The culmination of Ballet Black’s Triple Bill at the
Barbican was Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Red
Riding Hood, which, predictably, was a reworking of the traditional fairy
tale. Red Riding Hood is a coming of
age allegory, and this is not the most sinister interpretation – Cira
Robinson’s innocent Red Riding Hood is seduced by Mthuthuzeli November’s Wolf. It
is also a non-violent interpretation, no one is eaten, shot or cut open as in
various gothic versions.
The ballet follows the familiar storyline of an innocent
being subverted by a serial seducer, emerging wiser and more worldly. But the
delivery was far from predictable! First, because the most compelling character
was November’s sexy, charismatic Wolf, who stole the show with his superb
dancing and characterisation – and comic timing, which included some fun tricks
with a lasso-style tail. November’s enthusiasm for the role comes through as
well – when he smiled at the audience, he drew us into the story and we all
smiled back, and when he applied his seductive techniques to the female wolves,
we were seduced too! My only awkwardness with the narrative is the
‘traditional’ theme whereby the female protagonist seems mostly passive, and is
manipulated by others until the very end. There is some compensation for this
in the form of some sexy female wolves – Isabela Coracy, Sayaka Ichikawa and
Marie Astrid Mence.
In terms of choreography, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa blends Cira
Robinson’s classical elegance with a hip-hop vibe, particularly for the Company
of Wolves (José Alves, Isabela Coracy, Sayaka Ichikawa, Damien Johnson, Marie
Astrid Mence and Jacob Wye), and Yann Seabra’s costumes include hoodies and
masks. Mention has to be made of José Alves as a brilliant comedy grandmother, whose
characterisation included some skilled and amusing pointe work! The show was
enhanced by creative lighting and props – particularly the lighting, which
worked with the dancers’ silhouettes, as well as flowers and balloons, and gave
the piece an ethereal, magical atmosphere.
It is worth seeing the Triple Bill just for Red Riding Hood’s originality and
entertainment value, but the first half of the show balances out its unique
style with two pieces that showcase Ballet Black’s range of styles and
techniques and the dancers’ athletic strength, technical ability and
versatility.
While Red Riding Hood
combined contemporary and classical styles to a superb modern soundtrack (I
almost wish there was a soundtrack album too), Michael Corder’s House of Dreams, and Martin Lawrance’s Captured presented more traditional, and
simpler choreography, costume and music.
The triple bill opened with House of Dreams, another new piece for this season, featuring two
couples (Sayaka Ichikawa and Damien Johnson; Marie Astrid Mence and Jacob Wye)
performing alternating pas de deux to four Debussy pieces, two of which are
preludes. The simple, classical choreography set the scene for the evening,
highlighting the dancers’ beautiful physiques and demonstrating their strong
classical technique.
Captured changed
the tone, with the deliberate dissonance of Shostakovich’s string quartet reflecting
an element of conflict in the relationships of and between two couples. Cira
Robinson and Mthuthueli November were a particularly dazzling and intense
partnership, and Robinson’s, long legs, exquisite extensions and beautiful lines
were mesmerising. The fantastic quality of the dancing and the simple, elegant
costumes compensated for the storyline being unclear around the relationship
between Robinson and November and the second couple, Isabela Coracy and José
Alves who also danced with elegance and energy. The piece was perhaps slightly
long – this was not a problem for these fit, athletic dancers, who showed no
signs of tiring, but some younger audience members seemed to be shuffling
around in anticipation of the interval. As this didn’t happen in the second
half which was one long piece – Red Riding
Hood – it seems that some Ballet Black fans prefer to be told a story
through dance and struggle to follow a more abstract theme. And they are real
fans – there was general appreciation throughout and cheering at the end of the
show!
I expect Terpsichore readers, who are familiar with dance,
will agree with me that the Triple Bill was a well-balanced show. As an amateur dancer, I also appreciate the
more classical pieces which show off Ballet Black’s virtuosity and
individuality. They are, without exception, beautiful dancers – technically,
and aesthetically. Their energy and enthusiasm shines through every piece and
they are a pleasure to watch, whether or not you are into dance. I brought a
friend who has only been to the ballet a few times and he loved it too. The
show is entertaining, uplifting and a great night out.
Cassa
Pancho founded Ballet Black in 2001 to showcase international dancers of black
and Asian descent. The company certainly does that, as well as presenting original
and striking interpretations of traditional/classical themes that are
entertaining and memorable. This year’s main event, Red Riding Hood, was no exception. It is another triumph for Cassa Pancho and the company. I could easily watch the whole
show again! The Barbican Theatre was a perfect performance space for them but
Ballet Black are worth seeing anywhere. They are now on tour at various venues
across the UK http://balletblack.co.uk/events/-- see it if you can! 
No comments:
Post a Comment