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Posted in Note to Reader, What's coming |
A while ago we wrote about the joys of seeing different casts in the same ballet. While classics such as The Sleeping Beauty do not leave much room for highly individual interpretations of the central roles they still provide an interesting study of technical and artistic abilities of different ballerinas. In that spirit we took advantage of a mammoth run (8 principal casts & countless performances between October & January this season) to watch 5 different Auroras and Prince Florimunds in the Royal Ballet’s exquisite production.
Alina Cojocaru as Princess Aurora, Elizabeth McGorian as the Queen and Christopher Saunders as King Florestan in The Royal Ballet's The Sleeping Beauty. Photo: Bill Cooper / ROH ©
Rather than bore our readers with details of each of these equally stunning performances (although we did write about “guest of honour” Obraztsova back in Nov) we thought we’d do something different. Last season we drew inspiration from PJ Harvey’s romantic indie rock to write a Giselle & Albrecht roundup; we now look at the dancers’ styles and align them with some of our favorite fashion designers. Thus, in order of performance:
Alina Cojocaru + Johan Kobborg = Vintage Balenciaga
Forget Nicholas Ghesquière’s sacrilegious reinterpretation of this emblematic fashion house. We’re thinking Alina & Johan’s Sleeping Beauty has the same grandeur as Cristóbal Balenciaga’s original designs of the 50’s: superbly cut dance, rich in accents, clear in steps. Alina’s Rose Adagio is a thrilling display of how artistic maturity can make the impossible seem easy. One marvels at how she – whilst balancing on pointe – lowers her arms so slowly to take each suitor’s hand; or at the way she alternates her port de bras while zipping through piqué turns. It all looks as easy and effortless as Balenciaga’s illustrious cape. And this most elegant of Auroras has the lucky draw of Kobborg’s perfectly tailored prince, the most attentive of partners.
Yevgenia Obraztsova + David Makhateli = John Galliano for Dior
Like Dior’s maverick designer Obraztsova and Makhateli showed an incurably Romantic streak in their rendition of Sleeping Beauty. Softly touching the Prince in the Act II vision scene as if to tease him (the only Aurora to do this), Obraztsova creates a dreamy, young love mood. This is a pairing which was never too flashy or too daring, opting instead for polished dancing combined with Romantic touches like Dior’s perfectly cut, well structured taffeta gowns. Further reading here.
Roberta Marquez + Steven McRae = Marc Jacobs
This was a fun performance to watch. Young, bold, colorful just like the US fashion designer who gives traditional fashion cut a modern twist. We particularly loved the way this pair told the story: Marquez’s totally likeable, coquettish & sure-footed Aurora gradually melting the heart of McRae’s spoiled Prince. His passionate temper spoke volumes in the most exciting Act III variation we have seen over the last two seasons of Beauty.
Marianela Nuñez + Thiago Soares = Versace
In the same way Versace is all about female empowerment, plunging necklines, sparkling fabrics and vertiginous cuts, so is Nuñez’s Beauty. She is radiant: her dancing razor-sharp, her Act II variation lush and sinuous. The wedding in Act III is a grandiose event where a fully grown, very womanly Aurora confidently takes centre stage. Soares was her fairytale Prince, handsome in posture and completely spellbound by this princess-goddess.
Tamara Rojo + Rupert Pennefather = Prada
This was a très chic Sleeping Beauty. Rojo & Pennefather’s polished reading for Aurora & Florimund seems cut in the same symmetrical minimalism – not a pleat in excess or out of place – as garments from this very stylish Italian fashion house. Any Auroras out there with a penchant for ultra-extended développés à la seconde (more on the evolution of this ballet step here) should watch Rojo’s demonstration of how “less is more” in classical ballet. Her balances are now the stuff of legends and her pure, classical style, so admired by Mr. Clement Crisp, is well matched by Pennefather’s danseur noble Florimund. His Ashtonian solo during the vision scene is an eloquent counterpoint to Aurora’s own Rose Adagio. While this is not the pair for those who need their romance with extra layers of pink, you could not wish for a more regal and musical Act III wedding pas de deux where Rojo’s trademark travelling fouettées in the coda are the bonus.
Clockwise from left: Vintage Balenciaga, Dior by Galliano, Versace, Prada, Marc Jacobs (img sources: V&A, Style.com, Stylehive, Coutorture)
Posted in Review | Tagged Alina Cojocaru, Aurora, Balenciaga, Bill Cooper, Christopher Saunders, David Makhateli, Dior, Evgenia Obraztsova, Giselle, Johan Kobborg, John Galliano, Marc Jacobs, Marianela Nuñez, Prada, Prince Florimund, Roberta Marquez, Royal Ballet, Rupert Pennefather, Steven McRae, Tamara Rojo, The Sleeping Beauty, Thiago Soares, Yevgenia Obraztsova | Leave a Comment »
A staple in the repertoire of all major ballet companies, Giselle has always been an audience favourite. Romantic ballet fans will have a sentimental connection with this quintessential story dealing with man’s encounter with supernatural characters. They cherish not only its iconic solos, the challenges they pose to the the central ballerina and her partner but also the dark beauty and awe of its ensemble pieces, one of the ultimate tests for a company’s corps de ballet.
Elena Glurdjidze and Artists of English National Ballet in Giselle. Photo: Daria Klimentová / ENB ©
Mary Skeaping, a scholar of Romantic ballets, created for the English National Ballet a very particular production of Giselle. It attempts to stray as little as possible from its original conception in 19th century France. Missing pieces of the choreography have been restored, the second act featuring an additional scene where a group of gamekeepers is surrounded by the ghostly Wilis, as well as the complete fugue in which the Wilis circle Giselle and Albrecht, arms raised in threat.
