Duck

If my response to your post is delayed, it's because I actually needed to google which role he was playing in the film. That means I didn't recognise him there and then, and as a result I am unable to comment I am afraid.

White Crow has made its way into cinemas over here, and I saw the film on Friday night. Fabulous. I found it fascinating how the film switched seamlessly between 1960s events in Paris and flashbacks to Nureyev’s training and early childhood. I was particularly moved by the flashbacks to his childhood e.g.,, watching his mother leave to collect wood, observing other children play in the snow with him standing at the side, playing with his small wooden toy train, hugging his father in complete silence, his astonishment at the splendour of the opera house when he was six years old. And how some of these early experiences fed through to much later in life – e.g., looking at a painting at The Hermitage that showed a father and son (?) hugging each other, the quest to buy a model railway, the desire to be on stage. I hadn’t read much about Nureyev beforehand as I don’t tend to be too keen on the classics, and so learnt a lot about him during the film. Not fitting in and not trying to do so either (was he the only one who didn’t wear a tie while on tour in Paris?), learning French so he’d be able to communicate in Paris, his deep interest in art works, reading Andre Malraux, etc. The film evoked the atmosphere of the 1960s beautifully, from clothes and cars to furniture and music, it was as if being there myself. I loved the acting, too, both by Oleg Ivenko and by Ralph Fiennes. Also the little boy, with the intensity of his gaze, and his dancing was very impressive, too. As for the events at the airport – absolutely captivating. I’d known the outcome but the details of getting there, wow. Also, I hadn’t previously realised how instrumental Pierre Lacotte was in that situation, nor that it seemed to be a spontaneous decision given the situation that he was put into at the airport rather than something that had been planned in advance (that’s at least how I’ve read it). In summary, very impressed with every minute of the film.

It's not listed by Frapod on their web site for this season, so I don't presume it will be shown in cinemas this time. https://www.fraprod.fr/offres_cinema.php

Taiwan is the only location this season unfortunately that sees Stuttgart Ballet perform Romeo & Juliet - last night and tonight. So, while we are waiting for the piece to be back on stage in Stuttgart, pictures from last night's performance of R&J by the cast in the video for World Ballet Day https://stuttgartballet.wordpress.com/2019/10/25/taiwan-october-2019-day-3/ (go to the link for days 3 and 4 for pictures of stage rehearsals).

