Paper_Hanger’s Weblog
Performances, movies and book reviews …Archive for Ballet
Peter Pan
I went to a performance of Peter Pan put on by the Royal New Zealand Ballet. Warning: plot revealed.
I went to see the the Royal New Zealand Ballet’s 2009 production of Peter Pan, at the St James, in Wellington; they have made some changes since I last saw it in 2004.
There were lots of children in the audience, and one little girl even gave a big cheer part way through! There were even boys in the audience.
Alessia Lugoboni, was wonderful in the part of Wendy; she was by turns a light little girl; and a girl on the verge of womanhood (she mothers the Lost Boys and unknowlingly gets into a three way tustle for Peter’s affection).
Sir Jon Trimmer seems to have found a fifth or sixth wind; his portrayl of Captain Hook was brilliant – better than when he last danced it. He even did a little Michael Flattery sequence when he thinks he has won – poisoned Peter, and about to make the Lost Boys, Wendy and her Brothers, walk the plank
Rory Fairweather-Neylan danced Peter, bringing energy and boyish charm to the part.
The fly-out-the-window sequences have rally come along since 2004; it really does seem like they are flyiong out the window and climbling up towards the “Star on the right.” In terms of flying, the additional use of projection really gives a sense of flying to and from Neverland.
But, the Company should ditch the dummies on poles. This is the 21st century, and they should either be bold enough and put in aerial dance trained dancers; or just let the dancers dance – afterall Swan Lake is able to carry off the swans swimming on a lake without recourse to painted decoy ducks pulled by ropes.I really liked the end of the Second Act, when Peter and Tinkerbell danced together. It wasn’t quite a pas de deux, but the nature of their relationship is explored and exposed.
Catherine Eddy took on the challenging role of Tinkerbell; Tink, must be light (she is a fairy after all), fun loving (that is why she is jealous of Wendy – because she sees that Peter will ave fun with the latter rather than with her), impulsive (short the girl-monster boys!), and given to displays of emotion (fist pummeling empty air and the odd swipe at the Lost Boys and Peter). The displays of anger and frustration seemed out of place in a fairy; aren’t they
suppose to be happy creatures – isn’t that why clapping revives them? Hopefully the choreograper gives Tink some other motif next time.Lucy Balfour made the most of her Tiger Lily role.
Abigail Boyle gave a delightful protrayal of the Neverbird, who rescues Peter from the rock; her wonderful costume was very eye catching.
The costumes were great. The pirates have been spruced down, and now look like the crew from “Pirates of the Caribean” – I swear that there is a Johnny Depp look-a-like! The Lost Boys look like playful squirrils – lots of rolling around on the ground in their furry costumes!!
Paul Matthews makes the most of sequences as Mr Darling: with some funny ‘do as I say, and not what do as I do’ parenting at the beginning of Act I.
All-in-all quite enjoyable.
The music was clever; each group got a separate tune; the Darlings/Family got the best – it sounded like a variation of the Kermit-the-frog’s dream song.
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Roll on 2010 and Carmen!
Steel Ballerina
I went to the opening night of Jacqueline Coats’ one act play, Steel Ballarina, the other night, at BATS Theatre. This performance played to a full house.
This play is inspired by the latter half of Dame Margot Fonteyn’s life. At the age of 42, on the verge of retirement, she establishes a dance partnership with Rudolf Nureyev – recently defected from Russia. Thus probably the dancer of his generation and the dancer of a prevous generation unite to form one of the most well known partnerships in ballet; thereby cementing Nureyev’s place in history and placing Dame Margot at the fore of another generation.
The play explores Dame Margot’s motivation for dancing another 20 years past the time when most other ballerinas normally retire. The play exposes both Fonteyn’s and Nureyev’s need to dance, and the support they gave each other as time finally caught up with Fonteyn (both with her and her husband Tito) and as AIDS caught up with Nureyev.