Skeaping’s production also employs mime more frequently (she learned the original mime directly from Tamara Karsavina) and alters certain sequences to emphasise key aspects of the story. Thus, the peasant pas de deux, with one variation for each peasant and Giselle’s solo woven in, becomes a sort of divertissement for the nobility. Since the villagers are gathered to celebrate the vine harvest, the group dances center around the event, with a new pas de deux and additional solos for Giselle and Loys/Albrecht. For those familiar with Giselle, a first glimpse at Skeaping’s version might come as a mild shock; differences between hers and other more conventional productions popping out here and there. Whether these changes actually enhance the storytelling is a question I can only answer after additional viewings.
Any successful production of Giselle will also depend on a strong leading ballerina and, in this respect, Elena Glurdjidze hits the spot. She is a sweet Giselle with a beautiful expressive upper body, a powerful jump and the sound technique to deliver Spessivtseva‘s famous diagonal without a glitch. In the mad scene Glurdjidze’s Giselle is haunting and heart-wrenching, as a Wili she stays rooted in the Romantic style (think rounded arms, ethereal steps, tilted torsos). Arionel Vargas, her Albrecht, is a dancer of elegant lines but ultimately not entirely convincing as the repentant Count, never fully projecting transcendence through Giselle’s love.
Elena Glurdjidze as Giselle and Arionel Vargas as Albrecht in English National Ballet's Giselle. Photo: Daria Klimentová / ENB ©
In addition to Glurdjidze, the evening’s highlight was the corps de ballet. English National Ballet boasts a strong and disciplined set of dancers; few times have I seen such stunning Wili scenes, sweeping lines of Wilis in shades of white and green moved across the stage in menacing waves, creating images of dark beauty. They were led by Chantel Roulston, solid in technique but somewhat lacking in the icy, commanding manners of Myrtha, Queen of the Wilis.
The evening’s programme began with Men Y Men, a short “all male” ballet set to Rachmaninoff. Choreographed by ENB’s Artistic Director Wayne Eagling, the piece showcases the male contingent’s technical gifts, giving them extra stage time in an evening dominated by the women. Despite some interesting sections of choreography in canon (i.e. in succession, with the next dancer overlapping the movement of the previous dancer) and flashy solos to dazzle the audience, I thought the piece lacked substance and that the dark tights worn by the dancers against a dark setting led to a strange effect of torsos floating on air. It did not leave a lasting impression, unlike Giselle and its eternal supernatural powers.
Elena Glurdjidze as Giselle and Arionel Vargas as Albrecht in English National Ballet's Giselle. Photo: Daria Klimentová / ENB ©
Posted in Review | Tagged 2010, Adolphe Adam, Albrecht, Arionel Vargas, Chantel Roulston, Daria Klimentová, Elena Glurdjidze, ENB, full-length, Giselle, Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot, London Coliseum, Mary Skeaping, Men Y Men, Myrtha, Petipa, Rachmaninoff, Review, Romantic Ballet, Wayne Eagling, Wili | 1 Comment »
In the last two years Twitter has widely grown in popularity. Even though it has been labeled a fad like other social networking sites (Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, etc.), it continues to flourish and establish itself as one of the most effective and versatile social media channels.
Twitter can be used as a tool for staying in touch with friends and family, as a real-time search engine, as an information outlet and in many other ways. Over here we use it for networking with dance fans, companies, writers, dancers and choreographers anywhere around the globe. We have been positively surprised with the amount of information we can exchange and use for spreading, together with other ballet fans, the notion that “Ballet Rocks!”.
We are enthusiastic about the use of social media to promote inclusion and attract new audiences to certain art forms. It is an effective way to get a message across and we certainly approve of art organisations jumping onto the bandwagon. But many of these organisations have been too hasty in embracing social media and have no clear strategy, goals or any understanding of how to leverage off these channels. We have often seen new Twitter users quickly become wall spammers (ie. overpromoting their services with little additional information or dialogue with followers) or adopt erratic tweeting behaviour (ie. short bursts of activity followed by prolonged silence).
But aren’t we all on Twitter to promote a service anyway? Most Twitter sceptics view it as a self-promotion wasteland, but given that it has little or no impact on box office sales why do companies even bother maintaining a Twitter presence? And how can they improve their Twitter strategy, toning down on spamming and overpromotion? These are the questions we attempt to answer below:
How can dance companies use Twitter
As a promotional tool: It can be used for announcements, providing related links, to launch competitions, promotions and engage audiences.
As a networking resource: to seek solutions and get real-time feedback. Direct questions/polls can be used to profile audiences without the need to chase after statistical studies or feedback forms. Any Twitter user can also get live information and find what audiences are talking about via Twitter Search + relevant keywords.
As a live feed/relaying events, helping international followers feel included in an event (@RoyalOperaHouse did a great job with their BP summer screenings and their Twitter Opera project). A core network of followers (ie. a community of supporters) can also help spread the company’s news/events via retweeting or RT’ing (ie. forwarding information).
Practical examples:
@DutchNatBallet, @mariinskyen and @nycballet do great links to videos & production photos.
@BRB, @BostonBallet, @MiamiCityBallet, @sfballet link to interesting related blog posts & articles, as well as programme notes, pictures, casting details, etc.
@BRB, @paballet @NBTlive @ScottishBallet and @BalletBlack are examples of companies who often engage, retweet and exchange tweets with their followers. They even post job vacancies from time to time.
How can dancers use Twitter
Dancers lead very busy lives running from class to rehearsal, from rehearsal to performance, so why should they waste what little spare time they have on Twitter?
It can help dispel myths regarding their profession and provide a glimpse into their daily activities, without getting too personal (ie. unlike the concept of “Facebook friends”).
It can help them build relationships and engage with fans and audiences in general. Interviews and traditional media features might be forgotten or skipped, whereas Twitter is a continuous flow, helping the dancer maintain an internet presence.
There might be a preconceived notion that Twitter, like Facebook, is “just another place for procrastination”. However, Twitter is the least intrusive of all social media tools: it can be accessed from any mobile phone and it takes less than a minute to compose a 140 character message. Twitter is based on linear messaging (displayed as a timeline) so there is no additional browsing, photo albums to maintain, no Farmville games and such to divert one’s attention.
