BALLET 422 broadcast on Sky Arts ...

[Bruce Wall]

I've only just realised that the documentary BALLET 422, which charts the now celebrated choreographer Justin Peck working on the 422nd commission of a new work for NYCB, was broadcast on Sky Arts on 28th October at 9.00 pm.  It will be repeated on Saturday, 31st October at 8.00 am on Sky Arts and is available through that same source to download and watch.  You can see a trailer here.  

[zxDaveM]

Thanks for the heads up Bruce

[Douglas Allen]

I caught this programme yesterday. I intended to watch it unless the Liverpool v Bournemouth game was particularly good. It wasn't, with a predictably bland and stereotypical commentary, so I switched to Sky Arts for the film which, alas, I thought to be also somewhat bland and superficial. It was nicely shot with an interesting use of deep focus but it neither informed me about Peck's motivation or ideas nor did it convey any clear impression of what the completed ballet looked like. It was all bits and pieces and somewhat incoherent to boot. The process of the creation of a ballet was better conveyed, but the motivation and the ideas were not. Simply to observe without commentary is inadequate for comprehension unless the editing process is sufficiently sophisticated.

 

It looked beautiful, though, with lots of nicely composed shots. It was also good to see Albert Evans in action during the rehearsals - a brief, but touching, reminder. 

[barton22]

I caught this programme yesterday. I intended to watch it unless the Liverpool v Bournemouth game was particularly good. It wasn't, with a predictably bland and stereotypical commentary, so I switched to Sky Arts for the film which, alas, I thought to be also somewhat bland and superficial. It was nicely shot with an interesting use of deep focus but it neither informed me about Peck's motivation or ideas nor did it convey any clear impression of what the completed ballet looked like. It was all bits and pieces and somewhat incoherent to boot. The process of the creation of a ballet was better conveyed, but the motivation and the ideas were not. Simply to observe without commentary is inadequate for comprehension unless the editing process is sufficiently sophisticated.

 

It looked beautiful, though, with lots of nicely composed shots. It was also good to see Albert Evans in action during the rehearsals - a brief, but touching, reminder. 

I agree it is disappointingly bland and could easily have been so much better.  I got a dvd copy from the US a while ago.  I'd say it is worth watching but just don't expect too much!

[jmhopton]

Tomorrow morning at 9.35 there is an hour long South Bank repeat on SkyArts about the development of modern male ballet dancing starring Carlos Acosta and Ed Watson. it follows Metamorphosis and is followed by the NYCB Ballet 422 that was shown last week.

[alison]

Darn   (That's the insectoid Metamorphosis, not the Titian project, yes?)