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Prix de Lausanne Diary – Last Days, Final Thoughts

wschuster — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:02:56 +0000

Saturday, 4 February 2012

Leave it all on the (dance) floor!

Having observed classical and contemporary classes (each counts for a quarter of the total score) the day prior, the Jury left the candidates on their own to warm up. Some used the raked studio space, others spent time in the warm-up area backstage, wrapped up in their favorite comfy gear, headphones on while going through barre exercises.

It seems like nothing and no one in the world could possibly disturb these candidates. They have been in the spotlight all week long, with most Prix sessions open to the local public. The city of Lausanne is surely aware that something special is happening at the moment: billboards around town showcase photographs of former candidates and, while sitting on the bus this morning, I discovered that the city offers commuters takeaway “Dance Plans” instead of bus maps.

This is a dance-aware city – one of the local metro exits directs me towards the contemporary Compagnie Philipe Saire – so the candidates at the Prix de Lausanne are constantly in the eye of public, press and dance VIPs from around the globe. You never know who you might bump into, which opportunity might be lurking around the corner. Like in all business endeavors, networking is key and the Prix de Lausanne takes it upon itself to help the non-finalists, who participate in a ballet class observed by some of the most prestigious ballet schools and companies worldwide. They have yet another chance to leave it all on the floor and to be looked at.

Candidates warming up Photo: © Gregory Batardon / Prix de Lausanne

Meanwhile, coaching continued on stage with Bern:Ballet Artistic Director Cathy Marston tending to the girls with her Traces solo (by far the most popular variation among the candidates with 21 picks). Though the musicality is particularly tricky, Ms. Marston found ways to let the girls in on the intentions and imagery she used while creating, to help them find their ‘inner flamenco dancer’ or channel some ‘playground memories’. The men were also very focused, with Rambert’s Pieter Symonds, exploring contrasting dynamics, liquid articulation of the spine and playing with risk.

Since 2008 the Prix has eschewed the semi-final round in favor of more individual, one on one time so all candidates had additional classical coaching later that afternoon. I dropped in on the Lilac Fairies, all looking stunningly gracious and mature. The 15-year-old Katherine Higgins (U.S.) had her long limbs under complete control but stayed beyond her allocated time to listen to Ms. Loudières correct her colleagues.

Pieter Symonds coaches Edson Ferreira Barbosa (Brazil) Photo: © Gregory Batardon / Prix de Lausanne

Thamires Chuvas (Brazil) showed the spirit of a true professional as she worked through a painful hip injury that day: she marked her variations with crystal clear special intention. We also found out that the Prix de Lausanne (a proud 40 years old) wasn’t the only birthday child here as “Kitri” Jae Eun Jung (South Korea) turned 18. Reason enough for her translator to start a happy birthday sing-off with the audience and coach Monique Loudières.

On Friday, the 69 teenagers traded their classroom attire (Prix dress code: solid-colored, no-sleeve leotard, pink tights and no hair accessories or jewelry for the girls, black or white tights with white shirt for the boys) for full on tutus and tiaras, with oriental wear à la Solor, a few Scottish skirts and vests for the boys! Each candidate performed his or her classical and contemporary solo for the jury to record and calculate their final marks.

Thamires Chuvas (Brazil) runs through her classical variation - Photo: © The Ballet Bag

At 6:30 pm sharp the results were posted on a screen in the warm-up area. One could feel the nervous anticipation of the power point sheet which then appeared on the screen. What followed were screams of excitement and surprise, many hugs or the silence of those not selected, some tears even, which were gut wrenching to watch. But family, newfound friends and colleagues were there to comfort those who needed it.

During Saturday’s final, the 20 shortlisted candidates put their best feet forward. “Audience favorite” winner Hannah Bettes brought the house down with both her performances and Japan’s Madoka Sugai made for a graceful and most deserving overall winner. Students of the Royal Danish Ballet School and Royal Ballet School with former Prix winner, Mayara Magri, performed during the interlude.

Hannah Bettes (USA), winner of the Audience Award - Photo: © The Ballet Bag

A birthday cake for the Prix made up of macarons of all colors was attacked by the candidates and their families at the post-show cocktail. Mingling with the candidates were some members of the jury, teachers and coaches, as well as one or other ballet VIPs who had come to perform in the Prix’s Anniversary Gala on Sunday.

Over the course of this week, the candidates dealt with standing in the public spotlight, disappointment and quick recovery in order to seize the next opportunity. They faced challenges like a sharply raked stage and turned these into a “make-it-work” moment, dealing with fatigue and injury. Nothing that a dancer doesn’t face every day, right?

Madoka Sugai (Japan) Winner of the Prix Medal & Contemporary Prize - Photo: © The Ballet Bag

Just all of it condensed in one short week. One week that will surely change the path of not only the 8 scholarship winners (who receive one year of free tuition, room & board at a partner school of the Prix), but also of 23 other candidates who have received offers from schools and companies on a sheet of paper which had been handed out earlier that day. It is now up to them to decide where their talent takes them. I for one, can’t wait to hear what the Prix “class of 2012” does next.