The play has two actors: Mel Dodge and Pagan Dorgan. One plays Fonteyn’s fictional companion and caregiver – Ana; the other plays Fonteyn the dancer. The programme does not say who is which so I will refer to them as ‘Ana’ and as ‘The Dancer’. The play is a little complicated as Ana is sometimes Fonteyn addressing the audience, and sometimes herself. Ana has most of the dialogue; sometimes conversing with apparent recordings of Nureyev. The Dancer dances – to classical or other music – whenever the playwright wishes to reinforce the mood of Fonteyn dancing.
The play begins with a rather confusing sequence which appears to be the two characters being driven to the hospital, when Fonteyn is very ill. The majority of the play is one long flashback picking up the highlights of Fonteyn’s life from the time just before she partners with Nureyev to her retirement. The play ends with Fonteyn’s death. The death scene consists of The Dancer doing a variation of the Dying Swan, complete with a shower of feathers.
I went away a little disappointed that there was not more dancing, what there was was technically adequate, but not light or soft as Dame Margot would have done it. But after consideration, I decided that it is a play, and not a dance; so what dancing there was, was adequate and sufficient to create the right mood. And besides there is only one Dame Margot, what accomplished ballet dancer would want to hold herself up for direct comparison?
All-in-all worth going to: strong story and innovative direction.
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La Sylphide: revenge of the witch
I went to a performance of La Sylphide put on by the Royal New Zealand Ballet. Warning: plot revealed.
Having read about the Danish style of ballet, I looked forward to seeing a quitissential Danish ballet work. (Actually, the Royal New Zealand Ballet was founded by a proponent of the Danish style, so I should have noticed the jumps and active male partnering long before this!)
The programme:
- Dances from Napoli
- Pas de Six
- Flower Festival
- Tarantella
- La Sylphide
- originally choreographed by August Bournonville.
I was struck by Flower Festival – Michael Braun brought lift and a sense of (his) enjoyment.
Then it was onto the main fare: a man – James – about to get married falls in love with a Sylph (a spirit). Who said the Scots were a dour lot! So off he goes – following his heart – leaving his own wedding celebration. It all ends badly: not the least because he humiliates the village hag (‘Madge’ – played by Sir Jon Trimmer, with a real feeling for the part). Michael Braun is James, and the Sylph is danced by Antonia Hewitt. Braun is powerful and controlled, and yet able to project the emotions going through the James character.
I liked the wedding – people enjoying themselves – with the Sylph fluttering in and out when only James could see her. The Sylph is very much the marriage wrecker – James trys to resist her, but he is just a foolish man. The wedding is made much more 3-dimensional by the prescence Effie’s little sister – danced wonderfully in character by Emma Brown. The Company is precise as ever, but a ‘little’ girl has shorter legs, so must occassionally run to keep up with the dancers in the reel – wonderfull.
Rory Fairweather-Neylan, as Gurn, was at times quite funny: “I saw a fairy – right there!”. In fact there is quite a bit of humour in the ballet; it is a pity that it turns out to be more along the lines of a Greek tragedy.
Antonia Hewitt and the other sylphs are light and ethereal. It cannot be easy dancing the sylphs, as Marie Taglioni was considered by Bournonville as the quitessential sylph, and it cannot be easy living up to such a legendary ideal. Effie the jilted bride is ably danced by Adriana Harper; the plot does not have very much for her to do, which is a pity.
The two sets – castle and woods – were very good.
I found the two intervals – one after Dances from Naploli, and the second between the two acts from La Sylphide – had the effect of making the evening very ‘bitty’. The very traditional choreography also added to the sense that this was a series of dances – unlike ‘newer’ ballets which have smoother transitions between dances. It seemed a little 2-dimensional.
But I did get to see an example of the Danish style. There were a many jumps – particularly by the men – and in the pas de deux’s the women were unsupported and their male partners had equal time.
Being a softy, I wish James and the sylph had not died. But he was a most ungenerous soul on his wedding day – casting out the village hag into the cold. And he did break his oath, so he certainly got his come uppance.
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I did not like the fact that the cast list is no longer handed out. The cast list from the web site differed from the cast list shown on the monitors in the foyer spaces.
Roll on the Company’s Peter Pan in October!
Ballet Dancers in Career Transition
Another book review … !