In going through the performance calendar of a number of companies for the current season, I realised that I’d be able to see three works that had been on my wish list within the space of just three days, thus creating a short ballet-related trip, and saving much of the far higher expenses of repeated travelling to Paris where two of the programmes feature at different points of time during this season. First stop Ballet Preljocaj with Winterreise in Metz last Thursday. Winterreise to Schubert’s song cycle was created by Angelin Preljocaj on the Ballet of La Scala in Milan, had its premiere there at the beginning of 2019, and has been performed by Angelin Preljocaj’s own company since summer 2019. A work for twelve dancers, magnificently accompanied live by James Vaughan (pianoforte) and Thomas Tatzl (bass baritone, with a velvety voice). Choreography and scenography are inspired by the music and text of each song rather than following them literally, and I found that they capture the atmosphere of each song magnificently. The 1st song (Goodnight) sees a dancer being pushed away by the rest of the group (there isn’t anyone in particular though who specifically portrays the man who goes on the winter’s journey), and the 2nd song (Weather Vane) has a dancer holding a hand fan into another dancer’s face/ moving it around his head. While the 4th song is called Numbness, the music is energetic, and so the movements are hectic and come with various jumps, portraying the emotions within. Equally, whereas the first few songs had male/ female interaction, this song, while having all 12 dancers on stage, sees male and female dancers in their respective groups. The 5th song (Lime Tree) is back to a PDD, with the female dancer depicting the tree and the male dancer seeking comfort by hugging and carrying the tree. Song no 8 (Looking Back) for 6 female dancers introduces skirts, illustrating the longing look back to the village and the woman that had to be left behind. While the costumes up to this point have all been in black, song no 10 (Rest) introduces autumnal colours for the women on stage. Colours also for song no 11 (Dream of Spring) with its references to spring, birds and flowers. Song no 13 (Post) sees dancers carrying sheets of paper (akin to the letter that the sole man was hoping for in vain), the lighting is much brighter than that for many of the other songs, and the uplifting atmosphere shines through in high lifts and white skirts. Back to a sombre atmosphere in song 14 (Grey Head) with a male dancer wearing a black mask. Song no 15 (Crow) comes with 6 female dancers in long wide black dresses, illustrating the crow. The barking of dogs in song no 17 (Village) is depicted through dancers emitting sounds that reminded me of dogs. Song no 20 (Signpost) sees a dancer carrying two red strobes such as those of an airport traffic warden directing the planes. The final song, no 24 (Hurdy-Gurdy Man), with female dancers in ghostly long white dresses, which I’ve taken as illustration of said hurdy-gurdy man. While the male dancers lie down on the floor, the ghostly figures stand up again and let snow fall on stage. I’ve read this as the man on his winter journey continuing to wander around rather than succumbing to death but I guess this ending allows for a number of other interpretations just as well. Lighting is rather sombre for most songs, and the floor is covered with small black particles, evoking black snow. The choreography switches between parts for a couple/ a few dancers and all 12 of them throughout the 24 songs. When larger groups of dancers are on stage, they are often spread out equally across stage and in two lines, then performing the same movements, or the same movements but some of them towards the front/ towards the back, or to the left/ to the right, or alternatively in a large circle around someone in the middle, creating an exceptionally harmonic and poetic atmosphere in my view. I found Winterreise exquisitely poetic, intensely melancholic, dreamy, elegant, atmospheric and emotional, and I just loved the live accompaniment. I was absolutely spellbound (I guess having listened to the songs a few times before the performance helped preparing for what I saw on stage), and I am much hoping to see this work again in the future. Trailer by the company https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVnEfFm_xD4 Trailer by the Theatre des Champs Elysees in Paris, where the work was performed earlier this season https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_tXhoQUJ3E Followed by Akram Khan’s Xenos in Luxemburg last Friday. An incredibly intense evening. To watch how the former soldier’s trauma is triggered by simple things such stumbling against a chair or table and how the trauma, initialling occasionally, is becoming more and more prevalent, until the 2 musicians leave the stage and all the props on stage are being pulled up the slope. Words on loudspeaker “This is no war. This is the end of the world”. Earplugs had been given out upon entering the auditorium, and there came a part that made it clear why they had been offered to the audience. Very loud dissonant thumping sounds performed by 5 musicians above the slope, evoking the horrors of the trenches and the intensity of the trauma, equally for the audience. Khan rolls down the slope, is covered in earth and climbs back up again with the help of some ropes. A rope is also used to connect a gramophone that then reads out the names of – presumably – fallen fellow soldiers. The trauma is becoming more and more all-encompassing, intense, continuous. Khan relives being shot at/ being injured, and a search light not only scans the stage but also the audience – again extending parts of what the soldier had to live through to those watching the work. Words on loudspeaker along the lines of “alone” … “again” … “alone”. I wish the volume had been turned up a little here but I guess the low voice depicted the extreme solitude/ desperation, and that there was no way out – just as Khan started to turn in fast small circles, illustrating also through his movements that there was just no way out. The piece ends with Lachrymae from Mozart’s Requiem, with Khan cowering on the floor. Standing ovations by most of the audience, cheers, shouts of bravo. As challenging as it was to watch Xenos, this is a magnificent work, haunting, portraying the isolation and the emotions deep within, the suffering, and sucking in the audience along with it. Huge kudos to Akram Kahn for the mental and physical stamina that Xenos requires, performing more than 60 minutes nonstop for such a tough topic and atmosphere. Closing off with Sao Paulo Dance Company in Cologne last Saturday, a mixed programme with works by Uwe Scholz (Suite for Two Pianos), Cassi Abranches (Agora) and Marco Goecke (Supernova). Suite for Two Pianos uses Rachmaninov’s eponymous work in four parts as well as four works by Wassily Kandinsky as backcloths, whereby the shapes of each of Kandinsky’s illustrations influence the choreography on stage. Part 1 (the illustration with a number of crosscutting lines, curves, zigzags) for two groups of two male/ one female dancers with symmetric and geometric lines across stage, some throws, some bourrees. Part 2 (the illustration a series of separate dots in different shapes) with sequential solos by two male dancers until they dance side by side towards the end. Part 3 (the illustration a wave-like line with ups and downs) with two male and one female dancers, including lifts upside down, as if portraying the movements by the female dancer as and when she is lifted and passed on from dancer to dancer. Part 4 (the illustration showing the same curve cut across by a number lines, curves and circles) a combination of geometric patterns and smooth movements. I really enjoyed the way the choreography responded to the music and the four works by Kandinsky. Link to a video by the Brazilian-language service of Radio France International https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yntbV0jJvis for a performance of the work in Paris, and showing all four illustrations. Agora was premiered in summer 2019 and refers to different aspects of time e.g., dynamics and volume, expectations and memories. The music is a combination of percussion, song, rock music, and a clock is ticking at the start and end of the piece. This is very much a group piece, but Yoshi Suzuki stood out for me with a virtuoso solo. Trailer by the company https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uMYBJ0d5us. This work wasn't exactly my cup of tea but received the loudest cheers of the evening. Supernova refers to the light that is briefly emitted when a star explodes. The piece starts with the dancers throwing white particles into the air – a star is exploding. Trademark incredibly fast arm movements, shuffling across stage, dancers appearing and disappearing in the darkness at the back of the stage - stars appearing and then fading out once they've exploded?. Lights are briefly lit, long grey feathers are waved – some more stars exploding? Standout for me this time was Nielson Souza with his shuffling and arm movements at – so it felt – the speed of light. Trailer by the company https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bzNJl6W_a0. A company that I hadn’t seen live previously (Ballet Preljocaj), another work by Akram Khan that I’ve been able to add to my list of works that have deeply touched me, and a company that I hadn’t seen in the past at all, whether live or otherwise (Sao Paulo Dance Company). Short, really good and pretty intense three days (and the longest post that I’ve ever written?). The current weekend is much needed time off.