And with the Prix’s solid presence on social media, their videoblogs and worldwide live streaming of Finals, there are probably some talented dancers out there who – inspired by this year’s candidates – are taping their video submissions for the 2012 pre-selections at this very moment.

See you next year in Lausanne,

Wiebke

Célestin Boutin (France) before the Jury Photo: © Gregory Batardon / Prix de Lausanne

About the Author:

Wiebke Schuster currently lives in Munich. She completed her Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Dance Theatre and studied Arts Administration at the Limón Dance Company in New York. She is a regular contributor to the Bavarian State Ballet Blog. Follow her on Twitter @wiebela

The Faces of Prix de Lausanne

Emilia & Linda — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 13:06:18 +0000

The Prix de Lausanne is so much more than a ballet competition: it’s a huge celebration of dance that brings together artists from all around the world, including former Prix participants, staff and students who are hoping to take the next step into their careers.

This year we had the opportunity to experience its 40^th anniversary edition on location. We were able to go backstage and see, from different angles, the many stories that unfold during Prix week:

The President – Beth Krasna

We try to open up the opportunity to as many dancers as we can to come to the Prix. We do the first qualifying round on DVD. All they have to do is film themselves in class and then a group of artistic staff and members of the dance community evaluate the DVD and select about 80 of them.

We truly believe we give them the best possible experience once they are here. Whether they get to the finals or not, the things they will learn and the experience and network that they will take away will be invaluable. Many of our alumni give testimonials to say that the Prix experience is life changing, not only because it puts their foot on the ladder for a professional career, but also just from seeing everybody else, their technique and how they approach it.

Photo: © Gregory Batardon / Prix de Lausanne

You might be the best person in class in your school but when you come here you see other people your age who are just as passionate as you are. And these people will be the basis of your friends and network within the ballet community. If you go to a competition and all you get is your three minutes on stage, you don’t really get that same level of identification with the organisation. You see that when you look at the jury and the coaches: they are all prize winners. And it’s even more special this year as it’s our 40^th anniversary so we tried to make it an all-prize winner affair, nearly all here are former prize winners, so they’ve been through it and they want to give back. It’s such a supportive environment: they are not judging on performance, they are looking at the potential in these candidates.

You will see throughout the week that the kids progress, that they take things from the teaching and coaching, from a different way of working. Here they are treated as young artists. They don’t have their usual teachers, so they have to take themselves into charge.

It’s a niche cliché to say that we are here to look for the “stars of tomorrow”. In reality, we are trying to help kids who want to have a professional career in dance. Not all of them will be stars, but they will give it their best shot. If they do come here they are focused on trying for a professional career.

The Coach – Patrick Armand

On Day 1 of the Prix, I wish we could have one class before the jury starts marking, because as it is, the jury is already observing from the moment I teach the first class, so the kids can get really tense and it takes them a while to get used to it. You can see the difference on Day 2 on Tuesday: I teach the same class but by then we are starting to know each other, they feel more comfortable and they look better. Depending on which school they are coming from, they might do the same thing all the time and suddenly they have a new teacher and they might initially panic a little.

But for the jury it is important to see them as early as possible so they get an idea of what’s going on before they start marking. You can see that it is not enough to be a very good dancer, that the brain needs to function. Diversity is important: to be able to go from classical to contemporary. Sometimes these kids come and they have never done contemporary but then they discover that they have a very good quality of movement and can go all the way. And it is nice to see the openness because when you go to a company these days, you have to be versatile. You can’t just do one thing and nothing else.

Patrick Armand coaches Antonio Martínez Cegarra from Spain - Photo: © The Ballet Bag

On coaching classical variations

As a Prix coach, you are not going to change anything even though sometimes to my taste, the variation might be quite unmusical. You can only help with some details: the way they present themselves, the way they are going to use the space, how to get used to the theatre’s rake. You can’t give too much information because otherwise they don’t know what to do the next day. You have to keep it clear so they can look the best they can in a short time. So less information is better. I think my role here is to make them feel as comfortable as they can, so they don’t feel that pressure of competition. My role is to keep them calm and for them to enjoy the week as much as they can.

This year the Prix has added new solos, because normally there were only five to choose from. So for the men for instance, they have added the Grand Pas Classique, Nutcracker Prince, La Sylphide Act II, Solor from La Bayadère… there’s much more and it is also better for the audience, so they don’t get many of the same one.

Patrick Armand coaches Junior Gaspar Caballero from Paraguay - Photo: © The Ballet Bag

On the overall experience

The Prix is a great experience even if you don’t win, since you have the network forum which means all candidates still have the chance to get into a great school. Sometimes people also come to realise that ballet is not for them, that’s why I think it is the best competition around. If you ask anyone who as been in the Prix, they will tell you that it has changed their careers.

The Candidates

Thamires Chuvas – 16 years old – Brazil’s Escola Maria Olenewa (associated with Rio de Janeiro’s Theatro Municipal) and Prix Finalist

It’s my first time here. This competition is very famous in Brazil: many people want to come because it’s a huge opportunity for professional dancers. Our friend Mayara Magri won last year and this got us all hugely excited and eager to come. Luckily we managed to, because we know many friends who didn’t pass the video selection.

