Morphoses
Sadler's Wells Theatre
London
September 24 - 27, 2008
by Judith Cruikshank
copyright 2008 by Judith Cruikshank
Morphoses arrived for its second Sadler's Wells season with far less in the way of advance publicity and for a far shorter run; just two performances each of two programmes. At the time of the company's debut last year it struck me that expectations had been raised so high that had Christopher Wheeldon presented Pavlova and Nijinsky in a previously unseen Petipa masterpiece, flanked by beautifully danced and immaculately reconstructed lost works by Balanchine, many commentators would still have expressed disappointment.
As it was, we saw then some good ballets and some less good, all of them well danced. However, it was noticeable that the programme with Balanchine's “Allegro Brillante” as a centrepiece was probably the most successful. And it would appear from this second season that Wheeldon has learned some lessons about programming. Both those offered in this recent season featured works by other choreographers, and the Wheeldon ballets which completed the evening gained by contrast.
The first programme opened with a stunning performance of Wheeldon's “Polyphonia”, led by Wendy Whelan partnered by Tyler Angle. Wheeldon finds such a variety of emotions in the Ligeti piano pieces and his dancers seem to be totally at ease with both the inventive movement and the nuanced moods of the piece. The other couples were Tiler Peck and Gonzalo Garcia, Beatriz Stix-Brunell with Craig Hall, and Teresa Reichlen partnered by Jason Fowler.
Whelan apart, the outstanding performance came from Stix-Brunell, who brought off her solo with complete composure, giving the impression that she was totally absorbed in what she was doing but at the same time communicating to the audience her very real enjoyment of what she was doing. At only 15, she's clearly a dancer to watch.
The second part of the programme was made up of Frederick Ashton's “Monotones II” and Jerome Robbins's “Other Dances”. In a brief introduction to the evening, Wheeldon remarked that he thought it would be interesting to see the Ashton danced by American trained dancers. For reasons not clear, only Maria Kowroski filled that brief. Her partners, Rubinald Pronk and Edward Watson hailed respectively from the Dutch National and Royal companies, (although Pronk is currently working as a freelance).
In the event, it was Watson who looked least at home in the piece whereas the other two gave a far better impression of what the ballet used to look like. To be sure, a little more rehearsal wouldn't have come amiss, and I doubt that Sir Frederick would have approved of Kowroski's 'fancy' hands.
“Other Dances” fared less well. Tiler Peck made something of her variations, even though it has to be said the costume does nothing for her, and she did seem to grasp the humour in the last duet. But although Gonzalo Garcia jumped and turned nicely and amiably, his dancing lacks the clean finish of the best interpreters and he certainly did not match the element of self-mockery that Baryshnikov originally brought to the role.
The world premiere of “Commedia” was Wheeldon's new contribution to the Morphoses repertoire, and shown in both programmes. Danced to Stravinsky's “Pulcinella” suite (but with no singers), it has costumes and scenery by Isabel and Reuben Toledo and a cast of eight dancers; four men and four women. It starts and ends with the dancers in a huddle and in between Wheeldon has created a series of a duets and a powerful, fast moving pas de trois for tall Drew Jacoby and two of the men. Highlights are a charming, jaunty duet for Leanne Benjamin and Stix-Brunell and a wonderful pas deux for Benjamin and Watson, who shows us just how excellent a dancer and skilled a partner he can be in the right role. And here again, the dancers' evident delight in what they are doing adds an extra dimension to what is already a fine and inventive duet.
The second programme, Wheldon announced with some pride, was the first all-Morphoses evening, and included a premiere, “Six Fold Illuminate” by Canadian choreographer Emily Molnar. I wish I could be more enthusiastic about it, but I'm afraid it seemed to me to be no more than another version of a ballet I've already seen far too often. In this case it's the one where the women wear unflattering leotards, bare legs and pointe shoes, the men have grubby looking t-shirts and trousers, and everyone moves around very athletically on a darkened stage illuminated by random circles of brilliant light. Meanwhile, the orchestra played a surprisingly dreary piece by Steve Reich: Variations for winds, strings and keyboards, and you were left hoping that at least the excellent dancers got something out of it.
A repeat of "Commedia" brightened up the evening, and demonstrated that this ballet will certainly stand repeated viewings; and the programme concluded with last season's Morphoses premiere, Wheeldon's “Fools Paradise”. I have to confess to finding Joby Talbot's score more than a little turgid, but the piece has lasted and I probably enjoyed it more than I did on first viewing, though I think it's probably best seen from stalls level where the full effect of Wheeldon's complex and often beautiful groupings can be better appreciated.
Maria Kowroski and Edward Liang in "Fool's Paradise." Photo by Bill Cooper.
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