This book tells the stories of 16 ballet dancers, concentrating on their successful transition from being a professional dancer into another role. Of course it is not possible to discuss transition without summarising the dancer’s careers, and how they got into ballet. From that perspective it is a quick way to acess a large slice of ballet ‘history’ – all be it from a North America point of view. There is also some handy resources for anyone transitioning, or considering transitioning, out of being a profession dancer, in the appendices.
The dancers are:
- Edward Villella
- Violette Verdy
- Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux and Patricia McBride
- Ben Stevenson
- Nancy Raffa
- Michael Byars
- Jeff Plourde
- Erin Stiefel Inch
- Max Fuqua
- Amanda Ose
- Linda Hamilton
- Joysanne Sidimus
- Robin Hoffman
- Christopher Nelson
All of the dancers have things in common: they trained very hard to become dancers, and when they were performing they probably trained even harder. Generally, their bodies could no longer take the physical stresses of classical technique. Some arrived in ballet indirectly – a doctor advised them to take it up, it would improve their gymnastics; for others it was what they always wanted to do. The book examines how they coped when they thing they had worked so hard for, made so many sacrifices for, had attained for a relatively short amount of time, was nolonger available to them. I found myself admiring their dancer achievements and their transition – particularly the transition. For while the training and professional life is hard – there is always a teacher or parent or role model; but the transition is often done – alone, with little support.
There were a number of instances recounted in the book that reall stuck in my mine: Nancy Raffa who was the first women to win the gold medal at the Prix de Lusanne was actually rejected by the School of American Ballet three years previously! Erin Stiefel Inch’s brother is Ethan Stiefel of Center Stage and ABT. Amanda Ose actually never became a ‘full professional’: she danced with the Pacific Northwest Ballet during her training, but got accepted at Stanford, and decided after much self examination turned her back on what would probably have been a dance career to go to an presdigious university.
I found the book extended my knowledge of ballet and of the human condition.
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Nutcracker Nation
Finally, a book review … !
This book examines how The Nutcracker came from its native Russia and took root in America. It treats the ballet as an immigrant and examines how being in america has changed it; and like many immigrants, how it changed its adopted country. It is more a work of socialogy, rather than of dance.
The book takes from the Ballet’s inception in 1892, at the Maryinski Theater, St Petersburg, under the choreography of Lev Ivanov (who stepped in for Marius Petipa). Through to George Balanchine’s productions for television, danced by the New York City Ballet, broadcast by CBS in 1957 & 1958. Through to Viji Prakesh’s bharata natyam Nutcracker and Donald Byrd’s Harlem Nutcracker.
Nation’s premise is that the Ballet has elements that easily allow an entire community involvement to become involved: there are roles for children and adults, of varying dance training, plus backstage and front-office roles. Apparently, in many towns and city the Christmas/Holiday season is ushered in by the local ballet(s) putting on their variation of The Nutcracker. And what variations there are; generally, Clara, the Mouse King, the Nutcracker/Prince, the Sugar Plum Fairy, and (uncle) Drosselmeier – or some suitable substitute – appear. The author, herself, danced as a snowflake in Fernaud Nault’ Nutcracker in Louvisille Ballet in 1963.
Clearly, the author has done a large amount of research, including following two ballet companies: Loudoun Ballet – Leesburg, Virgina, USA – and the National Ballet of Canada – Toronto. Fisher, uses the amateur and professional companies to illustrate contrasts and similarities.
It gets a little cerebral at times, but Nutcracker Nation needs to be treated as a serious book about socialogical aspect of American life, rather than a book about a ballet or how amateur and professional ballet companies operate. I found it a little dry, and would have liked to see more of the human side of the Loudoun Ballet and the National Ballet of Canada. Having said that, Fisher does give a very good summary of the evolution of The Nutcracker from its Russian origins to its current status as an America ‘citizen’, and of those who had a hand in the change. George Balanchine, a Russian emigre himself, through his willingness to stage the Ballet, and arranging it for TV, seems to have played a major role.
The book is probably a must for those with a deep interest in ballet or for whom The Nutcracker is a favourite ballet – as it goes in to the motivations behind the characters and what the characters have come to represent in America.
