Ballets 131

Duo Concertant: A Study in Precision and Power Stravinsky's **Duo Concertant** has always been one of my favourite ballets, and it was an utter privilege to see the Royal Ballet perform it recently. It’s a stunning work of art, not least for its extraordinary choreography, a combination of precise, geometrical movement and fluid, passionate outbursts that perfectly capture the intensity of Stravinsky’s score. The very title, "Duo Concertant," implies a dialogue, a meeting of minds and bodies, a give and take, a balance. It was the first full-length ballet Stravinsky ever wrote, and while he chose to retain his iconic, neoclassical style, it is full of surprises. There’s an elegance and control here that often spills over into dramatic athleticism – think powerful leaps and dynamic turns, even some daring acrobatics. It's exhilarating, yes, but also captivating. This performance was brought to life by a young duo of ballerinas - Olivia Cooke and Clara Duguine, both rising stars, and each with an undeniable star quality, but with utterly different interpretations of the dance. Their individual strengths, while apparent to the audience, were also reflected beautifully in the way they worked together – a true conversation taking place, as in the best of the classical duet. Cooke’s Precision and Duguine's Grace Olivia Cooke is an exceptional dancer – technically very strong, and utterly assured in her ability. This makes her a natural choice for Stravinsky’s rigorous choreography – all those precise angles, demanding footwork and demanding positions. I’m certain it takes extraordinary discipline to remain so unflinchingly elegant and graceful even when she’s thrown into rapid-fire, angular patterns and athletic, twisting turns. There’s a steely edge to her artistry that gives the sense of a very confident dancer. Her physical power is quite astonishing to watch, and the way she uses it, whether for dynamic jumps or expressive lunges, only enhances her elegance and control. The power and energy emanating from her are truly hypnotic and there was an undeniable spark of excitement whenever she was on stage. Clara Duguine, by contrast, is more fluid, her movements imbued with a captivating softness, even at her most explosive moments. There's a sweetness to her portrayal that felt genuinely vulnerable, yet it never descends into fragility, it always held a strength at its core. Her technical proficiency was obvious in her ability to spin with seemingly effortless ease. There was a purity to her movement that made every extension, every pirouette, almost lyrical, particularly in the more emotional sections. Together, their interplay, though strikingly different in character, is utterly harmonious. They appear to complement each other's strengths and styles – their chemistry palpable even in the moments where their roles require them to push away, or move independent of each other. A Symphony in Motion: Stravinsky's Powerful Score There’s no denying that Stravinsky’s music is the foundation for this ballet – not just the soundtrack but its inspiration. It’s hard to imagine this work being created with any other composer, his distinct style woven so deeply into the choreography. And it's worth noting that he composed this music specifically for **Duo Concertant**. Stravinsky's neoclassical approach - drawing on Baroque and Classical musical forms while infusing his characteristic, bold use of dissonances and rhythms – is truly powerful. There's a rhythmic complexity that drives the choreography and allows for an impressive use of the full stage, the music urging the dancers, it would seem, towards ever bolder movements and extensions. There’s no sentimentality here; it’s pure, driven energy and expression that moves between quiet, elegant moments, and erupting in bursts of rhythmic energy and intensity. The shifting dynamics are crucial and are handled by the dancers with admirable ease and precision, the transitions smooth and subtle yet deeply compelling. It's one of Stravinsky's masterpieces, but what made this performance particularly memorable was the way it connected the music with the choreography - so beautifully interwoven. The audience were left captivated - I think it’s fair to say we all had the sense of being deeply immersed in the creative dialogue between Stravinsky and George Balanchine. Ballet's Impact Beyond the Stage: The Power of Emotion Stravinsky’s neoclassical style, and its adoption by Balanchine, has often been interpreted as minimalist, almost too focused on form and structure. While it's undeniable that form and precision play key roles in their choreography, this dance is an explosion of emotion that manages to transcend its almost purely geometric basis. The performers become vessels, their movements conduits for conveying the full force and drama of Stravinsky’s powerful, vibrant score. This is partly due to the brilliance of George Balanchine. He was a true genius, and one of his greatest