"As One," "Rushes – fragments of a lost story," "Infra"
The Royal Ballet
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
19 February, 2010
by Judith Cruickshank
copyright 2010 by Judith Cruickshank
How do directors plan triple bills? What kind of common or contrasting elements do they look for? The obvious link between the three works shown on the latest mixed bill from the Royal Ballet is that they were all commissioned by that company. And, what’s more, in the last two seasons. Quite a plus for a company which has frequently been criticised for basing its repertory around a few, full-evening heritage works.
The Royal Ballet
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
19 February, 2010
by Judith Cruickshank
copyright 2010 by Judith Cruickshank
How do directors plan triple bills? What kind of common or contrasting elements do they look for? The obvious link between the three works shown on the latest mixed bill from the Royal Ballet is that they were all commissioned by that company. And, what’s more, in the last two seasons. Quite a plus for a company which has frequently been criticised for basing its repertory around a few, full-evening heritage works.
So, are we celebrating a new creative spirit at Covent Garden? In the event it turned out to be a somewhat dispiriting evening; strong on angst, but with little to cheer anyone who believes that there is a future for classical dancing, rather than just classically trained dancers.
Of the three choreographers represented, Kim Brandstrup and Wayne McGregor have backgrounds in contemporary dance, though both have worked extensively with classical companies. Brandstrup studied film in his native Denmark, before switching to modern dance and his filmmaker’s eye is evident in his refined choice of designers. McGregor, the Royal Ballet’s Resident Choreographer, also has a modern dance background. Only Jonathan Watkins, making his first work for the main stage at Covent Garden, has had a classical training and he is currently a First Artist with the Royal Ballet.
But with “As One” Brandstrup is more concerned with social dancing in a contemporary setting – a block of flats whose façade is projected onto Simon Dawes’s set. There are opening and closing passages for the ensemble, but the heart of the piece is a series of vignettes of individual lives contained within the physical framework of the building.
Curiously, the least successful episodes are the two concerned with social dancing; a party bursting out of a kitchen and a group of unconvincingly cool youths. But Watkins has skillfully choreographed a solo, Blinkered Living, for Stephen McRae comprised of the things he does best; quick jumps, multiple turns, fast footwork, sudden changes of direction. All this is played out in front of a bank of flashing LED departure signs and McRae is dressed in something like a business suit – the epitome of the ceaselessly travelling executive.
Channel Surfing has Edward Watson, clad in grungy vest and pants, slouched on a sofa, absent-mindedly scratching himself, with eyes glued to an imaginary TV screen. Meanwhile, Laura Morera, fidgets, tries on different outfits and generally attempts to attract his interest, but without any noticeable success. The most original episode is a mournful, twisting, falling solo for Kristen McNally situated in a waiting room, in front of an open door though which we see yet another waiting room, people coming and going and failing to notice her distress.
“As One” is danced to a commissioned score by Graham Fitkin, and it seems that Watkins actually asked him to re-work some sections. This marks a certain degree of confidence on the part of the young choreographer, at the very least. But it didn’t seem to me that he had a particularly musical response to the score, which was bright and pleasant without being especially memorable.
More LED screens in Wayne McGregor’s “Infra” which was premiered by the Royal Ballet last season But this time the digital images are by the artist Julian Opie and show people walking across the width of the stage, either singly or in groups, while the dance takes place below. Many spectators have found these to be distracting, but I found it easy enough, though sadly unrewarding, to concentrate on the action.
McGregor uses a cast of six couples, clad for the most part in grungy grayish vests and pants – seemingly the costume of choice for meaningful dance these days.
In his five line programme note McGregor says that he has “attempted to create a series of human intimacies, bared from under the skin………………………..physical empathies and emotional inferences rescue the lost narratives of the population on stage. Infra has become simply about people”. And people having a pretty miserable time it would appear.
Eric Underwood has a brief solo entry which makes you yearn to see this talented dancer in a more substantial role. Watson demonstrates just how flexible his long legs can be while Sarah Lamb and young Melissa Hamilton are twisted into pretzel shapes by their partners. But we’ve seen it all before in McGregor’s previous works for the Royal Ballet and despite his well-publicised interest in the relationship of the workings of the brain and physical movement, his actual choreographic vocabulary appears to be extremely limited.
The climax of the work comes when a group of live people (dressed, for a change, in shades of grey) walk across the stage, echoing the digital figures above. Lamb falls to the ground and throws her head back in a silent scream – understandable in the circumstances – while the crowd walks past, ignoring her.
The most positive elements in the work are the score by Max Richter and a final brief duet for Watson and Marianela Nuňez which has a kind of elegiac beauty, thanks largely, I suspect to Nuňez’s beautiful classical style and Watson’s elegant partnering.
And again it’s the score which is a major attraction of Brandtrup’s “Rushes”; an arrangement of music written by Sergei Prokofiev for a film of The “Queen of Spades” which was never completed. The composer Michael Berkeley (also Chairman of the Governors of the Royal Ballet Companies) has arranged it into a really attractive score, supplemented by extracts from other pieces of Prokofiev’s music, especially those where themes from “The Queen of Spades” had been reused.
Also very beautiful is Richard Hudson’s set; curtains of grey beads, hung one behind the other, transparent enough to see fleeting figures behind them and solid enough to allow video projections. The inspiration for the ballet came from an early version of Dostoyevsky’s great novel "The Idiot," but frankly to try and relate that to what happens on stage simply adds confusion.