I am loving it, it’s really great to be here. There are eight of us which must be one of the biggest Brazilian groups to date. Mayara’s success has paved the way for Brazilians to show themselves here. I love dancing in Brazil but I would like to try to dance abroad. This competition gives us a real window of opportunity: there are many dance companies here who are in a position to offer scholarships. My dream schools are the Royal Ballet School and the Paris Opera. My best friend came last year and even though he wasn’t shortlisted for the finals he still got offered a scholarship to join the Royal Ballet School.

On choosing variations

The school director gave us a list of three variations to choose from and we picked the best fit with her help: in my case it was the Lilac Fairy in the Russian version which is slower and very musical. For contemporary, there were four to choose from and, once we had made our choice, we started working on it with a video, as we were not familiar with the choreography.

Thamires Chuvas (Brazil) in the Lilac Fairy variation at the Prix 2012 Semifinals - Photo: The Ballet Bag ©

On favorite dancers & companies

I really look up to Roberta Marquez who was in the same school where I trained, also Thiago Soares and now Mayara. It’s so wonderful to have Brazil well represented in the dance scene abroad! Besides the Royal Ballet I really like San Francisco Ballet and ABT. I am a huge fan of Marianela Nuñez, Alina Cojocaru and many others. I like to admire different dancers for their own individual qualities. My dream partner would be Carlos Acosta because he’s just wonderful.

Larissa Santos – 18 years old – Brazil’s Centro de Dança Rio

My experience has been great so far. I was more nervous before arriving here. I was watching YouTube videos of previous years and started to worry, but now I am relaxing. I see that I need to work hard, take the classes, focus and this is helping me relax. I am loving the teachers and coaches! The contemporary coaching is very important because these are variations we are entirely unfamiliar with: there are so many details which are hard to pick up from just watching the videos. Certain nuances in movement. And the classical coaching ties in a lot with the corrections our local teachers give.

On favorite dancers

I love Svetlana Zakharova! I dream of seeing her in live performance and I have a huge photo album on my computer which is entirely dedicated to her. I am a super fan! I also like Alina Cojocaru and the legendary Natalia Makharova.

Larissa Santos in Aurora's Act III Variation at the Prix 2012 Semifinals Photo: © The Ballet Bag

Livia Gil – 17 years old – Brazil’s Escola Maria Olenewa (associated with Rio de Janeiro’s Theatro Municipal)

It’s such a great experience. Besides learning lots of new languages in ballet we are also networking with dancers from other countries, being in touch with so many different cultures is very inspiring. We are learning lots!

I danced the Kitri variation at the Boston competition in April last year and I decided to also dance it here because my coaches told me that it looks good and it’s the one I feel most secure in. I feel better prepared now. Since Boston I can already feel a difference: I had never left the country to dance before, so there’s a huge difference now as having that experience prepared me very well to come here. This first step in the competition circuit really helped us broaden our minds and get to the next level.

Lívia Gil in Kitri's Variation at the Prix 2012 semifinals

On favorite dancers

I admire Alina Cojocaru, Tamara Rojo, Marianela Nuñez and Dorothée Gilbert, the latter because she’s got a really clean technique but also unique artistry. She always reminds me that dance is not just about gymnastics, but first and foremost about artistry. I went to see all her performances when she guested in Brazil last season.

The dance scene in Brazil

I think Brazilian ballet continues to evolve. Brazil has always been a breeding ground for classical dancers. We continue to “export” many dancers, but now there’s also internal growth and the public is starting to discover different styles of dance. It is important that some of us stay there and I know several dancers who want to stay and help dance evolve in Brazil. I hope that Brazilian classical dance will continue to grow in popularity.

From left: Thamires Chuvas, Livia Gil and Larissa Santos Photo: © The Ballet Bag

The Video Bloggers – Kathy Bradney and Igor Piovano, former principal dancers with Béjart Ballet

Igor: It took us 2 years to learn to program, to edit properly, to train so we wouldn’t need to think about what we were doing, just about ‘how we want to do it’. But when we started filming, it went very fast, because people who knew us as dancers were keen to work with us. When we film a performance – or a videoblog – our clients don’t need to tell us what we have to do beforehand: we arrive and for us what we see via the camera is instinctive.

Kathy: We have an understanding of the movement. We know when someone will move downwards, etc. We also do editing with the music. The musicality for us is very important, for instance, when there’s a change of image in the music and not in the middle of a phrase.

On choosing featured dancers and editing

Igor: There are many things to be considered. The audience is important, the personality of the dancer, the technique. The best is to have a very good dancer, with great personality, from a country with a big following. So even if they can’t speak English, many people will understand them in their native language. And we need to pick both boys and girls.

Kathy: We talk to several candidates. We choose five that we follow every day and then we change one or two, so we interview more than five on the first day and then we decide at that point on the personality and the technique.

Kathy Bradney and Igor Piovano, the official video bloggers Photo: © The Ballet Bag

Igor: That has been the format of the videoblogs for the last two years. We have also added “who is on today”: it could be a dancer, a choreographer, a member of the jury, teacher. Something different, to show the different stories occurring during the week at the Prix.

