Northern Ballet - Made in Leeds: 3 short ballets - Leeds & London

[Jan McNulty]

Northern Ballet's latest mixed programme opens this coming Saturday (10th September) in Leeds.

 

The company has put out a "behind the scenes" film to whet our appetite.  Mine is definitely whetted!

 

 

[San Perregrino]

advance ticket sales are still poor, here's hoping for everyone involved that bums find their way to the seats when it opens. 

[Jan McNulty]

1 hour ago, PeterS said:

advance ticket sales are still poor, here's hoping for everyone involved that bums find their way to the seats when it opens. 

 

 

I know.  Pre-pandemic the mixed programmes did really well in Northern Ballet's own studio theatre in the HQ at Quarry Hill.  This would have sold out there.

 

Historically Leeds Playhouse bookers book late so hopefully the bookings will pick up.

[zxDaveM]

think it has sold pretty well in the Linbury in November

[Jan McNulty]

I’m happy to report that this mixed programme received an ecstatic reception from a near full house audience.  I hope positive word of mouth reviews improve the ticket sales for next week.

 

 Mthuthuzeli November’s Wailers opened the evening.  It was about a matriarchal society where the matriarch is preparing to hand over to the next in line.  Beautiful and lyrical with some African-style stamping it was poignant, moving and uplifting all at the same time.  Aerys Merrill as the matriarch and Sarah Chun as her successor were outstanding.

 

Stina Quagebeur’s Nostalgia was sublime.  A couple (Minju Kang and Jonathan Hanks) looked as though they were reminiscing in a beautiful, gentle duet.  Were Rachael Gillespie and Gavin McCaig their younger selves?      I just got lost in this piece.

 

Dickson Mbi’s piece Ma Vie was crazy, outlandish, outstandingly good fun.  Based around Casanova it started with a very tall Minju Kang in a rather glorious dress having projections of dancers onto the dress.  As she moved back the small table she had been standing on was revealed and underneath it was Casanova (brilliantly portrayed by Andrew Tomlinson).  Figures in black out suits manipulated him and the table/prison.  Blackout and then all was colour.  I can’t even begin to describe the energetic movements of the cast.  We thought it was over and started enthusiastic applause.  One of the dancers started a rhythmic clap and we all joined in as the virtuosic encore started.  We kept up the clapping and when the curtain finally fell the entire audience was on its feet.

 

This mixed programme had 3 very different, very satisfying works and was magnificent on so many levels.

Congratulations to Northern Ballet on a magnificent start to the season.
 

Roll on next weekend!

[Jan McNulty]

I saw all 3 performances over this last weekend and loved this programme even more.

 

There was an alternative cast for all 3 ballets on Friday evening.  

 

In Wailers Helen Bogatch was fabulous as the Matriarch and the always wonderful Rachael Gillespie was truly outstanding as her successor.  I felt so privileged to be watching her.  The flows and rhythms of this ballet really grab you from the start.   I believe Mthuthuzeli November has created a very special work that I hope will be revived often.  It also struck me at each watching just how poignant and appropriate Wailers has been during this period of national mourning.

 

Abigail Prudames and Joseph Taylor showed all their artistry as the older pair in Stina Quagebeur's Nostalgia.  Saeka Shirai and Jackson Dwyer were very effective as their younger selves.

 

Dickson Mbi's Ma Vie continued to astound.  Matt Topliss is a dancer of singular intelligence and put all his experience into the Casanova character making him think about his actions and lusts whereas Andrew Tomlinson played the role with wild and glorious abandon - both wonderful and very different interpretations.  All the dancers looked as though they were having a ball in this zany and chaotic piece.

 

After 4 performances of this programme I'm feeling a little bereft at having said goodbye to it.  I would love to have gone to The Linbury but (as discussed on other threads) I live on the west coast line and now I can't make a last minute decision to go as all 4 performances at the Linbury are heavily sold with a last few remaining.  I hope everyone who has booked for The Linbury enjoys the programme as much as I have.

 

(PS - I think word of mouth had got round and the three performances I saw at the weekend were returns only.  Apparently the top left and top right blocks had such poor sightlines that after complaints from early in the run they had been taken off sale.)

[Emeralds]

Just to say I’ve spotted 22 tickets left for the Thursday matinee and one or two tickets on each of the evenings (at the time of typing-it might change later on/soon). I’ve managed to get a ticket although timing will be tight for me that day- hopefully I won’t have to miss any of the pieces. The trailer looks really interesting - great idea to have choreographers from different companies with different styles to collaborate with NB’s dancers. Looking forward to it! 

Edited September 20, 2022 by Emeralds

[Jan McNulty]

Northern Ballet recently issued a film of Mthuthuzeli November talking about Wailers to Federico Bonelli.

 

https://northernballet.com/mthuthuzeli-november-on-wailers

[Candleque]

Mthuthuzeli November will also be speaking at the next London Ballet Circle event on Monday — an In Conversation zoom with Christopher Marney.

[bangorballetboy]

Unfortunately, I watched this programme at the Linbury yesterday evening and it was the first time (I think) that I have left a performance by a ballet company thinking that I wished I'd gone to the football instead; mostly due to being brow-beaten by the music.

 

All the pieces were too long for their concept and content.  November's piece had inventive collaboration between the individual characters but the ensemble work didn't really do it for me.   