Suffice it to say that Carlos Acosta is obsessed by Laura Morera in red dress and unflattering hairstyle. She does not return his passion. Meanwhile, Alina Cojocaru in grey – with equally unflattering hairdo – loves Acosta who fails to notice her until the very end of the piece when he accepts some kind of consolation from her.
Everyone does their best, but it comes off as a very pallid affair. There is another cast which Brandstrup worked with quite separately from the dancers mentioned above and it may be that these dancers can bring more tension and drama to the ballet. But on this, it’s second outing, it seemed only to add more shades of grey to an already grey evening. True, the house was full, but I suspect that may have a great deal to do with the fact that for once tickets were priced at just half their usual eye-watering sum.
But with “As One” Brandstrup is more concerned with social dancing in a contemporary setting – a block of flats whose façade is projected onto Simon Dawes’s set. There are opening and closing passages for the ensemble, but the heart of the piece is a series of vignettes of individual lives contained within the physical framework of the building.
Curiously, the least successful episodes are the two concerned with social dancing; a party bursting out of a kitchen and a group of unconvincingly cool youths. But Watkins has skillfully choreographed a solo, Blinkered Living, for Stephen McRae comprised of the things he does best; quick jumps, multiple turns, fast footwork, sudden changes of direction. All this is played out in front of a bank of flashing LED departure signs and McRae is dressed in something like a business suit – the epitome of the ceaselessly travelling executive.
Channel Surfing has Edward Watson, clad in grungy vest and pants, slouched on a sofa, absent-mindedly scratching himself, with eyes glued to an imaginary TV screen. Meanwhile, Laura Morera, fidgets, tries on different outfits and generally attempts to attract his interest, but without any noticeable success. The most original episode is a mournful, twisting, falling solo for Kristen McNally situated in a waiting room, in front of an open door though which we see yet another waiting room, people coming and going and failing to notice her distress.
“As One” is danced to a commissioned score by Graham Fitkin, and it seems that Watkins actually asked him to re-work some sections. This marks a certain degree of confidence on the part of the young choreographer, at the very least. But it didn’t seem to me that he had a particularly musical response to the score, which was bright and pleasant without being especially memorable.
More LED screens in Wayne McGregor’s “Infra” which was premiered by the Royal Ballet last season But this time the digital images are by the artist Julian Opie and show people walking across the width of the stage, either singly or in groups, while the dance takes place below. Many spectators have found these to be distracting, but I found it easy enough, though sadly unrewarding, to concentrate on the action.
McGregor uses a cast of six couples, clad for the most part in grungy grayish vests and pants – seemingly the costume of choice for meaningful dance these days.
In his five line programme note McGregor says that he has “attempted to create a series of human intimacies, bared from under the skin………………………..physical empathies and emotional inferences rescue the lost narratives of the population on stage. Infra has become simply about people”. And people having a pretty miserable time it would appear.
Eric Underwood has a brief solo entry which makes you yearn to see this talented dancer in a more substantial role. Watson demonstrates just how flexible his long legs can be while Sarah Lamb and young Melissa Hamilton are twisted into pretzel shapes by their partners. But we’ve seen it all before in McGregor’s previous works for the Royal Ballet and despite his well-publicised interest in the relationship of the workings of the brain and physical movement, his actual choreographic vocabulary appears to be extremely limited.
The climax of the work comes when a group of live people (dressed, for a change, in shades of grey) walk across the stage, echoing the digital figures above. Lamb falls to the ground and throws her head back in a silent scream – understandable in the circumstances – while the crowd walks past, ignoring her.
The most positive elements in the work are the score by Max Richter and a final brief duet for Watson and Marianela Nuňez which has a kind of elegiac beauty, thanks largely, I suspect to Nuňez’s beautiful classical style and Watson’s elegant partnering.
And again it’s the score which is a major attraction of Brandtrup’s “Rushes”; an arrangement of music written by Sergei Prokofiev for a film of The “Queen of Spades” which was never completed. The composer Michael Berkeley (also Chairman of the Governors of the Royal Ballet Companies) has arranged it into a really attractive score, supplemented by extracts from other pieces of Prokofiev’s music, especially those where themes from “The Queen of Spades” had been reused.
Also very beautiful is Richard Hudson’s set; curtains of grey beads, hung one behind the other, transparent enough to see fleeting figures behind them and solid enough to allow video projections. The inspiration for the ballet came from an early version of Dostoyevsky’s great novel "The Idiot," but frankly to try and relate that to what happens on stage simply adds confusion.
Suffice it to say that Carlos Acosta is obsessed by Laura Morera in red dress and unflattering hairstyle. She does not return his passion. Meanwhile, Alina Cojocaru in grey – with equally unflattering hairdo – loves Acosta who fails to notice her until the very end of the piece when he accepts some kind of consolation from her.
Everyone does their best, but it comes off as a very pallid affair. There is another cast which Brandstrup worked with quite separately from the dancers mentioned above and it may be that these dancers can bring more tension and drama to the ballet. But on this, it’s second outing, it seemed only to add more shades of grey to an already grey evening. True, the house was full, but I suspect that may have a great deal to do with the fact that for once tickets were priced at just half their usual eye-watering sum.
