Carlos Acosta - "On Before" - July 2021 tour

[CCL]

Apart from travel issues, I was so happy to be able to be at the Lowry last night. The duets (with Laura Rodriguez of Acosta Danza) and solos for both Carlos and Laura formed a narrative framework; all touched me in different ways. Carlos’ solo ‘Two’ with choreography by Russell Maliphant was especially thrilling, the clever lighting making his arms look like lightning. Laura’s solo ‘Footnote to Ashton’ was beautifully staged with dozens of candles and gorgeous music by Handel, which complemented the lyrical, poignant choreography by Kim Brandstrup. Most touching of all was the intimate, reflective duet ‘Nosotros’ by Raul Reinoso and the climactic, elegiac O Magnum Mysterium’, (Acosta and Zenaida Yanowsky) complete with the singing of the Halle choir - a real goosebumps ending. It was wonderful to see Carlos dance again and to see this new partnership, an unforgettable evening.

[Ian Macmillan]

I'm fascinated to hear that Mme Yanowsky has returned to the stage, presumably just a one-off event.  I stand to be corrected here, but do I recall her dancing O Magnum Mysterium as a solo in one of the Carlos and Friends programmes at the Coliseum some 10 years or so ago?

[Jan McNulty]

1 hour ago, Ian Macmillan said:

I'm fascinated to hear that Mme Yanowsky has returned to the stage, presumably just a one-off event.  I stand to be corrected here, but do I recall her dancing O Magnum Mysterium as a solo in one of the Carlos and Friends programmes at the Coliseum some 10 years or so ago?

I don’t think she has returned to the stage Ian - she was credited as co-creator.

[CCL]

Sorry Ian, that should indeed have read ‘created by Carlos Acosta and Zenaida Yanowsky’.  I got carried away in my enthusiasm and should have double-checked for meaning! 

[Ian Macmillan]

Thanks to both.  But it was pleasant to think for a few hours that the magnificent Zen had reappeared on stage!

[ChrisG]

Here’s my report from the front line of this production! 

 

I’ve been a fan of ballet and dance since a Road to Damascus moment watching Boston Ballet in late 2010 and for almost the same length of time I’ve been privileged to be a member of the Hallé Choir.  When an email came on 22nd June from Jo, our choir administrator, asking us if we’d like to be involved in a project with Carlos Acosta at the Lowry it therefore felt like I’d won the lottery! This would be our first performance in front of a paying audience since we sang Beethoven 9 in Nottingham at the end of February 2020, and I obviously immediately said yes.  The invitation obviously came circled with a huge caveat around the risk of further lockdown, so hopes were not totally raised until we were told on 30^th June that yes, the project was on. 

 

We were told to learn Morten Lauridsen’s sublime modern choral classic O Magnum Lauridsen from memory in preparation. For some reason asking a choir to learn music from memory strikes fear into the hardiest of choristers – we seem to like the security of the dots in front of us a little too much.  So it was with a little trepidation that we assembled last Sunday at our rehearsal venue, Hallé St Peter’s, all armed with negative lateral flow test results, for our first (socially distanced) indoor rehearsal since December of last year. Our choral director, Matt Hamilton, is acting as choral director for all of the On Before performances, so had been in Norwich the week before to help get the choir there up to performance standard. He therefore had prior knowledge of what would be required of us and turned out it wasn’t just singing! Anyway, we had a good rehearsal and went home with all the notes (hopefully) lodged in the memory banks.

 

It wasn’t until Tuesday evening, and our technical rehearsal at the Lowry, that our full role in the production became apparent. Producer Stephen and his adept Stage Managers Tom and Emma took us through the various movements that we would have to make during the show, walking backwards and forwards a la Wayne McGregor’s Infra but also creating squares, circles and whirlpools, and at one point looking ominous behind a scrim! Pretty soon the concepts of stage right, stage left, upstage, wings, bays and cue lights became second nature. Carlos and Laura Rodriguez came to the stage to meet us, and Carlos took us through his vision for the piece, how it was intended as a memorial for his late mother and how he wanted us to imagine ourselves as embodying death – no pressure then! 

 

Suitably inspired (Carlos is inspiration personified) we continued our rehearsals and hoped that all our movements would enter our brains via osmosis in the way that they do with proper dancers. However, when we arrived on Wednesday afternoon for the dress rehearsal there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth as we tried desperately to remember what we had been taught the previous evening. After a few runs through though we felt a bit more confident, and the dress rehearsal ran without too many hitches. It was obvious as soon as we saw Carlos and Laura dancing in earnest that this was going to be a memorable performance. Carlos was obviously a known quantity, but I was blown away by what a beautiful dancer Laura is. I’d seen her at Carlos’s Classical Farewell a few years earlier but that was from a distance – seen from the wings she was quite stunning.