I was there last Saturday, too. I’d then been hoping against hope that there’d be a suitable return ticket for tonight and so been holding off my thoughts on last Saturday ... no such luck though ... Those highly complex and challenging PDD for Rudolph and his various partners looked unbelievably fluid. I found Elisa Badenes in the role of Mary Vetsera incredibly convincing in her falling for Rudolph, being eager and ready to go with him all the way, and I was very impressed with Diana Ionescu in the role of Princess Stephanie, both assured and fearless in her dancing in the PDD at the end of Act 1 and equipped with great acting skills. I’d been watching the DVD with the Watson/ Galeazzi cast a couple of times in recent weeks to get back into the story, and so I noticed the odd minor difference in staging and/ or interpretation. E.g., on the DVD, the curtain comes down at the end of Act 1 just after Rudolph rips his shirt open and gets onto the bed – last Saturday saw events on the bed going on for a bit longer before curtain down. When Rudolph accidentally shoots someone during the hunt in Act 3, Watson’s Rudolph takes his hat off and stares into the void before he leaves the stage whereas Vogel’s Rudolph takes his hat off, briefly looks at the deceased person and just walks off. Equally, when Rudolph and Mary head behind the screen, Edward Watson and Mara Galeazzi walk there together whereas Vogel’s Rudolph leads Mary, holding her hand, she following him. Finally, Mary on the DVD lies neatly on the bed, her arms holding flowers. Mary last Saturday was spread out as if this was the position in which she'd been shot. These subtle differences in combination with what I’ve taken as emotional distance of Vogel’s Rudolph at the start of Act 1 depict a different Rudolph compared to Edward Watson’s interpretation in my view – being in less emotional turmoil at the start, instead more aloof, cold, controlled elegance (I need to admit that, while I saw the Watson/ Galeazzi cast a total of four times in 2009 & 2013, I didn't attend any performances of the other casts back then so there may well have been similar minor differences). I found the difference in interpretation very interesting and hope I’ll be able to see the other two casts as to how they portray Rudolph. Thunderous applause for Friedemann Vogel, I missed the standing ovation from where I was sitting in the balcony as I was so much focussed on those on stage, admiring the costumes at the curtain calls. A fabulous performance at any time of the season but even more so as the company had only just been back from their summer break for two and a half weeks. It took me a while to cool down emotionally after the performance, and I spent a good part of last Sunday thinking about what I’d seen the night before. I won’t be around for the upcoming performances of cast 2 and 3, and I am hoping I’ll be lucky to get tickets for further performances in spring next year. The programme booklet lists Edward Watson as coach and Karl Burnett and Grant Coyle as choreologists. I’d drawn a family/ friends tree of those in the ballet as preparation for last Saturday and thus found a section with biographies of the key personalities in Mayerling very useful. The booklet also includes an article about Rudolph’s political beliefs which I found instrumental in understanding events involving the Hungarian officers and Prime Minister Taaffe better than previously. There are also a number of historic pictures of those involved plus lots of stage pictures and costume drawings. There is a trailer now on the production site, in addition to the various rehearsal and stage pictures https://www.stuttgart-ballet.de/schedule/calendar/mayerling/1043/ And yes, I am also hoping for a DVD of this production.

Incredibly sorry to hear the news. Sincere condolences. Thinking of you in these difficult times.

The same here ...

As someone who also writes about performances outside the UK, I can only echo this view. While discussions about these performances tend to be limited as - in all likelihood - not that many other forum members will have seen the same performance or run, I definitely sense that the interest in what is happening elsewhere is there.

As I moved between countries a few times, the below list is hugely influenced by company’s repertoires at the time e.g., works that were last shown at the Royal Opera House before 2006, I will in all likelihood not have seen; the same principle applies to other locations. I am thus coming from a perspective of “works that are something special” rather than works that have already been lost/ are running the risk of being lost. I am avoiding a discussion as to which choreographers are more important than others and am thus keeping all nominations to a maximum of 5 works per choreographer. MacMillan – Romeo & Juliet, Mayerling, Concerto, Song of the Earth, Requiem, Gloria Cranko – Romeo & Juliet, Onegin, Initials R.M.B.E., Brouillards, Concerto for Flute & Harp Robbins – Dances at a Gathering, The Concert, Glass Pieces, En Sol Ashton – Rhapsody, Monotones I/II Balanchine – Jewels, Symphony in C, The Four Temperaments Tetley – Sacre du Printemps, Voluntaries Bintley – Carmina Burana, Still Life at the Penguin Café Forsythe – In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated, Herman Schmerman Duet Bausch – Sacre du Printemps Jooss – The Green Table Scholz – Air!, The Creation Petit – L’Arlesienne Bejart – Bolero, Songs of a Wayfarer, 9th Symphony, Le Presbytere, Seven Greek Dances Lander – Etudes Kylian – Falling Angels, Sinfonietta van Manen – Kammerballett Childs – Four Elements Bruce – Rooster Neumeier - Nijinsky As for those works that should be revived on a regular basis … many more.

Profoundly sad news. Sincere condolences to family, friends, moderators & others who mourn him.

Brilliant idea

Thanks, Sim, I think your post sums it up perfectly! All in all, the season was superb; my hope for upcoming seasons would be to spread out the "highs" right across the season rather than basically covering it all in the space of 6-8 weeks ...

A late addition to this thread as the season here has only just ended. It was very much a season in two halves, with Sep 2018 through to March 2019 encompassing all the lows & “so-sos” as well as works that were fine, except for two works that I’ve put into the list of highs. So the list of highs in chronological order Stuttgart Ballet, Triple bill “Shades of White” – Cranko/ Concerto for Flute & Harp, Balanchine/ Symphony in C … musicality, serenity, joy & exuberance Keersmaker – a video screening of an extract from Fase … this was a completely unexpected bonus as I went to a Long Night of Minimal Music, didn’t expect any dance to be on the programme, and much to my surprise & delight, it did include this video Stuttgart Ballet – Triple bill “Break-through”: Clug/ Patterns in ¾ … creative, funny, great music Stuttgart Ballet – Triple bill “Breath-taking”: Galili/ Hikarizatto, Inger/ Out of Breath, Khan/ Kaash … energetic, thought-provoking, inducing a trance-like status, and moreover a triple bill that I really enjoyed from start to finish Stuttgart Ballet – Young Choreographer’s Evening: Roach/ Demon Days … hilariously funny & completely over the top The Royal Ballet – a cinema sceening of Pite’s Flight Pattern … utterly moving & compelling Colours International Dance Festival in Stuttgart with so much to offer, in particular Maguy Marin – May B … unlike anything that I’ve ever seen before & profoundly moving Ballet BC – Sharon Eyal/ Bedroom Folk … energetic & hypnotising Akram Khan – Outwitting the Devil – thought provoking, a fantastic cast with a standout performance by Dominique Petit. Furthermore, having the world premiere of a work by Akram Khan in Stuttgart, I mean ... John Cranko School – Annual Performances: Scholz/ Air!, Scholz/ Extracts from The Creation … musicality, liveliness, poetry, emotions. The performance of all students on stage, but in particular seeing Gabriel Figueredo perform live … unbelievable Stuttgart Ballet – ballet talks with Juergen Rose in relation to MacMillan’s Mayerling, and in particular seeing a number of costumes, hats and helmets in close up … Rose’s attention to detail is simply awe inspiring