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Tutus on Tour – 2009
I went to the last performance in Wellington of the Royal New Zealand Ballet’s 2009 season of Tutus on Tour at the Opera House. Warning: plot revealed.
Every other year, the Company divides itself onto two troupes; each half tours one of the two main islands of New Zealand. Each tutus tour is different – typically a number of short works that will work in some of New Zealand’s smaller theatres. Wellington, as well as being the capital, is at the southern tip of the North Island. So this night was danced by the North Island troupe.
Play bill:
- Saltarello – originally choreographed by Christopher Hampson
- Holberg Suite – choreographed by Greg Horsman
- Throught to you – by Andrew Simmons
- Currently Under Investigation – by Gary Stewart
- Koo Koo Ka Choo – by Catherine Eddy and Brendan Bradshaw
I found Saltarello and Holberg Suite just a bit intellectual; I was unable to engage with the works emotionally. I admired the dancing, but I found my mind wander off to think about the events of my day etc.
At times Saltarello seemed like an exhibition piece to show case the skills of the male dancers – 5 dancers take off at once, complete a turn and land at once, smoothly transitioning into the next sequence. Saltarello featured an unusual move in a pas de deux, where the lady leaps past her partner and grasps his outstretched arm with both her hands and glides along with her toes above the floor, and just before she would kip to avoid touching the floor, with some unseen assistance from her partner, she pikes around her partner’s torso and ends up cradled in his arms, against his chest! They did this several times with effortless ease.
I found the choreography in the Holberg Suite very similar to that in Saltarello and so found my attention wandering. Still well executed and enjoyed by al, at times, vocal audience – members of the South Island Troupe.
In Through to You, I found the pas de duex between Michael Braun and Katie Hurst-Saxton captivating. It was like watching the balcony scene in Romeo and Juliette
I had previously seen Currently Under Investigation a few years ago at the New Zealand School of Dance’s Graduation Season. I preferred the Company’s execution – it seemed slightly more polished and graceful. True this took the hard emotional edge off the work – especially when compared to the Graduation Season (where I think the majority of dancers were contemporary specialist). Another member of my party preferred the edgier graduates version. Still – for me – it partially settles the question around classically trained dancers verses dancers trained with a strong classical base – the classical dancers are ’smoother’.
Catherine Eddy and Brendan Bradshaw are current members of the Company. Their use of Beatles music, for Koo Koo ka Choo, was inspired, and the audience was taken along for a wonderful journey – made perhaps more enjoyable by the fact that they were at a subconcious level familiar with it – such has the influence of the Beatles on contemporary music. This was a very accessible work – the re-recorded music (so that it could be danced to) retained the original lyrics. Rory Fairweather-Neylan (I think – at times it is hard to identify individual dancers) did a superb job of dancing what was effectively the overture to the work.
A nice innovation was to project short film clips in between some of the pieces. Most of the clips were of the Company and its support crew (without which it would not be possible) giving the audience a glimpse behind the scenes. Then the tilt to Abbey Road – projection of a pedestrian crossing – at the end of Koo Koo Ka Choo was just on the right side of corny. It did set up the march/walk-off by the dancers.
Overall, a well executed production with something for everyone.
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Two annoying points: the sound system – at times it could not cope; and the heat – the Opera House still has not solved the heat build-up issue up in the Gallery (aka ‘The Gods’) that caused people so much discomfort during Tutandot in the mid-90’s.
New Zealand School of Dance: 2008 Graduation Season
I went to this year’s graduation performance by the New Zealand School of Dance. The printed programme for the 2008 Graduation Season carried on from the 2007 – 40th anniversary – season: it is printed on glossy paper and had a very well designed cover – showing a dancer in an arresting pose.
The night’s performance consisted of:
- Raymonda (Pas de Dix)
- Symbiotic
- Un Ballo
- Flower Festival in Genzano (Pas de Deux)
- We can Fight
- Concerto (Pas de Deux)
- Jabula.
I went to an evening session, Saturday the 22th of November, of the New Zealand School of Dance’s Graduation Season 2008, at the New Zealand School of Dance.