Examples of dancers who are great on Twitter: @Bennet76, @balletrusse, @MadisonKeesler, @ashleybouder, @daniil, @EvanMcKIE, and @MarijnRademaker, among others.
How NOT to Tweet
Why should companies, dancers, etc., follow others?
There are several Twitter strategies. Over here for instance, we might not follow everyone back but that’s because we try to keep track of those we do follow and their individual posts (It would be impossible to pay attention to everything that’s being said if we reciprocated all the follows). However, if someone we do not follow engages with us or asks us a question we will always engage back. This seems to us a more authentic way to establish a dialogue.
Another strategy is to follow everyone back and use certain filters (via TweetDeck or another third party Twitter application) to keep track of only the tweets that are relevant to you. The disadvantage here is that tweets “slip through the net” and if you are an active user you might be missing out on potentially relevant information.
The punch line: We do not think Twitter is another social media fad. Major companies and individuals have embraced it as a tool which can be used for:
Further Information on Twitter and how to use it:
Posted in Opinion, Social Media | 1 Comment »
It’s been over 2 years since Alina Cojocaru danced a MacMillan ballet at Covent Garden. While the public in Washington DC and Havana were able to see her Manon last summer, Londoners who had been dreaming of seeing her in Mayerling at the start of the autumn season had to hold their breaths a little longer and await her return to MacMillan in the role of Juliet, the very same role she had danced in the autumn of 2007.
Alina Cojocaru and Johan Kobborg in Kenneth MacMillan's Romeo and Juliet. Photograph by Elliott Franks ©
The wait was most definitely worth it. If before her Juliet was moving, now she is heartwrenching. She has matured the role, refined it, added nuance and experience, less the innocent teenager more the tragic outcast, headstrong-yet-vulnerable girl transformed by love. These qualities are evident, for instance, in the scene where Juliet, already secretly married to Romeo, tries to challenge her parents as they impose the nobleman Paris on her. As she tries to fight back, throwing her fists at the father, pleading to the mother, the realisation sinks in that she is alone in this, her whole body expressing the humiliation Juliet has suffered.
Whereas 2 years ago she might have played the scene where Juliet hides under the covers with a slight hint of comic relief now it looks like desperation, the will to disintegrate and not have to deal with an impossible situation, grief written in her face. This time few in the audience were chuckling.
Alina Cojocaru as Juliet in Kenneth MacMillan's Romeo & Juliet. Photograph by Elliott Franks ©
The other pivotal moment in Alina’s interpretation comes when she discovers the lifeless Romeo in the Capulet tomb, her desperate howl of pain – albeit silent – is louder than Prokofiev’s sublime score. Her last gesture slowly motioning at the faint light above the tomb suggests the hope at a reunion with Romeo in heaven, almost as if she can already see their souls transcending.
While Johan Kobborg might not be my dream cast Romeo he is unquestionably a perfect partner for Alina’s Juliet. If technically her Juliet was arguably on better form than his Romeo, when they dance their bodies move lyrically as one, in full sync. Together they delivered a balcony scene full of passion and romantic abandonment, as if they had no other care in the world. They are well matched in temper too, Johan’s headlong Romeo seeming like the kind of guy who would really drop everything in his life once he fell head over heels in love. The extent of his impassioned nature is also very convincingly portrayed after Mercutio’s death, guilt reaching boiling point as he rushes towards Tybalt to retaliate.
Johan Kobborg as Romeo and Alina Cojocaru as Juliet. Photograph by Elliott Franks ©
With a strong supporting cast full of wonderful performances, from Brian Maloney’s limber, handsomely cast Mercutio, Bennet Gartside’s chilling Tybalt (his death scene one of the most poignant I have ever seen) to Laura Morera’s unparalleled Harlot and Sergei Polunin’s stylish lead Mandolin this is really a performance not to be missed. This same cast is performing again next Wednesday and I would urge those still thinking about it to beg, borrow or steal a ticket.
Posted in Review | Tagged 2009-2010 Season, Alina Cojocaru, Bennet Gartside, Brian Maloney, Johan Kobborg, Juliet, Kenneth MacMillan, Laura Morera, Manon, Mayerling, Mercutio, Romeo, Romeo and Juliet, Royal Ballet, Sergei Polunin, Tybalt | Leave a Comment »
New year, time to update our calendars and balletic schedules. In this post we share our essential ballet picks for 2010. With many of our favourite dances and dancers, plus so many companies stopping by London, we are feeling like seven-year-olds at large in a candy store. The difference being that ballet candy is somewhat more costly (our pockets bleed already and it’s only January). Now that you know where we’ll be going make sure to stop us and say hi.
January – Febuary
While Romeo and Juliet is sure to keep us warm from the Artic conditions outside, we are heading to even colder plains to check out Royal Danish Ballet’s Bournonville/Balanchine double bill of La Sylphide/Symphony in C – another programme guaranteed to make our hearts flutter. Later in February it’s time for a look at young choreographer’s Jonathan Watkins new ballet, part of the Infra/Rushes/New Watkins Triple bill.
On February 22 we shall be heading to Covent Garden Odeon to catch The Royal Ballet’s Mayerling, the gritty and shocking balletic drama with Ed Watson as Crown Prince Rudolf. Pre-book your tickets and join us for some ballet & popcorn.
Also on our radar: Mara Galeazzi’s Fundraising Gala at Sadler’s Wells which promises to feature new choreography by Steven McRae.
March – April
Speaking of Steven, March brings his Romeo back to Covent Garden, this time paired with the lovely Roberta Marquez who recently featured as Juliet opposite Teddy Kumakawa in K-Ballet’s staging (DVD soon out in Japan we hear). There will be other opportunities to catch this young pair in La Fille Mal Gardée and Cinderella both ballets contrasting heavily with the MacMillan Triple bill of Concerto, The Judas Tree and Elite Syncopations.
Also on our radar: We are keeping tabs on the Coliseum which will host Ballet Nacional de Cuba and a mix of international acts at the Nureyev gala on March 21. BRB also have a big gala celebration planned for their 20th anniversary of residence at the Birmingham Hippodrome, including some rarities.