Magnificent second ballet talk with Juergen Rose about MacMillan’s Mayerling this morning. While the first talk back in May covered a number of topics e.g., MacMillan’s choreographic style, the music and the set & costume design, this second event dealt specifically with the costumes for Mayerling. From the 198 costumes for the ballet in total, around 20/25 costumes, 10 hats for the female characters and 10 hats/ helmets for the male characters as well as a number of costume drawings were on display. Rose referred to some of the items to detail aspects of sourcing the fabric, the millinery, the medals, the ornaments as well as the production of the costumes and medals. A few medals and items of cloth were passed round the audience so they could touch and feel them for themselves, and the audience was also able to see and study the costumes, hats and helmets on display up close at the end of the event. Rose’s initial thought had been to go with just black and white for all costumes but then decided to add other shades so as to help the audience distinguish between the various characters. Based on everything that I’ve seen so far, the colour scheme still remains predominantly black / white/ shades of grey/ shades of red though, plus shades of green for the hunting party. Almost all of the 198 costumes are different, even if they are seen on stage for only a short period of time, such as those for the ballroom scene at the start of Act 1. The costumes shown included ballroom dresses from the beginning of Act 1, the white jacket for Rudolph and the formal white dress for Stephanie in Act 1, the dress for Elisabeth in the PDD with Rudolph in Act 1, the hunting party in Act 3, the red coat and black nightdress underneath for Mary in Act 3, a dress for Sophie, etc. The amount of work that Rose and the costume department at the State Theatre in Stuttgart have put into research, sourcing and production is immense, and the level of detail achieved is awe inspiring. Glittering little stones and borders applied on fabric; pleated fabric that create beautiful effects of light and shadow; costumes with a variety of lace, frills, ornamental trimmings, etc. Medals printed with a 3-D device so they look like the real thing but are light enough for dancing. Medals with specific details, depending on whether they are worn by a character from Austria or from Hungary, etc. etc. etc. When I first read a number of months ago that there’d be new costumes for the performances of Mayerling by Stuttgart Ballet, I asked myself why this was necessary, why they wouldn’t just go with the original designs. The outcome, however, is hugely impressive. The event was filmed, and I hope that it or parts thereof will be made available at some stage. Ideally though, I’d love to see a DVD or book with the costumes as they are just so stunning. This ballet talk was also the final event of the current season for me. A wonderful add-on followed immediately afterwards, meeting jmb again following our initial meeting a little more than a week ago, and being able to discuss once more all things ballet as well as a number of other topics.

Mid to end of July sees the annual performances by the John Cranko School. I saw the performance on 14 July from within the Opera House and on 21 July as part of Ballet in the Park. It was great to catch up with Yumiko again following yesterday’s performance – until next year, or earlier. Some of the works shown had also been presented last year, and were now being performed by a different cast. Air! by Uwe Scholz, George Balanchine’s Glinka Pas de Trois and Stephen Shropshire’s Lamento della Ninfa. Air! – I just love the jubilant and uplifting atmosphere and was very happy to see this piece again. Lots of arabesques, jetes and movements in canon; 2 serene PDD in the middle that included similar movements at different times without being in canon; a bouncy male quartet that was in perfect sync; interaction between male and female dancers that came with some gentle flirting; the full cast coming together again for the finale, displaying friendship and individuality within the group. A wonderful performance all around. Two pieces showcased the technical skills of the younger students, Viva Vivaldi by Stefania Sansavini/ Valentina Falcini and Extract from Najade and the Fisher by Jules Perrot. In particular with regards to Viva Vivaldi which was performed by classes 1 - 3 of the Lower School, it was heartening to see the intense focus of these youngest dancers and their visible joy when things went well (and it did). Full-scale contemporary with Todos os ais Sao Meus by Catarina Antunes Moreira, performed by graduating student Motomi Kiyota. He is equally and utterly at home in classical (Glinka PdT) as well as in contemporary works. I admire his virtuosity, his smile, his charismatic stage presence, it all looks so effortless. I will miss him dearly. Graduating students also for Extracts from The Creation by Uwe Scholz, as part of which Gabriel Figueredo performed a long solo. The skill, artistry and poetry of his dancing made me cry yesterday, it was so serene, emotional and beautiful. What a performance. There was a bit of a murmur of appreciation going through the audience when he appeared for his solo as part of Extracts from Etudes last Sunday (not something that I’ve come across in the past three years for anyone else during Extracts from Etudes). Lots and lots of appreciation for him yesterday at the curtain calls for Extracts from The Creation, he received a massive ovation, and I guess I’ve seen curtain calls for company dancers that didn’t come with as much of an ovation as that for Gabriel Figueredo yesterday. I feel so incredibly lucky to see him join the company next season. As every year, the performance closed with Extracts from Etudes by the school’s Director, Tadeusz Matacz, bringing on stage students of all age groups. Standouts in terms of dancers for this year were – no surprise – Gabriel Figueredo and Motomi Kiyota, it was a pleasure following them through the years since I first saw them in 2016, Alexander Smith with his performances in both Air! & Extracts from The Creation as well as Irene Yang and Danil Zinovyev, both with 2 more years to go until graduation, and already performing with the Academy/ Upper School in soloist roles (Irene Yang in the Glinka PdT, full of delicacy and poetry; Danil Zinovyev in Air! – both assured and dancing without any discernible difference in terms of technical skills in my - non-expert - eyes). There was one very clear standout in terms of choreography with Tabitha Dombroski, another graduating student, who contributed 3 (!) works to this year’s annual performances – Test Run, Meditative State and Cut the World. Test Run, a large-scale work for students of classes 5 and 6 (the two most senior years of the Lower School) – soft flowing contemporary movements with a classical basis and some acro here and there (cartwheels/ walkovers); Meditative State for two male dancers of the Academy/ Upper School – a recorded voice provides guidance with regards to entering such meditative state followed by music and some more voice/ music, I’ve taken the choreography as depicting what happens within someone who is in the process of entering said state; Cut the World to music by Anthony and the Johnsons, a solo for another graduating student who is wondering “when will [he] turn and cut the world”. Wow, what a choreographic talent, three works, three different styles, number of dancers, musical choices, all soft, fluid, contemplative, the kind of contemporary that I like most. Sonia Santiago, who hosted also this event in the park, interviewed her during the interval, and Tabitha Dombroski explained that it had been her contemporary teacher back in New Zealand who encouraged her to start choreographing, that her application by video to the John Cranko School came with a video of one of her choreographies, and that she has already created 10 works on graduating students that have since been performed in a number of countries around the world, including competitions. I do hope to see her back in Stuttgart soon, maybe as part of the Young Choreographer’s Evenings and/ or the annual school performance next year. The programme booklet lists the companies that the graduates have engagements with, without providing a breakdown by student or stating which of these are apprentice/ corps etc. contracts. This year’s graduates join Stuttgart Ballet (Gabriel Figueredo - corps de ballet, 5 other students as apprentice), Ballet Dortmund (googling the graduate’s names, I found 2 of them with Dortmund), The Hungarian National Ballet (3), The Estonian National Ballet, Northern Ballet (I’ve seen from a post about Northern Ballet on the forum that this is Alessandra Bramante), The Royal Ballet Fehervar and The Czech National Ballet. In addition to the contracts mentioned in the programme book, Tabitha Dombroski mentioned during the interview with Sonia Santiago that she had a contract with a company in Switzerland and a number of (choreographic?) projects lined up.

