English National Ballet: Lest We Forget, April 2014

[MAB]

Very interesting reading today's critics on Today's Links today.  All of them give the programme good to great reviews....whereas Mr Crisp seems to have got out of bed on the wrong side yesterday and, as the lone voice in the wilderness, rips it to pieces and gives it a mere two stars.  A pretty excoriating review from him, actually.  I'd be interested to know if anyone agrees with him, as most things have been positive so far.  Even those who like a couple of pieces and don't like a couple of pieces are more positive than his review, which doesn't have anything good to say about anything!! 

 

To be fair to Crisp he makes it clear that he was close to those events through his father's un-talked about experiences.  I suppose the events of WW1 scarred the generation that came after.  I don't agree with his assessment of the programme but I do understand it. 

[Spax]

I am really looking forward to seeing it now. Reviews are great!

[aileen]

I'm not criticising Clement Crisp, but I'm not at all surprised that he didn't like this programme. Although he likes other forms of dance he is quite conservative when it comes to ballet and I wouldn't have expected him to like the Maliphant and Khan pieces. Remember his views on Kylian's Petite Mort. 

Edited April 4, 2014 by aileen

[Jane S]

 

 

I don't remember having been to a dance event there with live orchestra before: Michael Clark, Trisha Brown and Merce Cunningham all use(d) recorded tracks or live mixed electronics as far as I can remember. Live orchestral music really shows up a poor sound system.

 

John, wasn't it at the Barbican that Robin Ticciati and the Aurora orchestra played Apollo so brilliantly for Michael Clark?

[alison]

I'm not criticising Clement Crisp, but I'm not at all surprised that he didn't like this programme. Although he likes other forms of dance he is quite conservative when it comes to ballet and I wouldn't have expected him to like the Maliphant and Khan pieces. Remember his views on Kylian's Petite Mort. 

 

He doesn't like Kylian, that much is clear.  I can't remember what he's said in the past about Maliphant and Khan, but I don't remember it being particularly negative?

[alison]

John, wasn't it at the Barbican that Robin Ticciati and the Aurora orchestra played Apollo so brilliantly for Michael Clark?

 

Plus of course the Royal Ballet had an orcnestra when they performed there, as far as I remember.

[John Mallinson]

John, wasn't it at the Barbican that Robin Ticciati and the Aurora orchestra played Apollo so brilliantly for Michael Clark?

 

Jane, yes of course, in 2005. I'd forgotten that, and maybe there've been others.

[Sim]

Sim it looks, therefore, as if you will miss Alina's performances in No Man's Land where she is breathtakingly moving.

I know, and I'm gutted.  But there is so much going on this week and next with dance and other things that this was the only performance I could get in!!  Friends from abroad always seem to descend at the most inconvenient of times..... 

[alison]

I know, and I'm gutted.  But there is so much going on this week and next with dance and other things that this was the only performance I could get in!!

I need to be cloned: I can't be in 3 places at once (even if two of them are under the same roof)

[Josephine]

I was very excited by the prospect of this programme but hugely disappointed by the experience, although it was amazing to see all the wonderful ENB dancers up close on the Barbican stage. Each of the three new works delivered some astounding visual effects (in the opening sections of Dust especially), but none seemed truly finished in theme or structure. Maliphant came closest to presenting a coherent work (for me). My biggest difficulty was the choreographers' shared and relentless emphasis on wistful melancholy, which gave the programme a very narrow focus in its response to the WWI theme. This would not have mattered so much if the programme had been given a different title. But for me the mixed bill seemed an error of judgment as an act of commemoration, and in this regard I'm with Mr Crisp.

[capybara]

In case anyone is curious as to how, in Dust, one dancer (Akran Khan) becomes two in the shows when he isn't dancing, Fabian Reimair takes the solo role at the beginning of the ballet and James Streeter dances the pas de deux. This worked very effectively last night.

[alison]

Oh, I forgot to ask: what was it with the cast changes last night? Was anyone injured?