May – June
While Electric Counterpoint and Mats Ek’s Carmen are not really our cup of tea, the Royal Ballet’s May triple bill includes Liam Scarlett’s first ballet for the main stage (his ballet at the Linbury last year stole our hearts) so we go. The Royal Ballet closes another fab season contrasting the neoclassical Symphony in C with ultra modern Chroma and Wheeldon’s Tryst.
Also on our radar: We may have to pay a visit to ENB’s mammoth Swan Lake-in-the-round given Polina Semionova will be guesting.
July – August
While The Royal Ballet is in Japan where Miyako Yoshida dances her last Juliet opposite – him again – Steven McRae’s Romeo, the Bolshoi takes residence at the ROH with an exciting programme mixing the usual suspects (Le Corsaire, Don Q., Spartacus) with Ratmansky’s wonderful Russian Seasons, a reconstructed Coppelia and a double bill of Giselle/Serenade. Let’s hope for plenty of starry casts.
Also on our radar: As if there wasn’t enough Russian ballet in town, the mighty Mikhailovsky are reportedly bringing Giselle and Swan Lake this summer, lucky we.
September – October
We take a break from ballet in September and gear up for another Royal Ballet season (2010/2011) in the beginning of October.
November – December
It seems The Mariinsky will be bringing The Little Humpbacked Horse to Paris, we pack our bags and go!
Posted in What's coming | Tagged Ballet Nacional de Cuba, Bolshoi, BRB, Chroma, Cinderella, Electric Counterpoint, Elite Syncopations, ENB, Infra, Jonathan Watkins, K-Ballet, La Fille Mal Gardée, La Sylphide, Macmillan, Mara Galeazzi, Mats Ek, Mikhailovsky Theatre, Miyako Yoshida, Polina Semionova, RDB, Roberta Marquez, Romeo and Juliet, Royal Ballet, Rushes, Sadler's Wells, Steven McRae, Swan Lake, Symphony in C, Teddy Kumakawa, The Judas Tree, The Little Humpbacked Horse, Tryst, Watkins, Wheeldon | Leave a Comment »
Is this ballet for you?
Go If: You can’t resist a tragic love story. New Moon is your favorite book of the entire Twilight Saga and you can quote a certain passage from Act II, Scene VI of Shakespeare’s play by heart (don’t worry we won’t tell anyone). You’ve never been to the ballet and want to start with a tale that’s easy to follow in dance form.
Avoid If: Get thee gone, thou artless idle-headed pignut! (Ok, so you’re not a fan of The Bard)
Dream Casts
We asked our twitter followers and they said:
Juliet – Gelsey Kirkland, Yevgenia Obraztsova, Maria Kochetkova, Miriam Ould-Braham, Silvia Azzoni, Julie Kent, Alessandra Ferri, Alina Cojocaru
Romeo – Anthony Dowell, Vladimir Shklyarov, Igor Kolb, Jason Reilly, Friedemann Vogel, Angel Corella, Robert Fairchild, Steven McRae
Background
The Leonid Lavrovsky version
The idea for Romeo and Juliet as ballet came originally from Sergei Radlov, the Artistic Director of the Kirov (now the Mariinsky) around 1934. He developed the scenario together with theatre critic Adrian Piotrovsky and commissioned the music from one of his favorite Chess partners: Sergei Prokofiev who had never before composed for a full-length ballet.
Prokofiev finished the score on September, 1935 but the production was stalled when the communist regime demanded it be given a happy ending. Having shaped his score to match Radlov’s interpretation of the Shakespearean play Prokofiev was unhappy with this imposition.
Mariinsky's Vladimir Shklyarov and Yevgenia Obraztsova in Lavrovsky's Romeo and Juliet. Photo: Natalia Razina / Mariinsky Theatre ©
Further political problems saw the project shelved and transferred to the Bolshoi where it was deemed unsuitable. The ballet was eventually salvaged by the Kirov and on January 11, 1940 Romeo and Juliet finally received its premiere, with choreography by Artistic Director Leonid Lavrovsky. Legendary Galina Ulanova was the original Juliet and Konstantin Sergeyev her Romeo. The ballet was hailed a success but it only became a phenomenon six years later when it was staged in The Bolshoi Theatre (December 28, 1946), resulting in Lavrovsky’s appointment as Artistic Director of the Bolshoi.
The Bolshoi toured London for the first time and staged Lavrovsky’s Romeo and Juliet in the Covent Garden Stage (October 3, 1956) to great acclaim. Margot Fonteyn expressed she had “never seen anything like it” and budding choreographer John Cranko was so inspired by the ballet that he soon started to plan his own version.
Mariinsky's Viktoria Tereshkina and Yevgeny Ivanchenko in Lavrovsky's Romeo and Juliet. Photo: Natalia Razina / Mariinsky Theatre ©
The John Cranko version
Cranko’s first staging of Romeo & Juliet was for the ballet company of La Scala in Milan in July 26, 1958. It was danced in an open amphiteatre in Venice. Designs were by Nicola Benois and the role of Juliet was danced by then 21 year-old Carla Fracci. Further revising the ballet Cranko staged it in 1962 for his own company, The Stuttgart Ballet. Jürgen Rose was in charge of the designs and young Brazilian ballerina Marcia Haydée, soon to become Cranko’s muse, was cast in the role of Juliet, with Richard Cragun as Romeo.
Cranko’s staging is renowned for its strong corps de ballet dances, which set the atmosphere. The first scene takes place in the cramped streets of Verona, so both Montagues and Capulets are incapable of avoiding each other. In Act II the fight erupts amongst peasants on a harvest festival, with everyone involved and fruits being spilled around. At that time Cranko’s company were still developing their technique and identity so the choreography is relatively simple. When it comes to the various pas de deux one can see Lavrovsky’s influence in the very Soviet style of partnering with lifts and tosses.
