A Whirlwind of Elegance: January’s Ballet Bounty
As the frosted air begins to thaw and the first buds of spring tentatively peek from the earth, the world of ballet bursts forth with vibrant energy, dazzling us with its exquisite artistry and breathtaking athleticism. January saw a thrilling array of productions from the grandest of stages to intimate, jewel-box venues, showcasing both established titans and exciting emerging talents. This month’s ballet journey, my darlings, is a must-read for the cognoscenti.
From the Eternal City to the City of Angels
First stop: Rome. The Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, always a beacon of refined elegance, hosted a truly extraordinary production of Swan Lake, under the direction of the renowned Maurice Béjart. While purists may have clutched their pearls, Béjart's innovative choreography offered a refreshingly daring and profoundly moving interpretation. The famous "White Swan" was more than mere graceful grace. Here, she embodied a passionate, yearning spirit, her every movement radiating a sense of loss and yearning, poignantly conveyed by the sublime Elena Borodina. Her duets with the powerful Alessandro Caridi (who delivered a Prince Siegfried steeped in tragic nobility) were electric with unrequited longing.
Speaking of electric, let’s switch continents to Los Angeles where the ever-inventive choreographer, Alexei Ratmansky, presented his dazzling, futuristic re-imagining of The Sleeping Beauty. Performed by the Los Angeles Ballet, Ratmansky masterfully integrated digital elements with the traditional elegance of classical ballet. The shimmering, metallic costumes (designed by the brilliant Tom Pye) reflected the pulsating projections that surrounded the stage. I couldn’t help but wonder if even the most traditional ballerina would feel a thrill at performing with these futuristic flourishes, and in fact, they certainly seemed to! Each dancer moved with incredible energy and athleticism, bringing a dynamism that mirrored the futuristic world the staging created. But fear not, dears, there were also moments of purest beauty, with the Sleeping Beauty’s languid awakening beautifully captured. Overall, Ratmansky's "Sleeping Beauty" is a masterclass in inventive storytelling, seamlessly weaving the modern into the timeless. A truly modern fairy-tale!
The Rise of the New: London and Beyond
And while we’re on the subject of modern, let’s head to London where the Royal Ballet treated us to a double bill, featuring Christopher Wheeldon’s much-lauded The American. This ballet, set to the beautiful score by the composer Michael Tilson Thomas, is a portrait of a conflicted young dancer. Wheeldon, master of beautiful, balletic form and a subtle storytelling nuance, captured the dancer's yearning to escape his past and pursue a life of self-expression, leaving one with a bittersweet yet uplifting feeling at the piece's end.
But perhaps the most striking production of the month belonged to the English National Ballet. The company returned to Sadler’s Wells with a captivating performance of Akram Khan’s Giselle, a visceral re-imagining of the beloved romantic ballet. Akram Khan, as we know, is a master of integrating eastern and contemporary forms with classical ballet, and his Giselle, an intense exploration of passion and madness, truly stood out. Khan’s choreography beautifully melded elements of traditional ballet, classical Indian dance, and his own contemporary idiom, resulting in a fascinating and often jarring ballet experience. The ballerina Natalia Osipova gave a magnificent, heartbreakingly authentic performance of the titular heroine, moving through the production with captivating grace, intensity, and fierce vulnerability.
Across the Atlantic, New York's Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater continued to astound audiences with their potent and emotionally raw works. The company’s signature mix of technical brilliance and expressive depth shone through in their recent program, featuring Alvin Ailey's timeless Revelations alongside the powerful Odyssey by Robert Battle. Each dancer, each movement seemed to vibrate with a rawness that echoed in your heart for days.
Beyond the Stage
Speaking of rawness, this month also brought a fascinating exhibit to the Barbican Centre in London: "Dance: The Art of Movement." Curated by the esteemed dance historian, Richard Buckle, this exhibition offered a rare glimpse into the history and evolution of ballet. From captivating costumes (so extravagant, darling!) and intriguing photographs, to sketches and documents from the past, "Dance" offered a comprehensive, illuminating perspective of ballet's impact on culture and history. My dear, to say I was captivated would be an understatement, I nearly fainted in its whirlwind of glorious visual and textual delights.
As January drew to a close, we saw more evidence of ballet's extraordinary evolution, defying expectations and enriching our souls. From the grandeur of Swan Lake in Rome to the haunting intensity of Akram Khan’s Giselle, ballet, this month, reminded us that beauty can be found in all its forms, even its most surprising twists. Here's to more of those exciting and captivating twists in the months ahead. Happy viewing!