There were six pieces : three ballet pieces and three contemporary pieces, ordered to alternate.
Generally speaking it was the male dancers’ evening: they really stood out. Further the contemporary pieces really grabbed my attention. Jabula was my pick for the night.
Jabula was choreographed by Natalie Weir for the Queensland Ballet, and first performed by them in 1994. I don’t know if the original performance was from the original sound track of The Power of One, but I certainly found it powerful. The male dancers exuded energy and spirit; technique was harnessed to produce impact and this combined with the simple but effective lighting made for a very powerful finale. Florian Teatiu’s dancing just drew the eye to him.
I found We can Fight the most challenging work: the dancers spoke! I was reminded of questions regarding art that I have mulled over from time to time: should a work have a title that is made known to the audience ? What is the purpose of combining a number of disciplines ? The work struck me as a commentary on a man’s relationship with two of the main characters in his life – his dog and his wife. At times it was hard to see which he treated worse. Ultimately, one feels the dog gets a slightly better deal. Slightly depressing, due to the domestic violence.
The contemporary dance stream was well introduced by Symbiotic. Initially, the dancers cannot be seen, the stage lights are left off; they can only be heard. “Here we go”, I thought: dancing in the dark; dance as a purely pecussive work! But no, after a little while the lights came on, and the audience was treated to some sequences suggestive of organisms whose DNA was out of control.
I found the classical stream somewhat overshadowed by the contemporary works. But there were some highlights.
It was a little unfortunate that as a child of the Star Trek generation, the male dancers in Raymonda wore costumes that were very suggestive of Star Fleet uniforms. Subconciously, I expected some alien to appear and dispatch the figure in the red top. Thank goodness no alien appeared: Kyle Wood gave a wonderful demonstration of the modern male ballet dancer’s art.
Un Ballo was the ballet piece that I most enjoyed. Maybe it was the costumes – suggestive of a ballroom setting. Everyone seemed relaxed, particularly the ballerinas; and the couples just seemed to dance for the joy of it.
The evening was a well put together one. The School had obviously worked hard to make the graduation season an event: there was a photo exhibition featuring the graduating students, in the lobby; there was a small well stocked cash bar; some well appointed tables to sit at; and a well produced printed programme.
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Don Quixote
I went to the opening night of Royal New Zealand Ballet’s new production of Don Quixote at the St. James, in Wellington. Warning: plot revealed.
This re-working of the Don Quixote story is as much about creating a new perspective on a traditional story as celebrating a Sir Jon Trimmer’s 50th year with the Royal New Zealand Ballet. At 69, Sir Jon no longer dances the vigourous roles he took on earlier in his career, instead he has matured into a fine stage actor. So the role of the aging, and sometimes confused, Don is a perfect vehicle for his talents. Gary Harris has, I am told, for I have not seen the classic Russian version, utilised the original Petipa choreography in a new light, that makes the Don less of a 2-dimensional character. Adrian Burnett was the choreographer for this production.
Act I opens with the Don in bed surrounded by his books and visited by his nephew – Sancho, danced by Matthew Braun. The Don decides that he will have one last adventure and takes one of his journals with him to guide them on their journey, and takes a hefty bag of money to pay the way. The Don and Sancho have an english air to them – the Don is World War II British pilot’s leather flying helmut and sheep skin jacket, Sancho in a set of tweeds. The two of them end-up in a mediterranean village where we are introduced to the other main characters: Gamache and Mercedes; Basilio and Kitri.
The set for the village is wonderful, with a major surprise for me: the floor was a creamy colour – rather than the usual black. It made the set very bright and enhanced the mediterranean feel.
Kitri is ably danced by Yu Takayama: her grand jetes and sissones were superb. Basilio – Kitri’s future husband – is danced by Marc Cassidy. The villian – Gamache – is able danced by Paul Mathews. His principle moll – Mercedes – is danced by Abigail Boyle.
Act II sees: Kitri and Basilio run off into the woods, and encounter some gypsies; the Don and Sancha have a violent encounter with the same gypsies in the same woods – resulting in the Don having a dream sequence; Gamache successfulled steals the Don’s money.
