For those who don't know the story or history of the ballet there is a useful synopsis  and history on the Queensland Ballet's website. It is worth mentioning that this is the first ballet in which dancing on pointe was incorporated into the choreography (see Wikipedia).

The second reason why I look forward to this show is that the Artistic Director of the Queensland Ballet is Li Cunxin. This remarkable man has excelled n two careers: first as a dancer and artistic director and, secondly, as a stockbroker. A story of his life has been made into the film Mao's Last Dancer  which I saw earlier this year. Li Cunxin will be the guest of the London Ballet Circle on the 3 Aug 2915.

My third reason is a personal one and that this is the company of the teacher who coaxed me back to ballet many years after my last ballet lesson.  As I wrote in Looking Forward to 2015 - My Choices:

"The visit of the Queensland Ballet excites me for another reason. My dear ballet teacher Fiona Noonan, who put me on my feet with ballercise and then coaxed me into ballet just over 2 years ago, trained in Brisbane. She demands the best from her students and we strive to give it to her though I fear I do not always succeed. The name of the company's ballet school - the Queensland Dance School of Excellence - typifies its aspiration."

I am very grateful to Fiona Noonan for raising my confidence and technique to the level that I could contemplate taking classes with Annemarie Donoghue at Northern Ballet two years ago.  I still take Fiona's classes at Huddersfield University most Wednesday evenings.  Taking up ballet again very late in life has been an enormous comfort to me over the last few years.

I hope that the Queensland Ballet enjoys its season at the Coliseum and that they will return regularly and frequently. I also hope that Li Cunxin gets a good audience for his talk on 3 Aug.  It will take place at the Civil Service Club in Great Scotland Yard at 19:30 on 3 Aug 2015. The Club is close to Embankment and Charing Cross underground stations. It is next door to the Nigerian embassy which is a good landmark if you come from Northumberland Avenue.

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.