Kathy: There are seven videoblogs every day and 42 in total. In terms of hours of footage we had about 4 hours yesterday, slightly less today. Every day we capture the footage into the computer and start editing in the evening. Last night, I finished at 3:00 am. Igor finished at 4:00 in the morning. It’s an intense week!

Follow the Prix de Lausanne on:

Lady of the Camellias

Linda — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 14:08:29 +0000

Is this ballet for you?

Go If: You like soapy dramas complete with beautiful costumes and designs. One for opera lovers too, even if Verdi is not directly involved.

Skip If: You have seen both Cranko’s Onegin and MacMillan’s Manon and remain unmoved.

Myriam Simon as Marguerite Gautier and William Moore as Armand Duval in Stuttgart Ballet's production of Lady of the Camellias. Photo: Stuttgarter Ballett ©

Dream Casts

This is more a case for dream companies: both Hamburg Ballet and Stuttgart Ballet have blood ties to Neumeier’s Lady of the Camellias and we would love to see this work staged by either.

Background

The Lady of the Camellias is Alexandre Dumas Fils‘s most famous work and it has been adapted for the stage in various forms. As the illegitimate child of Alexandre Dumas Sr. and Catherine Labay, a dressmaker, Dumas Fils grew up away from his mother and went through bullying in school. He translated the suffering from these experiences and the observations on people he had encountered along the way into his novels. In Camellias, Dumas was inspired by Marie Duplessis (a young courtesan with whom he had fallen in love and who died at age 23) to create the main character Marguerite Gautier. The novel was first published in 1848 and was later adapted into a successful play, Camille (1852). Soon thereafter, Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi used Dumas’s material as a basis for the libretto of La Traviata (1853), where Marguerite Gautier was renamed Violetta Valery. The story has also been adapted for the cinema a number of times, most notably in a 1937 movie with Greta Garbo.

Hélène Bouchet as Marguerite Gautier (2009). Photo: Holger Badekow / Hamburg Ballett ©

Marguerite & Armand (Sir Frederick Ashton)

Marguerite & Armand was created to showcase the megawatt partnership of Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev. Ashton had long thought Marguerite would be a suitable role for his muse. He had seen a stage performance of The Lady of the Camellias with Vivian Leigh as Marguerite in 1961, and was also heavily influenced by two films: Camille, with Greta Garbo and Last Year at Marienbad by Alain Resnais, which centers around a meeting between a man and a woman told in surreal, dreamlike passages.

This one-act ballet is presented as a condensed version of the novel, starting with Marguerite on her deathbed, and is narrated through flashbacks of various crucial events: from the time the lovers first meet to the confrontation between Marguerite and Armand’s father, culminating in Armand arriving to reunite with his beloved just before she draws her last breath.

Tamara Rojo and Sergei Polunin in Marguerite and Armand. Photo: Tristram Kenton / ROH ©

Marguerite & Armand premiered on 12 March 1963. The piece was very well received, with Fonteyn and Nureyev taking 21 curtain calls. Ashton tailored the ballet to their unique talents and audiences and critics who saw Fonteyn and Nureyev perform commented on how the experience felt “almost voyeuristic” and how Fonteyn was able to attain new heights of dramatic intensity.

The work was further popularised in a filmed version. It has long been said that Ashton didn’t want Marguerite & Armand to be revived with another cast, but – not unlike his Sylvia – the ballet was eventually brought back: Sylvie Guillem and Nicolas Le Riche led the Royal Ballet’s revival in 2000. Tamara Rojo debuted as Marguerite in 2005 and Zenaida Yanowsky in 2011. The piece is also scheduled to be performed at La Scala next year with a double debut by Svetlana Zakharova and Roberto Bolle.

Thiago Bordin as Armand and Silvia Azzoni as Marguerite (2010). Photo: Holger Badekow / Hamburg Ballett ©

Lady of the Camellias (John Neumeier)

American choreographer John Neumeier began his career as a protégé of John Cranko at Stuttgart Ballet. He eventually moved to Hamburg, where he was made Artistic Director and Chief choreographer of the local ballet company. There he developed a reputation for creating modern narrative dance works, both new and revised versions of classic story ballets .

His 1979 Lady of the Camellias was originally created for Marcia Haydée at Stuttgart Ballet. The ballet is well known for its original dramatic structure. It opens with an auction and audiences soon understand that the objects being sold off belonged to Marguerite. Armand enters and flashbacks are used from then onwards to narrate the story.

Neumeier also introduces the characters of Manon and Des Grieux, a feature he fleshed out of Dumas’s novel. Marguerite and Armand meet at a performance of the ballet Manon Lescaut, and the characters of Manon and Des Grieux later appear as mirror images of the main couple, highlighting events that are common to both stories. In addition to Stuttgart and Hamburg Ballets, Lady of the Camellias is currently part of the repertory of American Ballet Theatre, Paris Opera Ballet, Bavarian State Ballet, Ballet del Teatro alla Scala and Dresden Semperoper.

