Dutch National Ballet - Jewels

[Don Q Fan]

I was very pleased to be able to go to Amsterdam last weekend for 3 performances of Balanchine's wonderful Jewels trilogy and was most definitely NOT disappointed.  What a fabulous set of performances I saw.  As you know I am not well versed in the technicalities of ballet so it is just a case of what was nice etc...

The run had been staged/coached by Elise Bourne and the wonderful Patricia Neary from the Balanchine Trust and by seeing 3 performances I saw an amazing cross section of the dance talent at Dutch National Ballet.

Emeralds was beautifully danced each day - the corps were lovely and included Michaela dePrince so it was lovely to see her and then meet her at a post performance signing session on the Sunday (they do these signings at DNB - great idea!).  The only principal of the women to dance Emeralds was on Saturday when Jurgita Dronina was the lead in the first couple with the lovely Marijn Rademaker, newly arrived from Stuttgart.  In all 3 Emeralds, however, First Soloist Qian Liu partnered by principal Artur Shesterikov impressed me as the second couple.  Qian had lovely arms although her clock movements looked like they were hard to perform.  Of the 3 pas de trois teams in Emeralds by far the best was Saturday as Young Gyu Choi was just wonderful - much more tidy than the Friday performance.

Rubies was good on all 3 nights but I will come to Saturday's in a moment.  Friday was danced by First Soloists Susanna Kaic and Sasha Mukhamedov with principal Isaac Hernadez (soon to join ENB) and they were very good.  The Sunday Matinee Rubies saw Young Gyu Choi partnering Megan Zimny Kaftira and Samantha Mednick and he got his chance to shine as he did in Emeralds.  I really liked his powerful, precise dancing - he is definitely one to watch me thinks. Then there was the Saturday Rubies - OMG Maia Makhateli and Remi Wortmeyer were the lead couple with Ignone de Jongh as Tall Girl and they just blew Rubies out of the water..it was fabulous.  Looks like that trio of principals really click together with a fabulous resulting performance.  I loved the corps de ballet who were really together and the piece where the male lead is chased by the male corps was fun to watch.  Ignone de Jongh performed Tall Girl beautifully and oozed all that pzazz demanded of Rubies.  I think of the weekend this Rubies was definitely the stand out performance for me.  Remi W was really enjoying himself (much like Steven Mcrae although Steven spins even faster!) and Maia Makhateli was a revelation I can't pinpoint one thing Maia did it was all fabulous and now I am a big fan!  Maia had danced Diamonds on the Friday really beautifully with Artur Shesterikov, but I think her ultimate is Rubies!  

Which brings us to Diamonds...as I said Maia performed on Friday with Artur S and was just lovely and elegant and then on Saturday it was Anna Tsygankova with Josef Varga - after the comments about Anna T at ROH Don Q with Matthew Golding I was really interested to see her. She was a very authoritative dancer, very precise and beautiful, although unfortunately suffered a slip in her solo but she recovered amazingly well with, I hope, no lasting effects!  I noted also in the shop that it is her who seems to star in all the DNB DVDs which is a shame as they have so many talented dancers.  On Sunday Diamonds was performed by Jurgita Dronina with Isaac Hernandez - again really beautiful.  The corps de ballet were great and the finale with 32 dancers on the huge stage was breathtaking.  

I especially enjoy watching what I call the "mirrored choreography" that Balanchine employs with left and right dancing with opposite lead feet and arms etc and it was very well executed by the dancers. It would be hard to determine which Diamonds was the best.  I think DNB is just a quality company!

I have to heap praise on the Orchestra - wow what an amazing sound they were wonderful under the baton of Andrea Quinn.  And the pianist for Rubies was Michael Mouratch who had a wicked sense of humour, for when he took his bow on stage he topped off his black suit with a pair of bright RED shoes!  Needless to say he played Stravinsky very well too!

The stage sets were really good with just a plain stage and some subtle lighting with a hanging arrangement of elasticated threads which moved to form shapes like facets of the precious stones, it was really simple but very effective.

On Saturday night I was seated just 2 seats away from Wayne McGregor and DNB's Director Ted Brandsen - I took the opportunity to chat to Wayne in the interval - what a nice man!  He told me that he is bringing some of Paris Opera's dancers to the Manchester Opera House for the Manchester Festival later this year so I might just have to go to that even though, as I told him, I'm not a huge modern dance fan!  Then just when I thought I didn't like modern, I really liked his Qualia in the ROH Gala on Wednesday LOL!

With regard to the Het Nationale Theatre, and it being while since I have been there, I was really re-impressed by the theatre itself very bright and spacious with excellent facilities and with lovely catering (not too dear either) the auditorium was extremely comfortable and seats have wonderful views - the Dutch being tall have lots of leg room and seats are steeply raked so no big heads!  The ticket prices were very good value IMHO.  The DNB shop was great with a fabulous range of goods - related in some cases to the ballet being staged which showed great thought.  There were loads of DVDs and great deals on them too!  The DNB Friends desk had lots of signed pointe shoes for sale  (like NYCB and ABT) they were EUR50 a pair which was nice, not that I bought any, but it is a nice idea and one I wish UK companies would introduce.  They also had one of the Emeralds costumes on display which was a lovely touch and so nice to see close up details of the costume.  I took lots of photos (pity I can put any up here!)

Whilst I have had a hectic ballet week I can honestly say that I feel enriched by what I have seen this week and now have great memories.  I am now really looking forward to seeing 2 performances of DNB's La Dame aux Camelias in Amsterdam in April - I reckon go if you can!  And I dare say Cinderella in London later this year will be worth the trip too.  I am really VERY impressed with DNB.

Edited February 28, 2015 by Don Q Fan

[nottsballetlover]

Fantastic review DQF! I'm very happy I have booked to see DNB's Cinderella!

[LinMM]

Likewise am seeing this too in July I think!

[Timmie]

Thanks DQF, lovely review. This bit: "the piece where the male lead is chased by the male corps was fun to watch" brings back memories of the one Jewels I have seen, where the chasee was Steven McRae.

[Beryl H]

Apart from seeing Anna T with Matthew Golding recently at the ROH I only know these dancers from DVD's but find them an excellent Company, there is a review of Jewels in the March issue of Dance Europe. Agree that Remi Wortmeyer looks like Steven McRae, he dances with Maia Makhatelli on the recent Nureyev Friends Gala DVD too in a pas de deux by Hans Van Manen, great to see them in a modern piece.

[Don Q Fan]

Yes Beryl - Remi Wortmeyer and Maia Makhateli were fab in Rubies - I have that DVD on order due any day!

I agree with Timmie Remi was having fun with Rubies just like Steven!

Edited March 1, 2015 by Don Q Fan

[Willie]

... OMG Maia Makhateli ...

 

And I dare say Cinderella in London later this year will be worth the trip too.  I am really VERY impressed with DNB.

 

I saw Maia Makhateli in Cinderella in Amsterdam two years ago.  I fell in love with her dancing.  So much so, I bought her pointe shoes (to support DNB). 

 

[Don Q Fan]

Brilliant Willie!!