Shades of White was back for two more performances. I saw Saturday’s performance as part of Ballet in the Park, which took place for the 13th time. In complete contrast to last year when I got thoroughly drenched, the weather was brilliant; it was warm, dry and slightly overcast hence no risk of sunburn. In addition to being free of charge, the audience in the park benefitted – as usual - from interviews with some of those involved in the performance. Tamas Detrich reflected on his first season as Artistic Director, which he had chosen to start with Shades of White before moving on to more modern works later in the season, this as a clear statement that Stuttgart Ballet is a classical company that looks into the future. Sonia Santiago, former Principal with the company and seasoned host of the events in the park, explained the structure and production of a practice tutu. Angelina Zuccarini, Soloist with the company, was interviewed about pointe shoes. The live screening came with 11 cameras in the Opera House, including from above the stage, allowing the audience in the park to see the various choreographic patterns for the dancers. Concerto for Flute and Harp had the camera often show the full cast and zoom in on individuals for their solos. I guess this is a work that I prefer to see from within the building as this allows me to make my own choice as to who I focus on from among the corps. The close ups were great, however, to show the dancer’s smiles. Contrary to expectation, I enjoyed The Kingdom of the Shades more than at the end of last year, and I found that this work really benefitted from full-stage views. I found Elisa Badenes and Adhonay Soares da Silva technically and artistically well matched as the two leads, and Soares da Silva performed a round of double tours en l’air that looked rather effortless in my (non-expert) view. Diana Ionescu, who has just been promoted to demi soloist for the start of next season, was very much fleet of foot in the first variation. The shades passed the wobble test with flying colours. I am still not overly keen on the work but, all in all, liked it more than the first time round. Symphony in C just fabulous, I was still humming the music the following morning, and I think this work is now becoming one of those that I’d like to see more often. Too much white tutu, a question that I had asked myself earlier in the season. Yes, I think, a little, or maybe this is just down to me having seen lots of contemporary work over the last month.