 

Quagebeur's piece started promisingly and about half-way through I thought it was going places but it became overly repetitive and lost inside its own concept.  A shame as I often enjoy this choreographer's work.

 

Finally, the 40-odd minute piece by Mbi.  Some short bits of choreographic and design invention (I particularly liked the inteeaction with the shadow on the diagonal window) but, on the whole, too much filler for me.

 

I'd sure others will enjoy this programme but it wasn't for me (unfortunately, as I was very much looking forward to it).

 

 

[zxDaveM]

1 hour ago, bangorballetboy said:

I'm sure others will enjoy this programme but it wasn't for me (unfortunately, as I was very much looking forward to it).

 

 

wasn't for me either.

I did quite enjoy Quagebeur's work, once the two became four (and onwards) and the lighting stayed on. The other works that were either side of it had far too much synchronised floor-rolling, stomping, and rolling of shoulders with flailing 'attack' arms (this seems to have been done to death recently), although the first piece wasn't too bad, the tinkling/rattling of the ankle 'bracelets' I found a bit irritating. There were a few moments where my attention grabbed, but not enough to capture my enthusiasm. However, I loathed the final piece, with its over-amped music, and relentless, almost merciless, attack on the audience. Everytime I thought "it can't get worse", it did; everytime I thought "whew, it's ending", it didn't! Seems I'm out of touch on this, as the cheers I heard as I beat a hasty exit at the end seemed enthusiastic. If I remember correctly, this was the choreographer that did something for the 'company' in the Young Dancer of the Year competition - and I didn't like that either, so his popularity baffles me utterly.

I was due to go to a 2nd viewing last night, but just couldn't face the torrential rain, just to see the middle piece. I too had been looking forward to it, making it all the more disappointing

[Ian Macmillan]

Sound as if I'd be badly put off by the backing music ... as I was during that new SAS series on BBC1 on Sunday evening.  I'm sure it's an age thing, but so be it. 

[San Perregrino]

I loved and was moved by Wailers and thought the ankle bracelets inspired as was the use of pointe work to tap out a drum rhythm thence combined with more modern movement  as the piece wove its magic for me.

Nostalgia drew me in too and its narrative was clean and clear without resorting to any gimmicks.

Ma Vie Live had me praying that it would end quickly but it didn’t. Over-amplified music repelling me, everything including the kitchen sink together with  a Haku chant onstage creating a meaningless chaos with any choreography lost in its Bedlamic midst. 
 

as Meatloaf sings “Two out of three ain’t bad”  

Edited November 3, 2022 by PeterS

[LinMM]

I attended this on Tuesday but went to it rather blind with no idea what the pieces were called or who was dancing until I got home. So I was very much reliant on the choreographers communicating what they had intended!  
The first piece was Wailers which I gathered were a special group of people who were calling on the elements to cooperate for their survival with the scenery at the back representing parched Earth? 
When it very first started I thought it was going to be set in India with the main leader of the group wearing the bells starting with some Kathak like foot patterns but soon gathered from the costumes which I very much liked that it was more set in Africa ….though of course the idea of calling on the elements is pretty universal. 
I also thought there might be some sort of initiation ceremony going on with the “younger” dancer …danced with some feeling by Sarah Chun….being chosen to take over the more senior role but not absolutely sure as that didn’t seem to happen in the end. There were moments of high anguish …when presumably the elements were not cooperating…and high moments of joy …when presumably they were! Perhaps there was no way of changing the scenery to show anything other than a parched Earth but as I still haven’t found any information on this piece …the ROH website certainly didn’t provide it….when I hopefully went into “more info” just gave the casting again!! 
I may have got wrong end of the stick about the piece.  
The dancing style was very contemporary but the piece did create and hold a certain atmosphere which just about engaged to the end of the piece. I did notice in the interval that Mthuthuzeli November ..the choreographer… received an enthusiastic reception from a certain ballet legend Monica Mason so he must have felt pretty chuffed about that!!! 
The second piece was probably my favourite if I had known it was called Nostalgia I might have cottoned on the relationship between the first and second couples that the second was the younger version of the first. 
I saw it as a couple not connecting very well who then saw the second couple as being so joyful they wanted to be like them but as they left the first couple were still not happy back into some repetitive type movements then when the second couple returned with a larger group the dancing went into a sort of wild ecstasy of movement almost had a rave like quality about it  ( which must have been exhausting to dance) so all dancers in a sort of trance blend of movement which I enjoyed watching and then ended with the first couple on stage alone but now able to join together in moving with more connection to each other. So again just held my attention to the end. 
I say this as I do find that sometimes less is more …that choreographers especially in the contemporary field can tend to overstate their case somewhat. 
These two pieces were just about the right length. I was pleased to see this second piece was by Stina Quagebeur 

so is producing some varied work. And I have a new favourite dancer in Rachael Gillespie ( dancing in second couple) what a joy she is to watch. 
I did not see the last piece as unfortunately had to leave but friends I was with told me they hated it and couldn’t wait for it to end especially re the sound track so maybe just as well I did on this occasion. But glad I did see the first two anyway and a chance to re acquaint with the Northern Ballet dancers who are a very strong group. 
 

Edited November 3, 2022 by LinMM