 

Come the Wednesday evening performance and we attacked our movements with gusto. We were split into groups for most of the movements and occasionally some groups gained and lost members along the way as people forgot where they were supposed to be, but no-one seemed to notice! We were constantly worried about bumping into each other on the darkened stage or even, heaven forbid, bumping into Carlos or Laura, but thankfully there were no disasters. Our main concern was with the climactic moment of the piece, our singing of O Magnum Mysterium. Logistically it was nightmare. We were split into three groups, one behind the upstage scrim and one in each wing. Neither group could hear each other and we were in contact with conductor Matt only via monitors. Also we had to get our opening notes from out of the ether so certain choir members were delegated to go round with a tuning fork passing the notes on. We sang the first half of the piece in those positions but then we had to turn round and slowly walk on stage, whilst still singing, and gradually move to the front. For those of us in the wings this meant a brief conductorless hiatus before we were able to pick up Matt on the TV monitors at the front of the circle. For the last few bars, by which time we were in the musical groove, we turned round and followed Laura upstage and crowded round her as the curtain fell. It went well, but we knew we could do better on the second night. This was after all our first time properly singing together in close proximity for 18 months.

 

And we did do better the second night. We were moving around the stage like seasoned pros (though I do remember standing on somebody’s toes at one point) and our singing went to another level. I was able to properly watch the dancing on the second night, and On Before really is a wonderful piece. And watching performers like Carlos and Laura from the wings is a revelatory experience – it feels like you’re eavesdropping on something deeply personal. My personal favourite moments were probably the calm strength of Carlos’s slow-motion solo, choreographed by Russell Maliphant, that closed the first half, Kim Brandstrup’s Footnote to Ashton, beautifully danced by Laura within a square of lit candles, and the duet Nostroros, specially created for Carlos and Laura for this revival by Acosta Danza dancer and choreographer Raul Reinoso. I’m sure the final duet between Carlos and Laura was also stunning, but we were too busy singing and moving to properly watch! This was the section originally choreographed by Carlos with Zenaida Yanowsky, and even though she was not there dancing it was obvious from the rehearsal pictures in the programme that she was very much involved with putting the revival together.

 

The last night ended with rapturous applause from the audience and a further inspirational speech from Carlos after the curtain fell. He told us how he’s never sure whether if a show like this is going to be his last but that he never feels more alive than after such a show.  So after loud mutual congratulations it was off into the muggy Salford night armed with a signed programme and some memories that will last a long time. I know a lot of choir members have been converted to dance over the last few days. 

[CCL]

Thank you so much Chris for your report from the frontline! I had so many things I wanted to know about the involvement of the choir and how it felt to be a part of this beautiful production- and you have answered all of my unspoken questions! How lucky you all were to be so intimately involved! And from an audience point of view - the singing was hauntingly beautiful. I only wish that I could have been there on Thursday too. Thanks again!

[ChrisG]

5 minutes ago, CCL said:

Thanks again

Thank you so much - I have to say the last two days been two of the best in my life!

[Ian Macmillan]

Chris, as a fellow chorister further south, a huge Well Done to you all, meeting demands that were very much out of the normal choral comfort zone in so many ways.  

[ChrisG]

We've just received this official memento of our unforgettable few days last week with Carlos and Laura!

 

[Jan McNulty]

I'm a bit late reporting back but I've got to say that I was bowled over by this performance!

 

Huge thanks to Chris G for his wonderful report of being a participant in the show, I absolutely loved reading about your experience.

 

So I wasn't sure what to expect of this show and being full of heat ennui I nearly didn't go - what decided me was a 45 minute drive to get to The Lowry with the air con full on!  I am so very glad I made the effort.  I bought the attractive programme (how wonderful to have a real programme to glance through) and was somewhat surprised that the dancers were Carlos Acosta and Laura Rodriguez full stop! 

 

The programme with 9 short works by 9 choreographers was linked together by the Halle Choir walking across the stage (or occasionally swirling across) to almost provide curtains while CA and LR changed costumes and positions.  It was a genius way of linking the programme together.

 

The dancers did not really travel around the stage in this work it was more fluidly moving in small squares of light either together or in solos.  The whole performance had a melancholy, otherworldly feel to me and I found it moving.

 

My highlights were Will Tuckett's On Before, Russell Maliphant's Two, Kim Brandstrup's Footnote to Ashton (Laura Rodriguez absolutely gorgeous in a huge display of candles) and the absolute highlight O Magnum Mysterium.