Rachele Buriassi as Manon, Elizabeth Mason as Marguerite Gautier & Roman Novitzky as Des Grieux in Neumeier's Lady of the Camellias. Photo: Stuttgarter Ballett ©

Synopsis

Prologue

An auction of Marguerite Gautier’s possessions is taking place and visitors, including Monsieur Duval, examine the objects. Nanina, loyal servant of the late Marguerite, is seen carrying her mistress’s diary. A young man, Armand Duval, suddenly enters the room and collapses with grief. Monsieur Duval recognises and consoles his son. Flashbacks ensue:

Act I

Armand Duval attends a performance of Manon Lescaut at the Théâtre des Variétés. There, he is introduced to Marguerite Gautier, the most beautiful courtesan in Paris. Armand, who has been admiring Marguerite from afar, fears he has fallen in love and that he will encounter the same tragic fate as Des Grieux’s in the “ballet within the ballet”.

After the performance, Marguerite invites a group of friends to her apartment. She extends the invitation to Armand, as a way to annoy her own escort Count N. She is overcome by a coughing fit and Armand offers his help, confessing his love. Marguerite, who is aware of her illness and lifestyle, keeps him away, but Armand does not let himself be discouraged.

Elizabeth Mason as Marguerite Gautier and Alexander Jones as Armand Duval. Photo: Stuttgarter Ballett ©

Act II

Marguerite is a guest at the home of a Duke. Armand follows her there, and is inevitably confronted by the Duke. Marguerite defends Armand. She finally acknowledges her love for him and they are left alone.

Monsieur Duval, having heard about his son Armand’s liaison with a prostitute, pays a visit to Marguerite. He insists the relationship will damage Armand’s reputation and he wants her to end it. Marguerite initially protests, but the image of Manon appears in her mind, and she accepts Monsieur Duval’s demands.

Armand receives a letter which states that Marguerite has returned to her former life. Armand rejects it, and returns to Paris only to find Marguerite in the arms of the Duke.

Sue Jin Kang as Marguerite Gautier and Marijn Rademaker as Armand Duval. Photo: Stuttgarter Ballett ©

Act III

At a ball on the Champs-Élysées, Marguerite is accompanied by another beautiful courtesan named Olympia. Seeking revenge, Armand flirts and seduces Olympia. Marguerite is now gravely ill, she visits Armand and begs him not to flaunt his affair with Olympia. Their passion is reignited. Marguerite falls asleep and dreams of Manon. Waking up she remembers the promise she had made to Armand’s father and leaves for the second time.

The action goes back to the present. Marguerite’s servant Nanina gives Armand her mistress’s diary and leaves. He reads and relives Marguerite’s last visit to the theatre: she is watching the final scene of Manon Lescaut, where Manon dies in Des Grieux’s arms. Feeling ill, Marguerite leaves the theatre but the ballet’s characters follow her into a feverish dream. Longing for Armand, she records her last thoughts in her diary, which she entrusts to Nanina for Armand after her death. Marguerite dies alone. The ballet ends with Armand silently closing the diary.

Carsten Jung and Hélène Bouchet as Marguerite Gautier in Neumeier's Lady of the Camellias (2009). Photo: Holger Badekow / Hamburg Ballett ©

Videos

Marguerite and Armand

Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev: an extract
Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev: in the country
Sylvie Guillem and Nicolas Le Riche: prologue
Sylvie Guillem and Nicolas Le Riche: death scene

Lady of the Camellias

Marcia Haydée and Ivan Liska in Hamburg Ballet’s production
Sue Jin Kang and Friedemann Vogel in the Act I (Blue) Pas de Deux
Agnès Letestu and Stéphane Buillon in the Act 2 (White) Pas de Deux
Marijn Rademaker dances Armand’s solo from Act 2
Sue Jin Kang and Marijn Rademaker in the Act 3 (Black) Pas de Deux
Marcelo Gomes and Julie Kent in the Act 3 (Black Pas de Deux)
Jirí Jelinek as Armand, Evan McKie as Des Grieux & Anna Osadcenko as Manon
Dorothée Gilbert as Prudence and Karl Paquette as Gaston

Alicia Amatriain as Marguerite Gautier and Jason Reilly as Armand Duval. Photo: Stuttgarter Ballett ©

Music

For Marguerite and Armand Ashton used Franz Liszt’s Sonata in B minor, which interestingly shared a connection to Dumas’s own novel: the Hungarian composer had had an affair with Marie Duplessis, the real-life Marguerite.

This sonata, one of Liszt’s most renowned piano works, was composed between 1852-53 and is dedicated to Robert Schumann. Humphrey Searle arranged it for Ashton’s ballet, using an original transcription. The arrangement was reworked by Dudley Simpson in 1977 when Marguerite and Armand was revived for a series of performances at the London Coliseum.

Neumeier set his Lady of the Camellias to Chopin, using the complete 2nd Piano Concerto plus the Romanze from the 1st Piano Concerto along with other individual piano pieces: the final “Black Pas de Deux” is set to Ballade No. 1 and the Largo movement from Chopin’s Piano Sonata No. 3 in B Minor is the “love theme” for Marguerite and Armand.

