"Electric Counterpoint," "Afternoon of a Faun," "Tzigane," "A Month in the Country"
Royal Ballet
Royal Opera House
London, England
4 -19 March, 2008
by Judith Cruickshank
copyright 2008 by Judith Cruickshank
It's hard to discern the thinking behind the recent mixed bill from the Royal Ballet except perhaps as an illustration of Dickie Buckle's famous description; “something for everyone to dislike”. Certainly this particular offering embraced a wide variety of styles and subjects.
Christopher Wheeldon's latest creation for the Royal Ballet uses video imagery to create the impression of a large cast, but there are never more than four live dancers on the stage at any one time. "Electric Counterpoint" takes its name from the Steve Reich score which accompanies the second half, but the filmed images of the cast provide a kind of counterpoint to what is actually happening on the stage.
The first part is performed to three pieces by JS Bach, rather drearily played on the piano by Robert Clark. Each of the dancers — Edward Watson, Sarah Lamb, Zenaida Yanowsky and Eric Underwood — has a separate entrance while at the same time their filmed image is projected on to the walls of Jean-Marc Puissant's architectural set.
This allows some striking moments. Yanowsky takes the hand of her huge filmed image, Watson gazes down at himself. But a further accompaniment is a recording of the dancers talking about themselves and here things take a downward dive which may be more to do with the interviewers and their questions rather than the performers themselves. But for me the spoken commentary came across as predictable, banal and an unwanted distraction.
The second half consists of flowing solos and a pas de deux for Yanowsky and Watson accompanied by multiple moving images of the dancers. Sometimes the effect is fascinating, sometimes less so. But commentary apart, I found it a welcome departure from some of Wheeldon's recent work which has perhaps been rather formulaic, depending too much on the ballerina's flexibility and her partner's ability to wind her into ever-more fantastical shapes, and I was sorry not to be able to see it a second time.
Jerome Robbins' "Afternoon of a Faun" began the second part of the programme, danced by Lamb and Carlos Acosta; not the most arresting performance I have ever seen from either dancer. Then came another novelty "Tzigane," which was mounted by Suzanne Farrell on whom Balanchine created the ballet.
"Tzigane" can work with a dancer other than Farrell. Balanchine himself mounted it on the Paris Opera and Wilfried Piollet was entirely convincing in the lead, not at all overshadowed by Farrell, who appeared as guest on a subsequent evening. But even with lovely Marianela Nuñez, partnered by Thiago Soares, as ardent a gypsy lover as one could wish for, this magyar soufflé fell decidedly flat.
As with so many of the roles Balanchine made for Farrell, "Tzigane" is a homage to her particular physique and mannerisms, and Nuñez is a very different dancer — beautiful in her own way. But at times she seemed to be imitating Farrell, rather than taking the step or gesture and making it her own. Much the same happened when Farrell mounted her role in "Mozartiana" on Birmingham Royal Ballet's Sabrina Lenzi.
If one has seen the originator of a role — say Violette Verdy in "Dances at a Gathering" or Patricia McBride and Edward Villella in "Tarantella" — the image never quite goes away. But for the ballet to live on, other dancers must be able bring their own truth and qualities to it, though obviously without betraying the choreographer's intentions.
This programme finished with a revival of Ashton's "A Month in the Country" which saw two dancers making their debut as Natalya Petrovna: Zenaida Yanowski, who I missed, and Alexandra Ansenelli whose second performance I caught.
I confess to having a problem with this piece, despite the fact that it contains some really beautiful and expressive choreography. It has always seemed to me over-decorated. This is after all a prosperous middle-class household, we are not at Ostankino or some other princely palace, so would there really be footmen in livery? And there is so much turquoise blue and lace, even on Beliaev's Russian shirt.
But above it seems to me that a number of recent casts have tried to turn Ashton's, admittedly idealised, take on Turgenev's shallow, self-centred and manipulative heroine into the story of a woman who discovers but must sacrifice her one true love. Ashton may have been a romantic, but he was never, never, sentimental.
Ansanelli coped effortlessly with the intricate footwork and left little to be desired in the matter of epaulement. She gave a convincing portrayal too, one that will doubtless deepen with more performances and she avoided sentimentality. Some critics remarked that she was too young for the role, but according to Turgenev (who might be expected to know) Natalia Petrovna is just 29.
Her Beliaev was Ivan Putrov who danced elegantly but with such apparent self-absorption that it's a wonder he even noticed the attentions of the women in the ballet. The other characters were played adequately but without much distinction with the honourable exception of Paul Kay as Kolya.