[capybara]

Kdenek Konvalina was unable to dance in No Man's Land and Firebird and was replaced in both by James Forbat. His being able to partner Alina Cojocaru in the Scarlett ballet, at what must have been very short notice, was highly impressive. James is second cast in Firebird for the role he took on last night.

 

As James was cast to dance the second couple in No Man's Land, he and his partner (Erina Takahashi) were replaced by Fabian Reimair and Angela Wood from the second cast. The announcement did not mention the Erina/Angela change.

 

Rumours were circulating about what might be wrong with Konvalina but, as no injury or illness was mentioned in the announcement, it does not seem appropriate to repeat them here.

[alison]

Thanks, capybara, I did wonder. Last-minute cast changes must be something of a nightmare.

[aileen]

Well, as there are only two principal casts for the Scarlett that is going to cause a problem unless Konvalina's absence is only temporary. Is Esteban available for the whole of next week?

 

I saw the matinee today. I got into the Scarlett more, appreciating all the little touches which I hadn't noticed on Thursday evening. I enjoyed Konvalina's performance but I liked Esteban more in the role: he's always very compelling in dramatic roles. It was interesting to see Lauretta as the Firebird. She was very good and used facial expression a lot but, for me, it's hard to see anyone in the role other than Ksenia. She is a more angular and athletic bird than Lauretta. I feel a bit sorry for George Williamson as he has been virtually ignored by the critics. IMO, there is a lot of really good choreography in Firebird and there are some really dramatic images (eg the Firebird's dive into the cave and the high throw near the end) and some exciting group work. I find the duet in Second Breath to that percussive score incredibly compelling. Nathan and Tamarin danced it this afternoon. They were very good but couldn't quite match Junor and Alina, which was partly to do with the height difference, I think. I liked the duet in Dust today and I preferred the performers who were James Streeter and Fernanda. James was a revelation. He was incredibly good and I'm pleased to see him do something other than character roles which he seems to have done a lot of lately. 

[Don Q Fan]

I saw the matinee and the only pieve I found ok was Firebird. The rest was too modern and way too dark for me. The whole thing was spolied by over loud music especially on Dust the sound reverberated through my seat and I had to plug my ears it was so painful. Dust should come with a health and safety warning especially for young children .

[capybara]

Zdenek Konvalina danced No Man's Land with Alina tonight but was again replaced (no announcement) by James Forbat in Firebird.

[Don Q Fan]

I meant piece not "pieve" in my earlier post!

[Euan]

My kind of ballet I think. Gives you a scenario and dancing. Am up north but will watch out if ever comes on DVD or such sounds at though it could be good.

[Beryl H]

I got a second look at this programme at the matinee yesterday, No Man's Land looked a different ballet, not in quality but just the way I remembered it from Thursday, the lighting seemed even duller yesterday and I couldn't really see the duets, they have to dance at the front of stage as the set takes up nearly the whole stage,  but Tamara Rojo and Estaban Berlanga were very moving at the end. Firebird also seemed to be darker too, could hardly see, occasionally the dancers moved into lighted spots and I noticed Yonah Acosta but I could only recognise the other dancers at the curtain calls.  Second Breath was my overall favourite, also very dark for the corps be ballet but the pdd is well lit, amazing hypnotic choreography for this, Tamarin Stott and Nathan Young wonderful. Although I disliked Dust on Thursday I found it much more impressive yesterday, I preferred Fernanda Oliveira and James Streeter in the pdd, who were very emotional, still didn't like the "grovelling on the floor" solo for Fabian Reimar (am with CC on this), but great music (I'm sure I've heard the first section before somewhere, not perhaps at the ballet) and powerful almost martial dancing for the girls,  the last image of the man looking down into what I imagine as the trenches is very powerful.