Cranko’s version of Romeo and Juliet remains very popular and besides being a regular staple at the Stuttgart Ballet, it is also in repertory at The National Ballet of Canada, The Australian Ballet, Finnish National Ballet, The Joffrey, Houston Ballet, Boston Ballet, and Pensylvannia Ballet, among others.
The Kenneth MacMillan version
Kenneth MacMillan, a close friend of Cranko’s from their dancing days in the Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet, was inspired to create his own version for The Royal Ballet after seeing it staged by The Stuttgart Ballet. An opportunity came when The Royal Opera House failed to secure a deal with the Bolshoi to exchange performance rights for Ashton‘s La Fille Mal Gardée against Lavrovsky’s Romeo and Juliet. Ninette de Valois had also asked Sir Frederick Ashton to stage the version originally choreographed for The Royal Danish Ballet in 1955 but he feared that something created for a smaller theatre would look modest compared to the scale of the Russian production. Ashton, then Artistic Director, suggested to the Board of Directors that MacMillan should undertake the task of creating a new version.
Steven McRae and Alina Cojocaru in The Royal Ballet's production of MacMillan's Romeo & Juliet. Photo: Bill Cooper / ROH ©
MacMillan had devised a balcony scene pas de deux for Lynn Seymour and Christopher Gable for a feature on Canadian television and once he received the go-ahead he started working on his first full-length ballet, nowadays one of Romeo and Juliet’s most definitive versions.
Designer Nicholas Georgiadis was inspired by Franco Zeffirelli‘s production of the Shakespearean tragedy for the Old Vic, in which the Capulets lived in a big fortress-like mansion. MacMillan wanted his ballet to be more realistic than romantic, with added contemporary touches. He wanted the young lovers to die painfully and to drop the reconciliation between Capulets and Montagues at the end of the play providing a different angle from the Lavrovsky & Cranko versions.
The ballet was choreographed on Seymour and Gable as Juliet and Romeo. As usual, MacMillan explored the role of the outsider in his portrayal of Juliet, a headstrong and opinionated girl who breaks away from her family. He started with the pas de deux (the highlights of this staging) and drew on the full company plus extras to set the town scenes.
While work was in progress Covent Garden management delivered the blow that Fonteyn and Nureyev would be first cast Juliet and Romeo, a shock to MacMillan, to Ashton (who had expected them as a first cast for the US tour only) and to dancers Seymour and Gable who had to teach their roles and resign themselves to a lower spot on the bill.
Artists of The Royal Ballet in Kenneth MacMillan's Romeo and Juliet. Photo: Dee Conway / ROH ©
MacMillan’s pleas to Covent Garden management to keep Seymour and Gable in the premiere were in vain. His Romeo and Juliet premiered on February 9, 1965, with Fonteyn and Nureyev taking 43 curtain calls over a 40 minute applause. In the US it quickly became the best known version of the Prokofiev ballet. Besides the Royal Ballet, the ballet is also part of the regular repertory of American Ballet Theatre, The Royal Swedish Ballet and Birmingham Royal Ballet (with designs by Paul Andrews).
Story
You probably don’t need our help with this one. Regardless of version the storyline remains more or less the same:
Act I
Scene 1. The Market Place in Verona
It’s early hours in Verona. Romeo unsucessfully tries to woo Rosaline and is consoled by his friends Mercutio and Benvolio. As the market awakens and street trading starts a quarrel breaks out between the Montagues and the Capulets. Tybalt, Lord Capulet’s nephew, provokes Romeo’s group and the sword fighting begins with both Lord Montague and Lord Capulet joining in. Escalus, the Prince (or Duke) of Verona, enters and commands the families to cease fighting and issues a death penalty for any further bloodshed.
Scene 2. Juliet and her Nurse at the Capulet House
Lord Capulet’s only daughter Juliet is playing with her nurse. Her parents enter her chambers and inform Juliet of her impending engagement to the wealthy noblement Paris to whom she is to be formally introduced at the evening’s ball. In MacMillan’s version Juliet’s introduction to Paris happens at this point.
Scene 3. Outside the Capulet House
Guests are seen arriving at the Capulets’. Romeo, still in pursuit of Rosaline, makes his way into the ball in disguise accompanied by Mercutio and Benvolio.
Scenes 4 & 5. The Ballroom & Outside the Capulet House
At the ball all eyes are on Juliet as she dances with her friends. Romeo becomes so entranced by her that he completely ignores Mercutio’s attempts to distract him. As Juliet starts to notice Romeo his mask falls. Juliet is immediately bewitched but Tybalt recognises Romeo and orders him to leave. Lord Capulet intervenes and welcomes Romeo and his friends as guests. At this point in MacMillan’s staging we see inebriated guests leaving and Lord Capulet stopping Tybalt from pursuing Romeo.
Scene 6. Juliet’s Balcony
Later that night Juliet is unable to sleep and stands on her balcony thinking about Romeo. Just then he appears on the garden below and they both dance a passionate pas de deux where they express their mutual feelings.
Mariinsky's Vladimir Shklyarov and Yevgenia Obraztsova in Lavrovsky's Romeo and Juliet. Photo: Natalia Razina / Mariinsky Theatre ©
Act II
Scenes 1 & 2. The Market Place & Friar Laurence’s Chapel
As festivities are being held at the marketplace Romeo daydreams about getting married to Juliet. His reverie is broken when Juliet’s nurse makes her way through the crowds bringing him Juliet’s letter with the acceptance to his proposal. The young couple is secretly married by Friar Laurence, who hopes the union will end the conflict between their respective families.
Scene 3. The Market Place
Tybalt enters interruping the festivities. He provokes Romeo, who now avoids the duel, realising he is now part of Juliet’s family. Mercutio is willing to engage with Tybalt and, in vain, Romeo attempts to stop them. Mercutio is fatally wounded by Tybalt. Romeo seeking to avenge his friend’s death finally yields to Tybalt’s provocations and kills him. Romeo must now flee before being discovered by Prince of Verona. Curtains close as Lady Capulet grieves over Tybalt’s dead body and her breakdown is particularly emphasised in Cranko’s staging.
