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| Red Riding Hood Workshop
(c) 2017 David Murley: all rights reserved
Reproduced with kind permission of the author |
Ballet Black, Red Riding Hood Workshop, Barbican Pit Theatre, 25 Feb 2017
David Murley
On Saturday the 25th February 2017, Ballet Black held a workshop, or Weekend Labs referred to by the Barbican. Aside from my own excitement of getting to dance some of Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s steps, there was the unexpected, the unseen. What was going to happen? How many people were going to turn up? Were only students going to be present? Was it going to be a positive and encouraging environment? Etc. Despite graduating from college 15 years ago, all of these thoughts still run through my mind.
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| Red Riding Hood Workshop
(c) 2017 David Murley: all rights reserved
Reproduced with kind permission of the author |
The morning started off with ballet class by the incomparable Damien Johnson, a senior artist with Ballet Black. The group who turned up for 9h30 on an overcast Saturday morning was an intimate one comprised of six. We were three women and three men. Essentially perfect. Johnson did not waste any time and put us all through our paces, offering positive corrections and beautiful enchaînements to execute. Lopez Ochoa arrived smiling during pirouettes exercise in the centre. Although we were only six, you could feel the concentration level in the studio magnify and thicken. With an intensified level of concentration, the rest of centre flew by and before we knew it we were put into male/female couples to learn some of Lopez Ochoa’s choreography from her creation Red Riding Hood for Ballet Black’s newest Triple Bill Premiere at the Barbican commencing on the 2nd March 2017.
We had the opportunity to learn snippets from three different scenes from Lopez Ochoa’s creation. The first scene was when the Wolf meets Red Riding Hood. The second was the Wolf’s solo and some partner work with one of the lady wolves. Lastly, was a brief outtake when Red Riding Hood goes to visit Grandma. What all of us took away from the workshop is the Wolf has some serious moves! Fluid, stylish, sensual, rhythmic and hypnotic the Wolf winds, twists and jêtés his way from one of the stage to the other causing the other characters to swoon and faint upon first gaze. Not to mention, oozing his way around Red Riding Hood effortlessly tempting her. Unsurprisingly, the Wolf wins, and Red Riding Hood is well on the pathway to growing up.
Throughout the course of the workshop, Lopez Ochoa was engaging, positive, uplifting and encouraging. Lopez Ochoa interacted with all six of us and spent quality time giving us what would appear to be a semi-private lesson. Invaluable. We received lots of attention. Despite having left school years ago, I learned so much, which is undoubtedly awesome, hands down inspiring and humbling. The atmosphere was professional, and all involved in the workshop had a cohesive energy. For me, it felt like we were specially selected from somewhere beyond our control and comprehension. We were all of similar mind set and similar approach. The Weekend Lab flowed with ease. Honestly, the six of us lucked out numbers wise. Another two couples would have easily changed the dynamic.
In my opinion, the six of us were an interesting, knowledge thirsty, personable and undoubtedly artistic group of individuals. Two of us were professional dancers, having already graduated. However, I was at one end of the spectrum having completed my training 15 odd years ago, and she graduated from Central School of Ballet last year. We had two dancers still in training. One was in full-time training at Central School of Ballet and the other was in the midst of her Textile and Biology A-levels and studying dance at DuPont School of Dance in Leicester. The remaining two workshop participants were non-dancers. One the midst of her studies at The Royal College of Art currently focusing on sculpting and the other remaining gentleman who dances at the weekend for his own pleasure. Everyone gave their best that day, and danced to the fullest of their abilities, and no doubt like myself, learned something too. Aside from us Weekend Lab participants being receptive to the experiences that lie before us that day, the welcoming attitude, professionalism and preparation from Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and Ballet Black dancers Damien Johnson and Mthuthuzeli November tremendously helped the day unfold to be what was a delightful, fun-filled and an educational success.
I, personally, would love to see Ballet Black hold another Weekend Lab/workshop. If they do, I highly recommend you attend and savour the experience. They are a company to be valued and cherished.
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