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The Trocks - Spring Tour 2013


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The Trocks arrived at the Lowry last night with a hilarious evening of serious ballet!

 

The evening had all the features we have come to expect from The Trocks including the pre-performance announcement of what we were going to see.  My one niggle is that cast sheets weren't available so we couldn't easily identify the dancers despite the variety of photographs of them in the programme.

 

So we started the evening with a hilarious rendition of Les Sylphides.  The onstage squabbles between the leading and corps Sylphs causing howls of laughter from the audience.  In amongst all the jokes we did see some excellent dancing.

 

After the interval we were treated to a terrific performance of Black Swan PDD.  There were some jokes but basically the dancing outshone them.  Odile's fouettes were scintillating and so well spotted.  Seigfried was the only other dancer I have seen doing Chi Cao's party trick of double tours in alternating directions.  Bravo to both these dancers - I'm only sorry I can't name them.

 

Then La Vivandiere which was absolutely gorgeous.  Yes, the little jokes were there but again much fine dancing to admire.

 

This second part of the evening ended with Dying Swan - what can I say!

 

The evening ended with the hugely entertaining and highly camp Walpurgis Night.  I loved the faun costumes with the horns - all adding to the fun.

 

If you wanted an evening full of laughter and some great dancing - go see The Trocks!

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Lucky you Janet- Ive seen the Trocks do all the pieces you've described and they really are worth seeing! I'm gutted that it doesn't look as if I'm going to get to see them this tour.

 

But I would encourage anyone who can go to do so!

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I too saw the Trocks last night and, humour aside, the dancing really was of the highest quality and as Janet says the Black Swan PDD was probably the stand out piece - the 32 fouettes were probably amongst, if not the best I have ever seen, rock solid, no cheating eeking out extra spins without whipping the leg, these were 32 proper fouettes and solid landing at the end no slips trips of falls.  Odile was danced by "Yakatarina Verbosovich" aka Chase Johnsey and he was just fabulous. "Lariska Dumbchenko" (Rafaelle Morra) danced the lead in Vivandiere and was also Odette in the Black Swan PDD.

At the Q&A after the performance those that stayed behind commented on just how high the standard of dance was.  We were also informed that the youngest dancer is just 18 and oldest is 52, this being Paul Gishelin (Ida Nevasayneva) who danced his speciality The Dying Swan with his usual skill and hilarity.  Robert Carter (Olga Supphozova) danced the main female role in the Walpurgis Nacht and despite a fall (not actually part of the routine we were told) carried on regardless.  The Company will be 40 next year and Artistic Director (and ex dancer) Tory Dobrin said they never thought that the Company would last that long.  Bravo to The Trocks come back soon.

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My one niggle is that cast sheets weren't available so we couldn't easily identify the dancers despite the variety of photographs of them in the programme.

 

I'm not sure the Trocks usually do cast sheets: I've seen one once, but I think it was one provided by the press office.  General casting are usually in the programme, and then they announce the changes.

 

 

Seigfried was the only other dancer I have seen doing Chi Cao's party trick of double tours in alternating directions. 

 

I've been meaning to ask, how common are the double tours en l'air?  I saw footage of one dancer doing them on YT, and didn't remember having seen them like that before.

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Alison, yes the casting is in the programme but when they announce the changes it's as clear as mud with the Russian accent spoken quickly!  I was sat next to someone who did have a press cast sheet.  I wonder if they are available on request to those of us who are interested?

 

Re the double tours, the only other dancer I have seen do such a long series was Joe Caley (also in Paquita).  He did 8 but all in the same direction as opposed to the 8 Chi did in alternating directions.  I must have a look at youtube!

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