A Season of Triumphs and Tribulations
Dearest darlings, The world of ballet has been positively bubbling over with excitement these past few months. From the shimmering stages of Paris to the grand halls of New York, there has been an abundance of artistry to make the heart soar and the eyes glisten. Paris: A City of Love and Elegance
The Opéra de Paris continues to be a haven of balletic perfection. Last month, the company unveiled a new production of "Giselle" that was simply divine. The delicate, tragic heroine was brought to life by the ethereal, breathtaking Natalia Osipova. Her performance was a masterclass in vulnerability and grace, with a crystalline technique that had us all utterly mesmerized.
A particularly delightful surprise was the company's rendition of the Jerome Robbins' "Dances at a Gathering". Robbins was a choreographer who was able to extract the pure joy and poetry of movement from his dancers. The Opéra dancers performed it with a sensitivity and spirit that echoed Robbins' own love of this masterpiece. I am afraid my own sensibilities were rather overwhelmed at times. I nearly shed a tear in the poignantly poignant final scene. The way they held their heads down in the final pose after their vigorous dancing had me reaching for my handkerchief!
But of course, one cannot discuss Paris without mentioning the incomparable Sylvie Guillem. At her farewell gala last month, she simply astonished us with her performance. She is an absolute titan of the stage. I think we all knew that her farewell performance at the Palais Garnier would be nothing less than a sensation. Her choice to end her career with "Giselle" is quite symbolic. For, it speaks of both beauty and heartbreak; of the passage of time and the beauty that never fades.
The entire city of Paris, in fact, was consumed with excitement during Guillem's performance. You could practically feel it vibrating with the anticipation in the air as we all waited expectantly for her performance to start. A New Generation Takes Centre Stage:
New York's New York City Ballet, like so many other ballet companies around the world, is beginning to showcase its emerging stars. There has been such a plethora of extraordinary dancers coming through the ranks in the past couple of years! This past season they have produced a vibrant energy and undeniable enthusiasm which they channelled beautifully in Balanchine’s masterwork "Jewels". There are simply not enough words to describe how truly exceptional they were in this piece. The Future is Here:
It would be remiss of me not to mention the astounding performance by the young British dancer, Isaac Hernandez. Hernandez is the newest principle dancer of the San Francisco Ballet. In a recent performance of "Romeo and Juliet," I watched his interpretation of the heart-rending lover with the most incredible mix of both youthful vigour and world weary pathos. We are simply seeing a star in the making here. I expect to be seeing great things from him in the near future.
It has been a period of truly thrilling innovation within ballet. I would never claim to be some kind of connoisseur of modern ballets. However I can definitely admit to being completely swept away by the visceral, exhilarating performance of a piece called "Flesh". This was a piece by the newly established "Collective Movement" which has caused a storm of excitement with its bold and modern creations.
I had the opportunity to speak to the choreographer, a young man by the name of Elias Davies who described the work as a "commentary on the contemporary urban world, the human condition and all the frustrations that are bottled up within it." It was definitely a fascinating piece and left me feeling like I had glimpsed the future of the dance world. London: Tradition and Revolution:
London, that perennial powerhouse of ballet, has been experiencing a sort of creative renaissance this year. The Royal Ballet presented a "Carmen" that was unlike any I've ever seen. Choreographer Matthew Bourne has given us a darkly passionate production with raw emotional power. I do admit that, personally, I find it hard to tear my gaze away from the astonishing Adam Cooper as the bullfighter "Escamillo", which he has made so absolutely his own in the recent decades. I feel he is rather like a dark and brooding, slightly dangerous, Spanish gentleman all of us wish would show up on our doorstep, a bit like the iconic and rather charming actor Antonio Banderas.
However, if you think that "Carmen" was daring, then you simply have to get down to the Royal Opera House and see their new interpretation of "Swan Lake". The choreographer, Christopher Wheeldon, has injected a modern perspective to this classic story of love and betrayal, while retaining its core Romantic sensibilities. For, like myself, many dancers consider it to be a perfect balletic masterpiece in its originality. I will forever love this piece and look forward to being taken back to my youth by the elegance of the classical movements each and every time I see it.
And last but not least, we must of course mention the English National Ballet's production of "Sleeping Beauty." You will simply fall asleep in a daze after you watch their rendition of the famous "Rose Adagio"! The stunning performance by Natalia Osipova in the lead role of the Sleeping Beauty princess had the whole of Covent Garden absolutely spellbound, not to mention myself!
A Moment of Silence:My heart aches a little to speak of the sad passing of the brilliant ballerina, Margot Fonteyn last month. She was, in her day, a truly remarkable, legendary artist and a real icon of our age. However, I prefer to recall all those vibrant performances, where we saw the great ballerina on the stage, gracefully pirouetting, jetting across the stage and, effortlessly, making every single performance seem like the perfect piece of balletic genius. The memory of her legacy will remain for generations to come.
Until next time darlings:Well that concludes my latest review and now for the important things. Be sure to look fabulous, I would hate for any of my favourite readers to be caught without their fabulous outfits on show at your local theatre or ballet studio, because believe me, a good outfit definitely lifts the spirits of the people around you!
With a little pinch of mischief and much love,
Your Ballet Muse