José Martín as Mercutio and Thiago Soares as Tybalt in The Royal Ballet's production of MacMillan's Romeo and Juliet. Photo: Dee Conway / ROH ©
Act III
Scene 1. Juliet’s Bedroom
Romeo has spent his last night in Verona with Juliet but as dawn arrives he must flee for Mantua despite her pleas. To Juliet’s dismay Lord and Lady Capulet appear together with Paris to start preparations for the wedding. Juliet refuses to marry Paris and Lord Capulet threatens to disown her. In despair, Juliet seeks Friar Laurence’s counsel.
Scenes 2 & 3. Friar Laurence’s Chapel & Juliet’s Bedroom
Juliet begs Friar Laurence for help. He gives Juliet a sleeping potion that will make her fall into a deathlike sleep. This will make everyone believe Juliet is dead while the Friar will send for Romeo to rescue her. Juliet returns home and agrees to marry Paris. She drinks the potion and falls unconscious. Her friends and parents arrive the next morning and discover her lifeless.
Scene 4. The Capulet Family Crypt
Romeo has heard of Juliet’s death (in the Lavrovsky version we see Romeo break down in grief as the news are delivered to him) and has returned to Verona without having received Friar Laurence’s message. He enters the crypt disguised as a monk where he finds Paris by Juliet’s body. Stunned by grief, Romeo kills Paris (this is absent from Lavrovsky’s staging). Still believing Juliet to be dead Romeo drinks a vial of poison and collapses. Juliet awakes to find Romeo dead beside her. She stabs herself to join Romeo in death.
Epilogue (Lavrovsky version)
Both Montagues and Capulets gather together and reconcile before their children’s bodies.
Lauren Cuthbertson and Edward Watson in The Royal Ballet's production of MacMillan's Romeo & Juliet. Photo: Dee Conway / ROH ©
Videos:
Other versions
Prokofiev’s masterful composition for Romeo and Juliet is now better known than any other but a number of earlier and later productions of the ballet have been set to different scores and choreography:
Antony Tudor‘s Romeo and Juliet for Ballet Theatre, now ABT (1943), set to various pieces of music by Frederick Delius.
Sir Frederick Ashton’s Romeo and Juliet for The Royal Danish Ballet (1955). This is a signature Ashton piece with none of Lavrovsky’s influence (as Ashton had not yet seen that staging). Clips of the revival by London Festival Ballet with Katherine Healy as Juliet can be found here [link]
Maurice Béjart‘s Romeo and Juliet (1966). Set to the music of Berlioz this version was presented at the Cirque Royal, Brussels. A video featuring Suzanne Farrell as Juliet and Jorge Donn as Romeo can be found here [link]
Rudolf Nureyev’s version for the London Festival Ballet (1977). Nureyev later reworked this same version for the Paris Opera Ballet (1984). The ballet is available on DVD with Monique Loudieres as Juliet and Manuel Legris as Romeo. Clips can be seen here [link]
John Neumeier‘s for the Frankfurt Ballet (1971). This version was restaged for his own Hamburg Ballet in 1974. It has also been further revised and staged by The Royal Danish Ballet. Clips can be seen here [link]
Yuri Grigorovich‘s version for the Bolshoi (1982) set to Prokofiev’s score. This version is still danced by the company.
Jean Christophe Maillot‘s Rómeo et Juliette for Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo (1996). This version has been staged by other companies, most recently by Pacific Northwest Ballet. A trailer can be found in PNBallet’s YT channel [link]
Peter Martins’s Romeo + Juliet for NYCB (2007). A series of videos following the ballet’s creative process can be found on NYCB‘s channel [link]
Music
Prokofiev’s score for Romeo and Juliet is considered one of the four greatest orchestral compositions for ballet (together with Tchaikovsky’s scores for Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker). He originally conceived the score as 53 sections linked by the dramatic elements of the story, each section named after the characters and/or situations in the ballet.
Like Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev developed leitmotifs for the characters. There are 7 themes for Juliet varying from her playful/girlish side in Act I to romantic and dramatic themes which follow her development into a woman in love and foreshadow the impending tragedy in Act III.
A quintessential Spotify / iPod playlist should include the three orchestra suites (Opus 64bis, Opus 64ter and Opus 101)
Mini-Biography
Choreography: Leonid Lavrovsky
Music: Sergei Prokofiev
Designs: Pyotr Williams
Original Cast: Galina Ulanova as Juliet and Konstantin Sergeyev as Romeo
Premiere: January 11, 1940, Kirov Theatre, Leningrad (now St. Petersburg).
Choregraphy: John Cranko
Music: Sergei Prokofiev
Designs: Jürgen Rose
Original Cast: Marcia Haydée as Juliet and Richard Crangun as Romeo
Premiere:December 2, 1962, Stuttgart.
Choreography: Kenneth MacMillan
Music: Sergei Prokofiev
Designs: Nicholas Georgiadis
Original Cast: Margot Fonteyn as Juliet and Rudolf Nureyev as Romeo
Premiere:February 9, 1965 at Covent Garden, London.
Sources and Further Information
Posted in Ballet | Tagged Alina Cojocaru, Antony Tudor, Ashton, Bolshoi, Capulet, Christopher Gable, Dee Conway, Edward Watson, Franco Zeffirelli, Galina Ulanova, Hamburg Ballet, Jean Christophe Maillot, John Cranko, John Neumeier, José Martín, Juliet, Katherine Healy, Kenneth MacMillan, Kirov, Konstantin Sergeyev, Lauren Cuthbertson, Lavrovsky, Les Ballets de Monte Carlo, Lynn Seymour, Macmillan, Marcia Haydée, Margot Fonteyn, Mariinsky, Maurice Béjart, Montague, Natalia Razina, Nicholas Georgiadis, NYCB, Peter Martins, PNB, POB, Prokofiev, Richard Cragun, Romeo, Romeo and Juliet, Royal Ballet, Rudolf Nureyev, Steven McRae, Stuttgart Ballet, The Royal Danish Ballet, Thiago Soares, Tybalt, Vladimir Shklyarov, Yevgenia Obraztsova, Yuri Grigorovich | 1 Comment »
The battle to become a professional ballerina is tough enough for a middle-class European girl. For [Isabella] Coracy, it often feels like an insurmountable challenge. “These are not one-night wonders,” Finzi says. “This is not The X Factor.” Dom Philips and Sarah Maslin Nir reporting on “Only When I Dance” for The Times
While we wait for biopic Mao’s Last Dancer to hit UK screens and for Carlos Acosta’s own No Way Home to be filmed, documentary Only When I Dance (Vida Ballet), screened at the Barbican’s Brazilian Film Festival last October, provides a present-day look at the challenges faced by impoverished aspiring young dancers, this time in the context of escaping the harsh environment of the Brazilian favelas.