[aileen]

Yes, I felt that the lighting was even lower yesterday. I was sitting in the stalls and I don't know whether it would be even worse higher up. I felt that it was unfair on the corps that their efforts could frequently not be seen properly. If anyone at ENB is reading this then please pass on my comments about the lighting with a view to seeing whether alterations can be made between today's performance and Wednesday's. I don't know how much of the lighting is set by computer and how much is manual. I did wonder at the beginning of Firebird whether someone had forgotten to shine the spotlight. I saw Esteban wandering around and talking to friends in the bar area afterwards. I wanted to say "please come back to ENB" but I felt too shy.

[capybara]

I saw Esteban wandering around and talking to friends in the bar area afterwards. I wanted to say "please come back to ENB" but I felt too shy.

I think that Esteban would be very happy to talk with you, Aileen. He is very approachable. If you - well very many of us - want him to come back to ENB it's worth telling him so. I have and, if more of us say something, you never know........

[SPD444]

Very hard to find the words to express my feelings after seeing the show last night. I thought the performances by the dancers were memorable, particularly Alina who I have only seen dancing the classics at the RB. I do have some difficulty with modern ballet however. I found Dust to be the most abstract - the programme notes said the "story" was of the men going to the trenches to die leaving behind the women to make the weapons that would kill men of the enemy who also had women who were making the weapons etc.etc. What I saw was a man twitching and smacking his back and the stage with his hands whilst the girls stamped from foot to foot making aggressive hand and arm movements. Is that dancing???  I thought Second Breath the most heart wrenching of the four with Alina somehow stuck to Junor Souza as she seemed to spend a great deal of time in mid air. These are not complaints as such just my ignorance of the meaning of contemporary dance. Well done to Tamara for commissioning these works and all praise to the dancers.

[Pulcinella]

On the train on the way home having been tempted by all the positive reports of this programme to make a trip to see it. Well worth the effort even though my seat was rather on the side in the Upper Circle. Also noticed three dancers from BRB were there. I loved the duet at the end of No Man's Land for Tamara and Esteban, I found it really heartrending. I hadn't seen this version of Firebird before and I enjoyed it although I do have to agree that it didn't really seem to have much relevance to the overall performance. I thought Ksenia was excellent in the title role. I liked the opening of Second Breath but then, for me it seemed to lose it's way. Dust I found mesmerising with the undulating arms, although I could have done without so much twitching in the opening solo. I thought the last pas de deux was excellent. I have to agree with other people about the darkness of the lighting. I know the choreographers are trying to present a certain atmosphere but I do wonder if they ever go into the upper reaches of a theatre to see how much can be seen from there. Overall a really enjoyable afternoon and well done to Tamara Rojo for having the courage to present such a programme after all the years ENB have spent dancing nothing but the classics.

[alison]

For yesterday's matinee, which I finally got to go to, even though it was rather a rush, they closed the balcony (topmost tier) and moved people down into the stalls.  People in the upper circle one tier below weren't upgraded.  Seems a little unfair to me.

 

Anyway, I think I rather agree with other comments about the lack of lighting.  I know I'm not over-familiar with the faces of ENB's dancers, but even so I would have expected to have recognised a few more of them if it hadn't been so dark.  I even had trouble making out Berlanga, and after watching 4 performances of him in Manon you wouldn't think that would be a problem any more!  I wonder how I would have done with Cojocaru, had she been dancing ...

 

I enjoyed all 3 of the new pieces, but must admit that, at 3 hours, I can't decide whether I want to go and see it again.  It felt very long.

[Don Q Fan]

I agree with SPD44 about modern dance/understanding I just don't get it!  However, I honestly believe the dancers gave their best but it was just not for me.  I agree that Tamara Rojo is taking ENB to new places and she is to be commended for that but I hope we do not lose sight of the classics either.  I must add that at the Dust curtain call I was surprised to see Elena Glurdjze and Irina Takahashi in the corps! 

[Coated]

I think I have nothing but unmitigated love for this programme, and the awesomeness that is Tamara Rojo for getting something like this off the ground

 

Dust has one of the strongest portrayals of woman in any dance I have seen, it was great to see the dancers move with such power and strength. If I had to nominate a ballet for a feminist bill, this would be it.