Armands & Marguerites - Left: Marijn Rademaker & Sue Jin Kang - Right: Elizabeth Mason & Alexander Jones. Photos: Stuttgarter Ballett ©

An essential iPod/Spotify playlist for Lady of the Camellias should contain:

Franz Liszt

Piano Sonata in B minor (German: Klaviersonate h-Moll), S.178

Frédéric Chopin

2nd movement from Concerto no. 1 for Piano and Orchestra in E minor, Op. 11
Concerto no. 2 for Piano and Orchestra in F minor, Op. 21
Largo from Piano Sonata in B minor, Op. 58
Ballade no. 1 in G minor, Op. 23
Nocturne in E Minor, Op. 72

For the full music listing in Neumeier’s ballet see Music Web International

Alexandre Riabko as Armand and Joëlle Boulogne as Marguerite in Neumeier's Lady of the Camellias (2009). Photo: Holger Badekow / Hamburg Ballett ©

Mini-Biography

Marguerite and Armand

Choreography: Sir Frederick Ashton
Music: Franz Liszt, arranged by Dudley Simpson
Designs and Costumes: Cecil Beaton
Lighting: John B. Read
Original Cast: Margot Fonteyn as Marguerite and Rudolf Nureyev as Armand
Premiere: 12 March 1963, Royal Opera House, London

Lady of the Camellias

Choreography: John Neumeier
Libretto: John Neumeier after the novel by Alexandre Dumas Fils
Music: Frédéric Chopin
Designs and Costumes: Jürgen Rose
Original Cast: Marcia Haydée as Marguerite Gautier, Egon Madsen as Armand Duval, Birgit Keil as Manon Lescaut, Richard Cragun as Des Grieux and Reid Anderson as Monsieur Duval.
Premiere: 4 November 1978, Stuttgart.

Tamara Rojo and Sergei Polunin as Marguerite and Armand Photo: Tristram Kenton / ROH ©

Sources and Further Information

Hamburg Ballett on Lady of the Camellias
Hamburg Ballett on John Neumeier
Marguerite and Armand by Jane Simpson. Ballet.co Contexts, December 2002
Margot, Rudi, …Marguerite and Armand by Karen Spencer. Ballet.co Magazine, February 2000
Nureyev dancing Armand – Notes for Marguerite and Armand. Nureyev Foundation Official Website
Wikipedia: Alexandre Dumas Fils
Wikipedia: Marguerite and Armand
Wikipedia: The Lady of the Camellias
American Ballet Theatre on Lady of the Camellias
American Ballet Theatre Mounts John Neumeier’s Lady of the Camellias: review by Deborah Jowitt. Village Voice, June 2010.
John Neumeier’s Lady of the Camellias by Patricia Boccadoro. Review, Paris Opera Ballet. Culture Kiosque, August 2006.
Hard Work All Around by Robert Greskovic. Review, American Ballet Theatre, Wall Street Journal, June 2009.

The Sleeping Beauty

Linda — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 14:00:29 +0000

Is this ballet for you?

Go If: You love classical ballet complete with fairy tale theme, tiaras, tutus, lavish décors and variations for almost every single dancer (and featuring every single ballet step in the syllabus).

The Sleeping Beauty is also ideal for: classical music fans who want to live Tchaikovsky’s vision of the story, young budding ballerinas and danseurs looking for inspiration and first timers, who will be able to easily follow the story.

Skip If: You cannot bear choreographic “filler”, endless variations and character dances (particularly in the prologue and act 3), long mime sequences (usually present in western versions, but not in Soviet Beauties) or overly long ballets – think 3 hours including intervals!

Dream Cast

Aurora: There are currently no better Auroras in our books than Alina Cojocaru & Evgenia Obraztsova.

Prince Désiré/Florimund: Beauty is more centered on the ballerina so the Prince’s role is secondary. However, the male solos are a perfect showcase for danseur nobles such as Roberto Bolle, Mariinsky’s Igor Kolb, ABT’s Marcelo Gomes, Bolshoi’s David Hallberg, NYCB’s Robbie Fairchild. At the Royal Ballet, rising star Sergei Polunin is very princely.

Lilac Fairy: Ulyana Lopatkina, Veronika Part and Marianela Nuñez.

Sergei Polunin as Prince Florimund in The Royal Ballet's The Sleeping Beauty. Photo: Johan Persson / ROH ©

Background

In 1888 Ivan Vsevolozhsky, Director of the Imperial Theatre in St. Petersburg, had the idea to adapt Charles Perrault‘s tale of The Sleeping Beauty into a ballet, a bold move at a time when fairy tale-based ballets were in low public demand and largely viewed as theatrical gimmicks. He invited Tchaikovsky to compose the music, knowing that Swan Lake (the first version by Wenzel Reisinger/Joseph Hansen) had not been a huge success and that Petipa‘s ballets were not faring well. But Vsevolozhsky – a diplomat who had also served as librettist and costume designer – was a visionary: thinking of the potential for Petipa and the dance talents of the Imperial Theatre, he jumped at the chance to develop a lavish production of this well-loved story in the style of those staged in the court of Louis XIV.