Having missed it on the big screen due to the Mayerling madness which hit The Ballet Bag for several weeks in the autumn I was glad for the opportunity to catch this gripping, poignant tale on UK TV (Channel 4) during the Christmas holidays. Only When I Dance follows two Brazilian ballet students, Irlan dos Santos Silva and Isabella Coracy. Both hail from favelas in the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro, definitely not your usual ballet dancer breeding ground. Thanks to scholarships and the foresight of headteacher Mariza Estrella (who won the “OUTSTANDING TEACHER AWARD” at Youth America Grand Prix in 2008) they are students in the same school where Royal Ballet Principal dancer Thiago Soares trained.
For the perfectly proportioned Irlan, one of the school’s most remarkable students, dreams of a professional career in ballet do not seem unattainable: as long as he passes school exams and continues to work hard, the chips might fall in the right places, especially if he manages to win a Prix de Lausanne scholarship. Of course nothing ever comes easy in the world of ballet but Irlan’s road seems much less bumpy than hard-working Isabella’s. Black, curvy and extremely graceful yet-no-virtuoso, her odds of securing a contract with a major ballet company are less favourable and she is well aware of this. While Irlan appears more confident about future options, she timidly says to the camera that her dream is “to perhaps dance in a classical ballet company”.
Director Beadie Finzi’s initial idea was to follow Irlan’s story exclusively but she was persuaded by Ms. Estrella that Isabella’s tale would make for an interesting contrast. This clever headteacher probably saw a chance to raise awareness to Isabella’s plight, a cause which seems very dear to her heart. During discussions and counselling with the Coracy family we see a realistic and yet encouraging Ms. Estrella as she hopes to see Isabella fight back and overcome professional obstacles. We also see Isabella’s supportive family struggle to arrange funds so that she can travel to YAGP where she hopes to win an award. From tears and the threat of injury to hope and back to tears, her story is what really makes the movie such an honest, riveting tale of holding on to your dreams. As her father Toti says “victory comes easy for those born rich, but the rest of us have to fight”.
Warning: Spoilers Ahead!
It is heartwarming to see Irlan achieve his dream of trading the dangerous grounds of the favela for a “better and calmer place” but a pity that the movie focuses so much of its final moments on his success (he is hired by ABT2) while neglecting to dwell on what might become of Isabella. Thanks to this article from The Times we discover she has secured a contract with a well known local ballet company and that she too is about to make her dreams come true.
Only When I Dance elsewhere on the web:
Posted in Review | Tagged ABT, Beadie Finzi, Center for Dance, Centro de Danca Rio, Irlan dos Santos Silva, Isabella Coracy, Mariza Estrella, Only When I Dance, Prix de Lausanne, Sao Paulo Companhia de Danca, Thiago Soares, Vida Ballet, YAGP | 3 Comments »
As we prepare to send off 2009 and embrace a new decade, we look back into what was hot, fun & fab around the ballet blogosphere to pick our favorite things this year. Feel free to share yours too.
Favorite Blog Posts
Haglund Heel’s “ABT needs a Mayerling” campaign
The coolest ballet campaign of the year. We keep on crossing our fingers & sending positive vibes for Mayerling to be part of ABT’s repertory someday. We’d definitely cross the Atlantic to see Marcelo Gomes as Crown Prince Rudolf.
You Dance Funny on the mess with “Swan Lake’s third act Pas de Deux”
We love uncovering mysteries à la Sherlock Holmes / Dr. Gregory House. Divalicious prima ballerina decides she doesn’t like the score for her Swan Lake 3rd Act solo and asks Ludwig Minkus to write another one. This in turn bothers the original composer, a certain Mr. Tchaikovsky, who then writes a second version which never makes it to the final cut after all. Complicated? This could very well yield material for a soap opera.
Bloggerina meets Mr. Clement Crisp
Once upon a time our favorite ballet critic, Mr. Clement Crisp, went on a trip to Canada to see a triple bill composed entirely of new ballets, something sadly unthinkable in our neck of the woods. He met the Toronto ballet audience & spoke about what can be done to ensure the future of ballet. We were left very jealous…
Bella Figura’s Make your own Ballet Xmas in Paris
While Eurostar #FAIL would have surely prevented us from celebrating a balletic Xmas in Paris this year, this post provided us a much needed insight into the pick and mix of POB‘s casting. We are very curious about the darkest of all Nutcrackers and we might be more than tempted next December when the Mariinsky will also be in town. The post also offers a witty description of a certain Bolshoi star who has a habit of hanging on to theatre curtains.
Demicontretemps’s “If Ballet Stars were comic book heroes”
We love graphic novels, comic books and movie adaptations of both. We also often imagine deathmatches between our favorite ballet stars… if only we could pitch this idea to MTV. In this very funny post Eric Taub imagines Ballet dancers as drawn by famous comic book artists.
Veronika Part on Wolcott and Swan Lake Samba Girl
She is one of the most glamorous things to have happened to ballet. Just as gossip started to circulate that she would leave ABT she turned the tables on the rumour mill and bagged a promotion for Principal and a spot on David Letterman. May she long continue to fascinate us.
Favorite Tweets/Social Media Stuff
Sanjoy Roy on How dance companies must embrace the internet. The Guardian dance writer Sanjoy Roy picks up on the Ketinoa debate.