World premiere of Akram Khan’s new work Outwitting the Devil on Saturday night. I had bought a ticket for Sunday, was then approached by a friend with a spare ticket for Saturday, and so had the privilege of seeing this extraordinary work twice. Outwitting the Devil took its inspiration from a fragment of the Epic of Gilgamesh and comes with a cast of six dancers. Gilgamesh is performed by two dancers – young Gilgamesh who domesticates and enters into a friendship with Enkidu, their killing of Humbaba, guardian of the Cedar Forest and the destruction of said forest, and old Gilgamesh who is haunted by the memories of his actions when he was younger. One dancer represents the Cedar Forest/ the creatures therein, another one a goddess-like person who turns her anger towards Gilgamesh over what he did. Choreography and sound design depict the domestication of Enkidu beautifully – a recorded voice reads aloud the names of a number of animals that live in the forest (tiger, panther, falcon, elephant, frog, spider, owl, etc.), and Enkidu, still the creature of the forest, performs shapes that represent these animals. Young Gilgamesh gets closer, Enkidu evades but is finally caught (assertion of power over someone throughout the piece through holding someone tight by gripping their ankle or pushing their head down). The voiceover then turns to saying the word “man” a number of times and with increasing speed. He is laid away by young Gilgamesh … he has become domesticated. They travel to the Cedar Forest and encounter Humbaba who is guardian of the forest. His attempts to protect the forest ultimately fail and he is killed (the neck takes prominence). Events turn against young Gilgamesh - the goddess is angry, some more voiceover of names of animals, and Enkidu is killed, too (the neck takes prominence again). Old Gilgamesh is on stage at the same time as all these events are shown – he is reliving his memories, and he is haunted by them. Haunting is shown through a variety of means. At the start, he is cradling a flab of stone or baked clay in the shape of a tree/ person. He stands/ moves in the midst of the other dancers or watches from the side. He is scared, frightened, his hands protecting his head, cowering on the floor, retreating to the side of the stage, he moves tentatively, his upper body bent forward, his facial expression matching his body language. A flab of stone/ baked clay is put on his shoulders at the very end, which I’ve taken as him carrying the burden of his past activities also going forward. In a very strong cast that was well matched to the roles (e.g., young Gilgamesh tall and strong, old Gilgamesh smaller and older, the goddess tall and imposing, the forest slender and hugely expressive), I found Dominique Petit in the role of old Gilgamesh phenomenal – his acting, his body language, his facial expressions those of a frail elderly man who is continuously haunted by his memories. Audio, set and lighting were well suited, too. The music gloomy & threatening, the sound of an axe, recordings of extracts of the tablet that was the basis for this work (right at the start: old Gilgamesh having the same dream night after night, showing him with an axe, unaware of what he would turn into in old age; towards the end: his confession, him remembering their cries, their open mouths when he destroyed the forest), the set in grey throughout with flabs of stone or baked clay on all three sides of the stage, the lighting in line with that gloomy atmosphere while ensuring that there was sufficient light to see what was happening on stage. The 80 minutes that the work takes flew by, it didn’t feel half as long, such was the power of the story that was told (dramaturg: Ruth Little), the performance by the dancers, the music as well as the visual and lighting design. I think the piece is special to me because it all came together as one. I guess it’s the kind of work that takes time to take it all in, and so the applause started relatively slowly but then turned into immense cheers, standing ovation, foot stamping, rhythmic clapping; the audience didn’t want to let go. Fabulous post-show talk on Sunday with Akram Khan, too. He came across as incredibly humble, thoughtful and open. Very happy to have had the chance to be there for both nights. Trailer on the public Facebook site of the Festival https://www.facebook.com/coloursdancefestival/?fref=mentions&__tn__=K-R List of dancers on Akram Khan’s company public Instagram account https://www.instagram.com/p/Bzxp5-lDhGi/

Ballet BC at the Theaterhaus last night for a triple bill with works by Sharon Eyal, Emily Molnar and Crystal Pite. Sharon Eyal: Bedroom Folk. No bed in sight for the bedroom folk but the back of the stage (in a warm orange glow) and the costumes (black leotards with flesh-coloured shoulder areas that made them look strapless for the women & black men’s high-waist tights with shoulder straps) made me think of a stylish bedroom-like environment. The music by Ori Lichtik electronic with thumping sounds, keyboards, fast, continuous, relentless. The dancing follows suit, fast, continuous, relentless. I found two aspects of the choreography fascinating - how the movements followed the speed/ drive of the music and how tiny variations in the size and direction of dancer’s steps created ever-changing patterns on stage. An equal number of female and male dancers standing close together, performing fast tiny steps almost on the spot, just a little bit on demi pointe, knees slightly bent, their upper body and arms performing a variety movements in unison. Small variations in these steps and their directions, and suddenly the dancers are in a single line next to each other. Some more tiny variations, and men and women face each other in that line, their movements mirroring each other. Even more tiny variations, and the single line changes into three lines of dancers or into a semi-circle. Back into a group, everyone in a deep grand plie this time, and some more variations … and all this while continuously performing said tiny steps and various movements with their upper bodies and arms. Individuals emerge with short solos and they get back into the group. Halfway through the piece, a black curtain at the back closes, lighting changes to a wide circular shaft of light within which the dancers move. One dancer is isolated in the centre and integrated back into the group. Back to orange glow for the stage and movements similar those at the start. The piece ends with an endless series of small degages to either side, dancers again standing very close to each other. I loved the choreography, fitting the music so well and admired the dancer’s coordination throughout the piece, making the changes in pattern look completely effortless. The audience reacted with lots of whistling and exuberant cheers, foot stamping in the row I was in and rhythmic clapping. Emily Molnar: To This Day. Dancers in a variety of block colours, everyone dressed differently. The music (Jimi Hendrix, Booker T. Jones Jr.) influences the movements – lots of sliding across the stage, some rolling on the floor, lots of body twisting. In complete contrast to the first piece, the majority of dancing is done in solos. More often than not, even if a number of dancers are on stage at the same time, each dancer has their own choreography. There was a funny part towards the end of the piece – a male dancer moves rather frantically and drops to the floor in happy surprise when he realises that a female dancer has been watching him. He gets back up quickly and continues his moves. In doing so, he gets closer but does not have the courage to start interacting with her and withdraws in sadness. She then takes the initiative and makes contact. This work was less my cup of tea than the first piece in terms of choreography and music but as the curtain calls went on, an increasing number of audience members showed their appreciation through a standing ovation. The aspect that I have taken away though (my own reading, I don't know whether this was intended by Molnar or not) is the singularity of every individual – they are all dressed differently, they move differently and at different times – everyone is special and unique in this world. Crystal Pite: Solo Echo. Change in atmosphere again. Poetic, melancholic, calm. Set to 2 Cello Sonatas by Brahms and inspired by the poem Lines for Winter by Mark Strand. Dancers in black clothes. Snow is falling on stage throughout the piece (there were actual small white particles falling from the top onto the stage). The first half of this work with several PDD, quiet passion, longing, yearning, togetherness, loving. The second half then turns to a different kind of longing – that following loss through (again, my reading) death. A male dancer drops to the floor, he is lifted high as in a funeral procession and laid down on the floor. A female dancer is lifted up and lowered down to him, she reaching out with both hands towards him and yet not reaching him. This motif of a women lifted and lowered down to a man lying on the floor is repeated later on. The group falls apart, there is some aggression emerging, they get back together again, more yearning (beautiful wave-live ripples through a single line of dancers here). All male dancers lie on the floor, a female dancer looks after each of them, and they start to move again. Yearning turning to acceptance as towards the end of Strand’s poem? I found this piece and Strand's poem utterly moving and thought-provoking through its melancholic atmosphere. Full standing ovation as far as I could see. Now looking forward to Akram Khan’s Outwitting the Devil at the weekend.