 

Khan has a spiritual or mysterious quality that other dancers won't quite be able to portray, so I was very happy to see that the piece worked differently, but still as well when performed by another cast. Really hope this stays in the ENB repertoire. I could do with a shorter 'twitching prologue', but that's a very minor niggle.

 

I always like Scarlett, and No Man's Land was no exception. It could possibly be a little shorter, but I wouldn't know what to cut. I loved the strong sense of story telling, for me it was a ballet about the human cost of war - 'going to war' in battlefields and factories, but more importantly, the anguish of separation and uncertainly. The scene where some of the soldiers return, but one woman searches in vain amongst the faces, to be left behind alone and dancing with the 'memory' of her partner is just heartbreaking, the resulting pdd utterly beautiful.

 

Second Breath was hypnotic with the swaying bodies and spiralling jumps/lifts, and it grew on me with repeat performances. I'm not too keen on the costumes (faux haute couture fatigues with a hint of Regency?) and some of the falling into the arms of other soldiers (described as 'management trust exercises' somewhere on twitter) but I like the overall tone of the piece and the pdd - when I first saw it, Cojacaru was just a wave of emotion flowing off the stage.

 

I can kind of see the reasoning of the inclusion of Firebird, but yes, the bill could have done without it. Saying that, I loved Ksenia Ovsyanick's performance in it, some of the tableaus were visually stunning and the scenes of the firebird being stripped and later of jumping into the cave are quite promising for future work. Though there are no excuses for the Captain / other dude costumes outside of a Schwarzenegger film.

Edited April 7, 2014 by Coated

[aileen]

There was a feature on Akram Khan and Dust on Newsnight last night. It's available to view on BBC i-Player (starts at about 38 minutes in) and shows an excerpt of the ballet with Khan and Rojo and the corps. Thanks to Madison Keesler for this information.

[Jan McNulty]

Link for Newsnight on the i-player - probably only available for a week.

[Jan McNulty]

I saw the matinee at the Barbican this afternoon.

 

I thought the programme worked on so many levels.  It was outstanding in its concept, execution and performance and especially as a commemoration.

 

I thought all four works that comprised the programme were brilliant and ENB were on magnificent form.  It would be unfair to single out any dancer as the whole company were fully committed and gave outstanding performances.

 

I hope all these works have a life outside this programme.

 

I'm still feeling somewhat overwhelmed by what I saw this afternoon!

[Ian Macmillan]

I'm just back from the final performance, and will no doubt have more to say in due course.  But for now, immense congratulations to Tamara Rojo and her splendid Company for a most satisfying evening and I endorse all that Janet has said, above. 

[aileen]

I saw the performance tonight. I feel that the dancers always 'go for it' in the last performance. Ksenia and Laurent were replaced by Fernanda and Max in the Scarlett. As Ksenia still danced in Firebird I assume that Laurent was ill or injured. My heart was in my mouth as Max negotiated all those scary throws and lifts, which he did very successfully. His pdd seemed to be equally demanding as the one for Esteban and Tamara. I wish that Esteban would come back to ENB, or at least guest again. He just has a way about him on stage. I suppose that it is stage presence but he also has a connection with all his partners. Ksenia was on fire in Firebird and the ballet was very warmly received this evening. She and Junor look very good together. She must be quite tall as her partners often look a little short for her. I think that I might have to start a twitter campaign calling for her promotion. I loved the pdd in the Maliphant, danced by Nathan and Tamarin this evening. I like the fact that the partnership is more 'equal' and is not all about the man lifting and manipulating the woman. Dust, with Tamara and Akram, got a rapturous reception and a standing ovation. I hope that ENB will take the three new pieces on tour, perhaps to Germany or Spain. Although I like Firebird the three pieces on the theme of war form a cohesive whole and would make a performance of around two and a half hours, which is a nice length.

[Jan McNulty]

I know this is o/t but for anyone who wants to know more about the First World War I could make no better recommendation than this biography of Noel Chavasse Double VC