 

The work is an homage to Acosta's mother and perhaps the final piece shows her approaching death.  I cannot begin to tell you how incredibly moving I found this piece.  The Halle Choir was finally given its utterly magnificent voice and sent shivers tingling down my spine.  Laura Rodriguez made a stately progress through the choir towards the back of the stage as Acosta sat on a stool moving his arms a little before bowing his head into his hands.  The lady next to me and I (as well as many of the audience I am sure) had tears dripping down our faces.

 

Yes the performance had an air of melancholy but it was ultimately uplifting and I am so glad I was there to see it.

 

On Before is on in Southampton and Canterbury next week.  Get there if you can!

 

 

[Ian Macmillan]

I've been unable to find the programme for the Acosta+ programme at the Coliseum years ago, in which (back up the thread) I recalled Zenaida Yanowsky dancing to the Lauridsen O Magnum Mysterium.  A spot of googling indicates that it was in a programme entitled 'Premieres Plus' in July 2011 (ie still in the ballet.co era) and that it was a duet of sorts, not a solo for Zen, with the Pegasus Choir doing the honours in London.  So I'd imagine that the version at The Lowry is a revisiting of that.   My mind is now at rest!

[bridiem]

On 23/07/2021 at 12:05, ChrisG said:

Thank you so much - I have to say the last two days been two of the best in my life!

 

It sounds amazing, Chris! I am a former choral singer but the mere thought of moving as well as singing (or indeed singing without a score) fills me with horror! It must have been an incredible experience and thank you so much for writing about it so vividly.

[Pas de Quatre]

Saw this at the Mayflower in Southampton last night. Very moving, and the use of the chorus around the stage was very effective. It reminded me of Jerome Robbins Glass Pieces when they were all crossing the stage - which I have always felt must have influenced Infra. 

 

My companion and I had been slightly worried whether Carlos Acosta would still have the technique and the magic, he certainly does.  Laura Rodriguez is also truly amazing.

 

My only reservations were the excessive use of black box lighting with down spot whether circles, squares or oblongs. When the costumes were black it was sometimes hard to see the dancers.  Also strong light shined directly at the audience simply hurts the back of my eyes - am I the only person who suffers this? At the end I simply had to close my eyes and peep occasionally to see if anything was happening. Luckily it was the chorus coming downstage so I could close just enjoy their singing.

[Jan McNulty]

1 hour ago, Pas de Quatre said:

My only reservations were the excessive use of black box lighting with down spot whether circles, squares or oblongs. When the costumes were black it was sometimes hard to see the dancers.  Also strong light shined directly at the audience simply hurts the back of my eyes - am I the only person who suffers this? At the end I simply had to close my eyes and peep occasionally to see if anything was happening. Luckily it was the chorus coming downstage so I could close just enjoy their singing.

 

I don't like light shining out into the audience either as it hurts my eyes but I don't remember the light shining out directly at the audience at the Lowry, perhaps it was angled slightly differently in Southampton? 

[Pas de Quatre]

I was sitting in the Rear Dress Circle - up and away from the stage.  During O Magnum Mysterium there was a bank of square strong lights across the back of the stage at floor level.  They were slightly red and made me think of infra red heating e.g. in pub gardens!  They seemed to vary in intensity and became painful for the eyes at times.  However, towards the end there was a central spot at the back at floor level which was very strong.  With the rest of the stage so dark it felt like driving down an unlit country road with an approaching car with headlights on full beam.

 

 

[Jan McNulty]

I was mid-stalls PdQ so may not have noticed the effect so much.  It is bad though when the lighting facing out into the audience is so strong.

[alison]

6 hours ago, Pas de Quatre said:

Also strong light shined directly at the audience simply hurts the back of my eyes - am I the only person who suffers this?

 

Absolutely not.  I not infrequently complain about it, as it tends to trigger my migraines.  I've lost count of the number of dance works where I've had to sit there with my eyes shut because of it.  The worst one was an Alvin Ailey company number I saw (or rather didn't see) which, to judge by the audience reaction, was absolutely stunning.

[Rachel H]

4 hours ago, alison said:

 

Absolutely not.  I not infrequently complain about it, as it tends to trigger my migraines.  I've lost count of the number of dance works where I've had to sit there with my eyes shut because of it.  The worst one was an Alvin Ailey company number I saw (or rather didn't see) which, to judge by the audience reaction, was absolutely stunning.

As someone who also gets migraines, I have the same issue with 'Infra' and that pixelated walkway. I have come out of that piece feeling distinctly nauseous, so I tend to sit 'Infra' out when it is programmed.

[alison]

That's interesting: I've never had that problem with Infra.  I don't think the light is the sort of brightness which tends to affect me.  Oh well, I guess we're all different.