Thank so much, Sim. If you are able to travel to Stuttgart (flight connections are fine) and chosen the date of the performance, feel free to message me, with a bit of luck I'll be there, too - it'd be wonderful to say hello and express my thanks for the forum in person.

Back at the Theaterhaus last night for Maguy Marin’s May B. This was unlike anything that I’d ever seen before, magnificent, deeply moving and unique. I was devouring reviews of previous performances on the way back home and came across a review by Judith Mackrell of a performance in Enniskillen in 2015 https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2015/jul/28/maguy-marin-may-b-review-beckett. Her article describes far better than I’d ever be able to do the events/ atmosphere on stage and the precise links to specific works by Samuel Beckett. A community in isolation, searching and waiting for something that is unknown and that will not come, carrying the few belongings that they have left in small old suitcases or bags. The stained worn old outer clothes that they put on towards to the end makes it clear that they have been in this situation for a considerable period of time. The individuals are at times isolated within and, at other times, consoling each other & making the best out of the situation. The change in music was telling to depict these changes. An extract from Schubert’s Winterreise at the start (Leiermann/ Hurdy-Gurdy Man - everyone shuffling along), the community finding a brief relief within their apocalyptic environment every time marching music starts to play, another extract from Schubert’s Winterreise at the very end (about the love of someone who has left or disappeared - a sole and lonely man on stage), and in particular Gavin Bryar’s song Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet which was played in a loop for the best of 20 minutes towards the end (shuffling along, carrying their few belongings, wearing their stained worn outer clothes, and after every time the group exits the stage, a diminishing number of them returns … until just said sole and lonely man is the last remaining person). Kudos to the stamina of the performers, staying in character throughout (and there is precious little time for them off stage) and including the curtain calls e.g. a women who had one of her shoulders pulled up to her ear from start to finish, another one who was standing, shuffling, etc. with her upper body bent forward throughout the performance. It may be because it’s only been a few days since I saw Crystal Pite’s Flight Pattern, but I see both groups in a similar situation – isolated and with no way out, the individuals at times consoling each other but without much effect, bound together as a group, moving along with nowhere to go. As the sole and lonely man stated at the end: Fini, c’est fini, ca va finir, ca va peut-etre finir. Magnificent, deeply moving and unique. Very different but definitely very high up in my list of highs this season. In relation to other performances @ Ian Macmillan – thank you so much for the link yesterday to the review on Seeing Dance of Stephen Shropshire’s We Are Nowhere Else But Here – I had this piece on my shortlist and ultimately went for Stuttgart Ballet’s triple bill Breath-taking that evening. @ Sabine0308, coming back to your earlier post – I had a look through the programme schedule, not everything is sold out at the moment so you may be lucky if you are able to travel to Stuttgart at short notice. If you are specifically looking at Gauthier Dance, there’ll be further performances of Classy Classics in October (cf. the Theaterhaus web site rather than that of the current festival).

Thanks so much, bridiem and Jan. @ bridiem - Kaash has also been performed by the Royal Ballet of Flanders. There is a note in the programme book that the work was adapted/ extended for the Belgium company in 2017 (to account for the higher number of dancers I think) and that Akram Khan was planning further adaptations of the piece for Stuttgart Ballet. I haven't seen Kaash with either Khan's company or the Royal Ballet of Flanders so can't tell how much has changed. In terms of dancing style, are you able to tell from the brief extract in the preview in the link above whether there are any differences in style (or is the extract just too short to tell?)? @ Jan - there'll be further performances of this triple bill next season https://www.stuttgart-ballet.de/schedule/calendar/2019-07/breath-taking/51/ There was a direct flight from Manchester to Stuttgart a few years ago, not sure whether this still exists. From my own experience when I was living in Merseyside, travelling to Stuttgart wasn't particularly straightforward.