Hedi Slimane’s short film featuring Royal Danish Ballet’s Oscar Nielssen rocking and phrasing beaten steps to the music of Supershine drummer Matthias Sarsgaard. We said it before and will say it again: Ballet Rocks! (as tweeted by @hedislimanetwit)
Crankocast – Who would you be cast as in a Cranko ballet? Over here we got the two Taming of the Shrew sisters, one for each Bag Lady. Spooky! How did they know? (as tweeted by Stuttgart Ballet Principal dancer @EvanMcKie)
Charlotte MacMillan’s Mayerling photos at The Arts Desk – breathtakingly sinister studio shots of one of our favorite dark ballets with one of our favorite casts (as tweeted by @Macmillanballet)
Mariinsky in Japan Little Humpbacked Horse photos – mouthwatering candy store-like pictures of the Ratmansky ballet we are dying to see (as tweeted by the lovely @naomip86 – our Japanese ballet guru)
Favorite Ballet Bag Stuff
Interviews – Three fabulous leading dancers with each of the Mariinsky, the Royal Ballet and ABT. Three very distinct personalities which resulted in very different interviews. We hope you enjoyed them as much as we did. We are crossing our fingers for more.
Bridge Over Troubled Water & other Social media posts – We are big believers in the power of social media. All of these posts were great fun to write & some even managed to stir some controversy (see Sanjoy Roy article above).
Supermassive Black Hole – Our resident physicist analysed BRB’s new ballet based on Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. Perfect for the job.
Grace – This was a tough cookie. Someone asked in our Facebook group if we could write something about the ballerina’s grace. It was hard to put a subjective concept into words but we really liked the final product, not least because it gave us a chance to quote from Pride and Prejudice.
Last but not least
Our favorite Dances of the Decade
Our favorite Dance articles of 2009 (Conventional Media)
Posted in Opinion, Review, Social Media | Tagged 2009, ABT, Bella Figura, BRB, Charlotte MacMillan, Clement Crisp, Crankocast, Daniil Simkin, David Bintley, Demicontretemps, E=mc2, Edward Watson, Eric Taub, Evan McKie, Facebook, Haglund's Heel, Hedi Slimane, Igor Kolb, Ketinoa, Mara Galeazzi, Marcelo Gomes, Mariinsky, Matthias Sarsgaard, Mayerling, Oscar Nielssen, Ratmansky, Royal Danish Ballet, Sanjoy Roy, Social Media, Stuttgart Ballet, Swan Lake Samba Girl, The Arts Desk, The Guardian, The Little Humpbacked Horse, Tonya Planck, Twitter, Veronica Part, You Dance Funny | 5 Comments »
A small miracle took place when Italian ballerina Marie Taglioni first rose en pointe. She elevated a simple shoe into a tool for conveying sublime artistry. While it takes a ballerina long years and endless hours of training to be able to perform such miracles let us not forget that her shoes will have also followed a very laborious regime. The unsung heroes who manufacture them pour long hours of highly skilled work, preserving a long standing balletic tradition and a 150 year-old craft.
For any person as obsessed with watching ballet as we are, or for those who dance, dissecting this key component of classical dance gives a greater insight into the art itself. As we start a series of posts focused on dancer’s tools, we look here into the anatomy of a pointe shoe and its manufacturing process.
Parts of a pointe shoe
Irrespective of brand, pointe shoes are typically composed of the same parts. We have illustrated this section with pictures of Capezio Pavlowas:
Side view of a "traditional" pointe shoe
Back view of a "traditional" pointe shoe.
Top view of a "traditional" pointe shoe.
Note that Gaynor Minden shoes are particularly distinctive. They neither have boxes made of a paper/fabric/glue combo, nor a separate leather shank. Instead they are built from a single box/shank combo made of long-lasting elastomeric (a synthetic material) to ensure the shoes do not soften too soon. With the shank and box forming one single piece there are no pleats underneath.
Manufacturing
Traditional pointe shoes follow a process referred to as turnshoe. They are put together inside out on top of a last (a foot-shaped mold made of wood or plastic). They are not separated into right or left although some ballerinas have custom made lasts to replicate the shape of their own feet. Parts of this process have been automated but most of the shaping work is still done by hand.
The Upper
The parts forming the upper (vamp, wings and lining) are cut from fixed patterns using hydraulic presses, with special orders hand-cut from individual patterns. Seamstresses join the upper with the backs and sew in the satin and cotton lining. A back strap is also sewn in and, if the model calls for it, a drawstring is added.
The upper is placed inside out over the last and the shoemaker assembles the block over the lining with several layers of fabric, paper and special glue, which need to be worked on for a long time. The shoemaker pulls the upper and handles it with various instruments molding it into a pointe shape (squared, tapered, etc).
The Soles
Soles (inner sole and outer sole) and shank are cut out of large pieces of leather using mechanical presses or by hand. They are shaven – to even out the surface – and buffed. They are placed inside the shoe and fastened with glue and nails.
Shaping & Stitching
The shoemaker works the shoe in the last, shaping it from the outside with a small hammer and getting rid of any bumps in the toe area. The final part of the process – pushing the handmade pleats into position – is one of the most critical, as it will determine the fitting and flexibility of the shoe. The pleats are stitched and the excess fabric is removed. The upper is also stitched to the sole and the shoe is turned right side out. Finally the shoe is placed on a rack (or a hot-air oven) to dry all the glue.
See a video of a pointe shoe being manufactured
For those of you interested in the specifics of manufacturing Gaynor Mindens, see this video featuring the company’s Head of Design, Eliza Gaynor Minden
If you are interested in pointe shoes or other ballet tools generally, look no further than our Tools of the Trade playlist in our YouTube channel.
Sources and Further Information
Posted in Ballet Tools | Tagged Ballet, Bloch, Capezio, Freeds, Gaynor Minden, Grishko, Pointe shoes, Russian Pointe | 6 Comments »
The Ballet Bag 