Synopsis
Programme
Impressions/Performances
'The Kingdom of the Shades' from 'La Bayadere' was a rare chance to see this company performing a piece of pure classical ballet - and one of the most technically demanding pieces at that. In keeping with the Petipa's famous choreography, the action opened with twenty 'shades' descending a zig-zag ramp, painstakingly slowly and elegantly stepping forward and arching into arabesque, then stepping forward again, repeating the steps over and over until the last shade was fully descended onto the stage. When done well this provides one of the most beautiful sequences in any ballet. Here, whilst it could not match the scale of the Paris Opera Ballet perhaps, it was nevertheless superbly executed. The effect of so many young ballerinas in white tutus with gauze sleeves is somewhat surreal and hypnotic and beautifully establishes the ethereal quality of the setting. In the main roles, David Ward as Solor seemed a little restrained in his first solo but attacked the second and third with much more gusto, acheiving impressive height in his leaps. In the pas de deux he ably supported supported his partner, Martha Leebolt - a tall and elegant Nikiya who was every inch the tortured soul. But one of the joys of watching this company on a regular basis is to see the development of the lower order dancers as they get their opportunities to shine on centre stage, and today the one that caught my eye was Isabella Gasparini who stood out in the pas de trois with a fetching smile and elegant arm movements and danced beautifully in her solo.
The first segment was always going to be a hard act to follow but 'Angels in the Architecture' certainly fit the bill. The action opened with six Shaker brooms standing upright on the stage around which the girls danced before taking them up and waving them overhead as they were lifted by their partners. As the action moves on, the brooms are hung on a peg rail which runs along the back of the stage and Shaker chairs are taken down from similar rails along the sides. As with the brooms, the chairs are delicately woven into the choreography. At one point, the men roll onto onto their backs holding the chairs aloft with the girls sitting on them, the backs of their long dresses pulled up over their heads giving a semblance of wings, an allusion to the design premise of a Shaker chair - that an angel may one day sit in it. Throughout the piece the movements of the dancers are designed to represent various aspects of Shaker life, with the symbolism of prayer being especially prominent.
In the last segment we were treated to a poignant look at the life of L.S. Lowry, danced in an almost Chaplin-esque style by Christopher Hinton-Lewis. Projected onto a screen at the back of the stage are images of some of Lowty's paintings and the action and music depict the characters that inspired them. Along the way we have representations of clog-dancers, street brawls, factory workers and all the many facets of Northern life with which Lowry's work was so intimately connected - the poignancy of the work being heightened by a very emotional scene relating the death of Lowry's mother.
This was a superbly varied production which really tests the talents of this remarkable company and does not in any way find them wanting. Moreover, as a particular devotee of classical ballet rather than the contemporary variety I thought that after the first segment of this production that it could only have gone downhill. I was wrong! 'Angels in the Architecture' was the real star piece of the evening - mesmerising action set to hauntingly melodious music that will long live in the memory.
Verdict
Whether you are a devotee of classical or modern ballet there is something in this production for you. Delightful action and superb music make this a production certain to greatly enhance the reputation of this enormously talented company.