Gauthier Dance on Saturday night at the Colours International Dance Festival, the Royal Ballet on Sunday afternoon in a cinema broadcast, and to start the weekend, Stuttgart Ballet in a new triple bill “Breath-taking” last Friday evening (ballet & dance events like busses … a bit of a wait followed by three at once?) with works by Itzik Galili, Johan Inger and Akram Khan. Itzik Galili: Hikarizatto was created for the company in 2004. Galili was inspired by the movement of people that he saw when he was in Tokyo – lots of fast movements within constrained spaces and with a mix of light and shadow. The piece thus comes with striking light design that makes the stage resemble a chess board. The dancers perform within light shafts, and when they quickly move to another imagined square on the stage, the light moves there within a split second, too. The remainder of the stage is dark as night. Sometimes the appearance of a new light shaft drives the change of the dancer’s positions on stage whereas at other times, the dancers moving across the stage will drive where the light will go to next. Initially just one female, then one male dancer, followed by several female/ male duos and groups of male & female dancers, further solos, etc. Dancing comes with e.g., female dancers on pointe, high extensions, balances and wriggling bodies in PDDs as well as some group sections that reminded me of some simple centre exercises. All this to fast percussion music, requiring meticulous timing and coordination between musicians, dancers and light technicians. Rhythmic, pulsating, break taking, wow. The ovations didn’t seem to end for this first piece of the evening, even the musicians applauded the dancers, and the light design with its shifting light shafts continued for the curtain calls. Johan Inger: Out of Breath, an addition to the company’s repertoire, and quite a change in atmosphere from Hikarizatto. This piece took its inspiration from the medical complications that occurred during the birth of a child of Johan Inger. And so the centre piece on stage is a curved wall that symbolises the edge between life and death/ that represents life’s challenges and struggles. Even though this is an abstract piece, aspects of events and relationships can be seen. Female dancers in ballet flats now. Some dancers on stage are on their own. A female dancer runs around the wall a number of times until she is held up by a male dancer. There’s a couple that is in a quite passionate state of their relationship. A male dancer tries hard several times to climb the wall and fails every time. The piece ends as a male dancer helps a female dancer reach the top of the wall – has she reached her aim, or is she now truly at the edge of things? This piece was received enthusiastically, too, and in particular the solo violinist received massive ovations. Akram Khan: Kaash, another addition to the company’s repertoire, making Stuttgart Ballet the first company in Germany that performs a work by Akram Khan. The percussion music is played live, supplemented by recorded samples of syllables. Movements switch between fast and slow and between edgy and soft (e.g., arms shaping a flower). Repeatedly lunges to the side with arms swinging from side to side, turns in parallel. Dancers are barefoot and wear long wide black skirts over black trousers, male dancers with bare torsos. At the start, Friedemann Vogel stands still, his back facing the audience, in the midst of the dancers, before he joins in. The work ends with a prolonged solo in complete silence by Vogel. His back is again towards the audience, and he twists and turns his fingers, arms, shoulders, upper body in all possible directions. Statuesque and, it seemed, making every single muscle fibre visible as and when these were activated by his ever-changing twists and turns. Statuesque and spectacular, the whole piece inducing a trance-like atmosphere. Great dancing, superb music played live. Luckily, this programme will feature next season, too. Much looking forward to seeing this triple bill again (just wondering currently how many performances I might look to attend). A preview with extracts of the three works here https://www.ardmediathek.de/ard/player/Y3JpZDovL3N3ci5kZS9hZXgvbzExMzE0MjA/

Yes, lots of interactive events e.g., dance workshops in the city centre, dance with kids in the zoo, ... The festival takes place every 2 years but the local presence of both Gauthier Dance and Stuttgart Ballet makes a visit worthwhile any time 🙂

Colours International Dance Festival is back in town. After a number of outdoor and interactive events, performances at the Theaterhaus in Stuttgart kicked off last Thursday. Full programme until 14 July here https://www.coloursdancefestival.com/en.html I saw Gauthier Dance in a quadruple bill “Classy Classics” on Saturday, consisting of the following works. Cayetano Soto: Malasangre. Jazzy, funky movements for 5 male and 2 female dancers in varying combinations (all male dancers, all female dancers, pairs, some, all) to Latin Soul music by Cuban singer La Lupe. The men dressed in knee-length skirts and knee-length black socks, the women in flesh-coloured tops and pants and also knee-length black socks. Rhythmic steps, arms stretched out wide, hip shaking. This was fast, energetic, electrifying. William Forsythe: Herman Schmerman Duet. This was the 2nd time that I saw this work, and I got a lot more out of it in terms of deconstruction than the 1st time, with the first part of the piece being closer to classical technique, and moving away a lot further once the dancers wear skirts. Marco Goecke: Aeffi. I love this piece more and more each time I see it. There is so much to discover, and I finally realised that the movements follow the tone and focus of each of the three songs by Jonny Cash. Stunning performance by Theophilus Vesely, and very happy to have seen this piece again. Eric Gauthier: Orchestra of Wolves. This was fun. A conductor’s (a chicken in a black suit) failed attempt to control an orchestra (a number of wolves in black suits). The players sit on desk chairs and initially follow the conductor. As the music progresses, they move closer around him and discuss how they can overpower him, and one of the wolves rubs his (own) tummy as indication that he’s looking forward to a delicious meal. The conductor still just about manages to keep things in order but increasingly, the players do what they want. The conductor flees, returns and briefly gets back in control; he chases off one of the players who then attacks and overpowers the conductor. The piece ends with the wolves plucking the chicken. Ohad Naharin: Decadance. I’d only seen Minus16 by Naharin before so couldn’t tell which of his works the extracts shown had been taken from. A presenter walked on stage and welcomed the audience, asked that mobile phones be switched off, etc. He later came back on stage and asked the audience to stand up. With each question that he read aloud, those who were able to answer the question in the affirmative were invited to sit down. After a few questions, all those who remained standing were invited to sit down, and those whose birthday it was on the day were asked to stand up. This person was invited to come on stage for a short interaction with two dancers (and the woman whose birthday it was did this admiringly well). Later on, a couple in red harem pants went through a mating ritual. Dancers walked to the front of the stage and performed specific movements e.g., falling down and getting up again, certain jumps, etc.- initially replicating the movement of the previous dancer whereas later on, each performed their own movements. Bearing in mind the presenter at the start and in the middle of this piece, this work was like a mini show of its own within the quadruple programme. It was bizarre and it was good to have seen it. The tags for Maguy Marin, Ballet BC and Akram Khan reflect the other companies that I am hoping to see during the festival. Fingers crossed things will work out as expected as two years ago, I had a ticket for Shechter’s Grand Finale, wasn’t able to attend and haven’t been able to see it since.