The gypsy dance sequences shows – for me – how far the Company has come in the 6 years that I have been attending their performances. The dancing is energetic and passionate – without loosing musicality or technique. The number of male dancers has increased, so that of the large number of gypsies, half were male – rather than a token sprinkling.
The dream sequence showed all the hallmarks of a Petipa piece – ballerinas: in white tutus, in small groups and long diagonal lines, in formations blocking a man’s path. And was executed superbly. Meddhi Angot as Cubid was wonderful – powerful jumps and leaps: best russian (scissor leap) I have ever seen!
In Act III, the Don and Sancha catch up with Gamache and recover the money and through an act of great generosity Basilio and Kitri are married. The drunken Gamache – trying to drink his way through the Don’s money – sequnce could double as a homage to John Cleese. Basilio and Kitri’s pas de deux was well executed with some chemistry. Another obvious Petipa touch was Kitri’s fouettes of joy – I counted 31!
There were some first night nerves, the most memerable was Kitri dropping her fan just before commensing her fan dance at the wedding! the most unsettling was the slightly late start.
There are some hummerous moments and some very busy moments. Gamache is introduced walking his little dog – a Weta Workshops creation. It was a real hit with the audience and hopefuully will get roles in the Company’s future productions – like The Wedding. Many of the village sequences were very ‘busy’ – in some way they were more like movie sequences – and at times distracted from the dancing.
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Romeo and Juliet – 2008
I was originally not going to see this ballet, a trial viewing of a DVD recording of a more classic version, resulted in a decision not to go. But I at the end of the show I was glad I went.
This ballet was originally choreographed by Christopher Hampson in 2003 for the Royal New Zealand Ballet’s 50th Anniversary. The setting and costumes are not the classic 17th century setting; instead the setting is more contemporary – post 19th century. Hampson has recast the story somewhat and given it some deeper nuances. The work is one that one might have expected from Matthew Bourne – with the greatest repect to both choreographers; it is a throroughly modern ballet.
The Capulets and Montagues have been cast onto two sides of a class divide. The Capulets are shown in wealthy circumstances – all be it with some serious street muscle on-call. The Montagues are hardly shown at all; they may have money, but Romeo (Qi Huan) seems to have the run of the streets – maybe he just feels more comfortable away from the more confining surrounds of his unseen family. The clash between the Caplulets and the Montagues is subtly subverted into a clash between the free spirits of the streets and the constricted family setting of honour and duty.
Tybalt is portrayed brilliantly, by Paul Mathews, as an angry young man consumed by the need to protect his family honor. As such he is very much the force driving the conflict, and is the catalyst of much of the violence. He was the one who supplied the forboding menace on the streets and at the Capulet family ball. So it comes a bit of a surprise to see him killed by Romeo.
Romeo and his two companions (Mercutio and Benvolio) come across as a set of self absorbed young men looking for diversion and some fun mischief – fairly harmless and annoying. Baiting Tybalt and his street heavies; siding with the people who can’t really stand up to them, seems like a bit of heroic fun, that eventually leads to Mercutio’s accidental slaying.
Romeo is not really interested in revenge, but Tybalt drives him into a frenzy and he is killed.
Juliet (Katie Hurst-Saxon) has the hardest role: she is still young, but expected to take on some of the duties of an adult – her family expect her to marry Paris, perhaps to cement a wider family alliance; she is loyal to her family; she marries against her family’s wishes – in secret; Romeo kills Tybalt – her older cousin, and a favourite; she loves Romeo, on and on and on. Juliet and her two friends are the innocents in this story. They have a nurse (Turid Revfeim) who’s job is to look after and protect them. Nurse is probably the one human figure in the household. Juliet’s parents seem to be duty bound figures.
Juliet is ultimately torn by duty and love, and seeks a third way out – she will fake her suicide. And so the young lovers kill themselves due to that fateful mis-delivered message. (Surely, a phone company or courir company will us this as the basis for an advertisement – ‘use X when that message has to get there on time’!)