strengths as a choreographer was his ability to combine abstract movement with strong emotions – that’s why I find his choreography both captivating and compelling. I’ve read interviews with Balanchine where he emphasises his belief that “a choreographer’s responsibility is to illuminate the music”. In **Duo Concertant**, the music guides us through a wide range of emotions, shifting from intensity to contemplation, often in quick succession. But while the choreography stays close to its structured framework, the dance itself always appears spontaneous, organic, the two dancers interacting with a genuine and compelling dynamic. The performance I saw had this electrifying effect on the audience. It wasn’t just about technique and movement – although both were spectacular – but the dancers truly connected with the music, conveying a sense of joy and passion that infected the theatre itself. I could feel it – a palpable sense of emotion radiating out into the audience. It wasn’t merely watching two bodies move on a stage, but sharing in an expression, in an interaction that we could all relate to. Perhaps that is the real beauty of this kind of ballet, it is not simply about steps and poses, it is about how dance can communicate something beyond language, how it can evoke so many emotions without even saying a word. **A New Interpretation: Exploring Gender in Dance** I felt an added layer of fascination with this performance that stemmed from its interesting choice of two female dancers. While I always admire the classical pairing of a male and a female, this unique duo of dancers felt refreshing. Perhaps it’s just my own personal viewpoint – my belief that ballet is, in essence, about storytelling through the language of movement – that this shift made this ballet feel new and engaging. I’m reminded of something the renowned choreographer Martha Graham once said: “I think if ballet wants to continue to be alive, to keep that spark and that beauty, then you have to make your choreography contemporary.” Maybe that’s the key. This production of **Duo Concertant** had all the elements to make it memorable: superb performers, an exquisite setting, captivating choreography and a genuinely engaging music. And yet it transcended its individual components – the audience felt that there was something more in play, some profound connection between the artists and their audience. I left feeling like I’d witnessed something remarkable, something I would not soon forget, and not only because of the incredible skill and athleticism of the performers, but the deeply emotional core that permeated the entire piece. **Beyond the Ballet: A Deeper Reflection** This ballet, though beautiful, elegant, and exciting in equal measure, goes beyond its purely aesthetic appeal. Stravinsky’s music, a masterful exploration of complex, contrasting rhythms and the tension between beauty and dissonance, is both demanding and rewarding to experience. And the choreography - Balanchine’s genius here is that he uses both power and grace, not as opposing forces, but as interwoven strands of one vibrant thread of emotion and energy. He brings forth a visual dialogue – the dancers communicating not through words but through the language of movement, which transcends national and cultural borders to resonate with a very deep part of the human experience. But for me, it’s not just the music or the choreography, it’s the power of dance itself to create such a potent emotional impact – a powerful commentary, a visual reflection, of the very human need to communicate. **The Ballet As a Dialogue: The Power of Movement** The two ballerinas onstage are communicating, through the elegance and precision of their moves, the fluidity and the power, not only with each other, but with the audience as well. And in this exchange of energy, the audience’s imagination can take them beyond the confines of the stage, exploring those profound emotions hidden behind the steps, behind the beautiful choreography, that lies beneath every beautiful movement. This kind of performance has the ability to take the audience beyond a superficial engagement, urging them to really listen, to feel, and to connect on an instinctive and intuitive level. The ballet, after all, is a dialogue. And in the silence, after the final note, I found myself pondering the enduring power of ballet as a communicative art form. Ballet has been for centuries a vessel for emotions that we find hard to express otherwise. We see emotions portrayed, brought into full, vibrant being through dance – love, joy, sorrow, passion, despair – emotions we all recognize and, at our deepest levels, understand. Perhaps that’s the real message here, one that lies beyond even the brilliance of Stravinsky’s music and Balanchine’s innovative choreography - that we all crave a connection, a meaningful connection. And sometimes, in this life, ballet is one of the most compelling ways to express and discover that deeper connection.