Tchaikovsky didn’t hesitate in undertaking the commission. Immediately taking instructions from Petipa as to the particular requirements (e.g. bar lengths, type of music, character leitmotifs, etc.), he worked fast and it is thought that he completed the overture, prologue and outlines of acts I and II in less than three weeks. Tchaikovsky finished the ballet score at the end of May 1889, having spent a total of 40 days on it. In a letter to one of his benefactors he wrote: “The subject is so poetic, so inspirational to composition, that I am captivated by it”.

The Mariinsky Ballet's production of The Sleeping Beauty. Photo: Natasha Razina / Mariinsky Theatre ©

Rehearsals began in August of that same year. The premiere, originally scheduled to take place that December, kept being pushed forward until the ballet was finally staged on 15th of January 1890. By then the Tsar, who had been invited to the dress rehearsal, had already given his verdict on Tchaikovsky’s score: simply a polite “very nice”. Mixed reviews for the splendid January 15th premiere showed that audiences themselves had been captivated by the beauty of the music, even if it was constantly referred to as “symphonic”.

Some reviewers thought the ballet’s libretto was simplistic and juvenile, with designs that were “too luxurious” (the ballet consumed a quarter of the theatre’s annual budget). Later however, the ballet would captivate the hearts and imagination of a younger generation of enthusiasts, the “Neva Pickwickians”. Amongst them artists like George Balanchine, Alexandre Benois, Léon Bakst, Sergei Diaghilev, Igor Stravinsky and Anna Pavlova, who would give The Sleeping Beauty a boost and help it become the most performed ballet in the Mariinsky’s history. Incidentally, the theatre’s heritage 1890 production was revived in 1999, in a lavish reconstruction by Sergey Vikharev.

The Sleeping Beauty was first performed outside Russia in Milan in 1896. But in St. Petersburg, with the revolution under way, the production went into decline. The ballet continued to flourish in the West thanks to Diaghilev and his Ballets Russes. Their 1921 London staging of The Sleeping Princess was a new full-length work (their repertory also had a 45-min abridged version: Aurora’s Wedding) with designs by Léon Bakst, new orchestrations by Stravinsky and revised choreography by Nijinska. It was given a record 105 consecutive performances and was considered a success, even though it had dire economic consequences for the company.

Sarah Lamb as Princess Aurora. Photo: Johan Persson / ROH ©

Beauty and the Royal Ballet

The Sleeping Beauty has a special place in the Royal Ballet’s repertoire. It was originally staged for the company in 1939 by Nicholas Sergeyev who had fled the Russian revolution with the original Mariinsky notations in his suitcase, with a then 19-year-old Margot Fonteyn in the role of Aurora. This was also the “statement ballet” chosen by Ninette de Valois to commemorate the end of WWII and the company’s new home at the Royal Opera House where Margot Fonteyn and Robert Helpmann danced the leads Aurora and Prince Florimund/Carabosse. With legendary designs by Oliver Messel, the ballet had its premiere on February 20, of 1946 and became a symbol of the company triumphing against adversity, not only at home, but on tour in the US where Fonteyn’s Aurora was acclaimed by New York audiences.

This production was restaged by the Royal Ballet in 2006, to celebrate its 75th anniversary and remains in repertoire. For the current revival at the Royal Opera House (2011/2012 season) costumes have been further redesigned after the 1946 Messel originals.

Ivan Putrov as Prince Florimund and Sarah Lamb as Princess Aurora in The Royal Ballet’s The Sleeping Beauty. Photo: Johan Persson / ROH ©

The Story

Petipa and Vsevolozhsky based the ballet’s libretto on the original fairy tale by Charles Perrault (later popularised by the Brothers Grimm), with modifications from the source text to allow for the dancing. Of course, there are slight changes in the main argument from one ballet company to another:

Prologue: The Christening

The curtains open to reveal the Master of Ceremonies Cattalabutte busy with the final preparations ordered by King Florestan XXIV to celebrate the christening of his daughter Aurora. He goes through the guest list to make sure he has not forgotten to invite anyone, not least all the fairy godmothers: the Lilac Fairy and

Candide, Coulante-Fleur-de-Farine, Miettes-qui-Tombent, Canari-qui-Chante, Violente or;

Tender Fairy, Carefree Fairy, Generous Fairy, Playful Fairy, Brave Fairy or;

as in the Royal Ballet’s version:

Fairy of the Crystal Fountain, Fairy of the Enchanted Garden, Fairy of the Woodland Glade, Fairy of the Song Bird, Fairy of the Golden Vine

The fairies arrive to bestow on the Princess gifts and virtues of, respectively, purity, beauty, generosity, musicality and vitality. Each dances a solo representing her trademark virtue. Before the Lilac Fairy has the chance to present her gift (wisdom) she is interrupted by the arrival of Carabosse – the wicked Fairy – who is furious with the King and Queen for not having been invited. The King calls on Cattalabutte to investigate and his Master of Ceremonies admits Carabosse had been omitted from the guest list. She grabs the poor man and rips off his wig.