Hampson injects a new sub-plot: Lady Capulet and Tybalt are secretly lovers! Here we see a facet of the adult world that Juliet tragically never discovers. Juliet’s own mother shows that duty can be worn like a suit of clothes – put on in public and taken off in private. Juliet should have married Paris and met very discretely with Romeo!
Hampson cleverly puts Juliet and her friends on point, and no one else, to emphasize their innocent nature.
Sir Jon Trimmer (Friar Lawrence) and Turid Revfeim turn in wonderful performances to give their characters some depth. Gary Harris and Greg Horsman even put charming cameo roles – as monks. Jo Funaki got the biggest round of applause – for his portrayal of the mischevious Mercutio – during the curtain call.
Tracy Grant Lord’s set was clever and created the right atmosphere – well up to meeting the challenge of creating: street scenes, a grand ball, Juliet’s bedroom, a church, and a tomb. A stair case does wonderful quadruple duty. Verona must be truly a magical place because it was just massive.
Christopher Hampson’s Romeo and Juliet is accessible, without being shallow.
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My only disappointment was that I did not get to see Amy Hollingsworth and Cameron McMillan dance in the lead roles. So much of the production publicity had been crafted around them. Given my DVD fueled misgivings of Romeo and Juliet, I went because I wanted to see them dance.
I went on the last night of the season, so if you missed it, catch it in 3-4 years when it comes around again.
Prince of the Pagodas
Over three long nights I watched this DVD of the Royal Ballet’s 1990 production of The Prince of the Pagodas. Warning – contains plot details.
Prince of the Pagods has a strong story going for it: a contested kingdom; sibling rivalry; competition for a woman’s hand in marriage; fighting for the woman you love’ and more. Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s version features some very good dancers: Darcy Bussell, Jonathan Cope, Simon Rice and Fiona Chadwick. Yet, it did not engage me; I was not held in thrall – certainly not in the way Romeo and Juliet does. I feel that the ballet was let down by the music. The music was generally uninspiring; It just did not enhance and support the emotional elements of the story.
This was the first time that I had seen Dacry Bussell dance. Some years ago I read her biography, and was very pleased to find this DVD at the library. She is a joy to watch; she is svelt, not skinny; she graceful, yet athletic – wonderful jumps; her arabeques are a joy to behold; no wonder she was MacMillan’s muse!
Act I sets the scene. The king divides his kingdom between his daughters – Princess Rose (Bussell) and her half sister Princess Epine (Chadwick). Unfortunately, it is not an equal division; Princess Epine is given a smaller portion, and it is clear that she is not happy. Four foreign kings arrive in search of brides. During the ensuing ’struting’, Princess Epine ousts her father and takes the crown from him. Princess Epine turns Princess Rose’s fiance – The Prince (Cope) – into a salamander and transports him from the kingdom.
Act II seems to one long dream sequence. Princess Ross, accompanied and assisted by the court fool (Rice), searches for the Prince. She rejects the four kings and her perserverance is rewarded – she finds the prince and her love returns him to human form.
Act III see things set right. Princess Rose and the Prince return to her father’s kingdom – now ruled by Princess Epine. In a series of superbly choreographed gritty fights, the Prince vanquishes the four foreign kings. The king is restored. Princess Epine is banished. Princess Rose and the Prince marry – or at least formally engaged.
This ballet has a unique piece of choreography – a pas de deux with one dancer ! The king of the east dances with himself – constantly looking at himself in a handmirror!
I think the ballet was staged at Covent Garden and filmed by the BBC in 1990.
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The DVD had two items on it: the Ballet and a documentary -Out of Line – on the life of Sir Kenneth MacMillan.
The DVD helpfully puts a summary at the beginning of each Act.
The documentary was facinating. We see MacMillan as a dancer. We see three of the dancers he has used as instruments to aid his choreography – his muses: Lynn Seymour, Alessandra Ferri and Darcy Bussell. The first two are interveiwed, Seymour extensively; but Bussell not at all for some reason.
The documentary covers much of MacMillan’s career as a choreographer, though how objective it is I don’t know. But it appears to have been pretty controversial. MacMillan seems to have been constantly at odds with the traditionalists and the critics!
The DVD is worth getting out for the documentary alone.
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