Deirdre Chapman as Carabosse in The Royal Ballet's production of The Sleeping Beauty. Photo: Johan Persson / ROH ©

Ignoring the fairy godmothers’s pleas and ridiculing them, she proceeds to place a curse on the princess, who will grow up to be very beautiful but will ultimately prick her finger on a spindle and die on her sixteen birthday. As the court panics, the Lilac Fairy, who was yet to give her gift, promises that if Carabosse’s curse ever materializes, then Aurora will not die, but fall into deep sleep for 100 years, awakening once she is found by a Prince from a faraway land who shall give her true love’s kiss.

Act I: The Spell

It is the eve of Princess Aurora’s sixteenth birthday and the whole kingdom is celebrating. While villagers dance with flower garlands a small group of women is seen knitting, a forbidden activity which carries a death penalty since the King has banned all sewing objects from his kingdom. Cattalabutte reports them to the King, who decrees that the women should be hanged, but the Queen intervenes and pleads for mercy. Since it is his daughter’s birthday he reconsiders and festivities resume.

Four princes arrive from far away lands (known as the French, Spanish, Indian and Russian princes) to meet the princess and offer her gifts of exquisite roses. Aurora’s friends enter and Cattalabutte finally announces her arrival. The music becomes as fast as heatbeats and the princess bursts onto stage in quick jumpy steps which convey her youthful innocence. The King and Queen greet her asking her to dance with the princes as she is now old enough to marry. She receives them and dances what is called the Rose Adagio, one of the most testing pieces for a classical ballerina as she is required to do multiple balances on pointe center stage whilst being courted by each smitten prince.

Sarah Lamb as Princess Aurora and Christopher Saunders as King Florestan XXIV in The Royal Ballet’s The Sleeping Beauty. Photo: Johan Persson / ROH ©

After this technical tour de force, Aurora returns to dance a solo for the princes, which she does in a part coquettish, part bashful way, like a typical teenager. Just then an old lady appears and presents her with a spindle, which she grabs with curiosity since she had never seen one.

She dances with it, while her mother and father watch with a mixture of apprehension and terror. Sure enough, Aurora pricks her finger and collapses. The old lady – who reveals herself as Carabosse – laughs triumphantly and vanishes before the Princes can fight her. The Lilac Fairy then appears to remind everyone that the Princess will not die. She puts the entire kingdom to sleep, to awaken only once Aurora’s curse is broken.

Marianela Nuñez as the Lilac Fairy and Artists of The Royal Ballet in The Sleeping Beauty. Photo: Johan Persson / ROH ©

Act II: The Vision

One hundred years have passed and Prince Désiré/Florimund is hunting with friends. They try to entertain him with games and dances but he does not seem interested. As his party departs in pursuit of a stag, he lingers behind, alone in the forest. The Lilac Fairy appears and shows him a vision of Princess Aurora, and as he dances with this vision, he falls in love.

He pleads to be brought to the Princess, and the Lilac Fairy takes him to a castle hidden beneath layers of ivy. At the gates they encounter evil Carabosse who tries to prevent the Prince from succeeding in his quest, but the Lilac Fairy repels her and the Prince finally awakens Aurora with a kiss. Désire/Florimund declares his love for her and Aurora agrees to marry him.

Left: Rupert Pennefather as Prince Florimund. Right: Tamara Rojo as Aurora. Photos: Bill Cooper / ROH ©

Act III: The Wedding

Festivities are held to celebrate the nuptials of Princess Aurora and Prince Désiré/Florimund. Various fairy tale characters join the festivities including Puss in Boots and the White Cat, Bluebird and Princess Florine, Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf among others, the highlight here being the Bluebird Pas de Deux, in which the male soloist has to perform a fiendish diagonal of Brisés volés mirroring a bird in flight.

The beautiful grand wedding Pas de Deux ensues, the choreography showing us a more mature Aurora – more poised and confident than the 16 year old from Act I – and her elegant “danseur noble“ prince. They are joined by their guests in a mazurka and the ballet ends with the The Lilac Fairy blessing the newly wedded couple.

Emma Maguire as Red Riding Hood and David Pickering as The Wolf in The Royal Ballet’s The Sleeping Beauty. Photo: Johan Persson / ROH ©

The Music

Tchaikovksy’s score lasts 3 hours so it is usually cut for the ballet. There are two main leitmotifs, one for Carabosse (the angry sounding first part of the overture) and other for the Lilac Fairy (the calming second part) and both often develop from one another. This review of ABT’s Sleeping Beauty by NY Times dance critic Alastair Macaulay contains some great insights into the musical themes set in the score.

An essential Sleeping Beauty playlist for your ipod should include the below tracks, which are listed as in the original 1890 version. Note that track names may vary depending on CD editions:

Prologue: Overture/Intro (No. 1)
Prologue: Variation La Fée des Lilas–voluptueuse (From the Pas de Six) (No. 3, Variation VI)
Act I Grande Valse Villageoise (The Garland Waltz, No. 6)
Act I Pas d’action: Grand adage à la rose (Rose Adagio No.8)
Act I Scène et Finale (No. 9)
Act II Scène de la chasse royale (No. 10)
Act II Panorama (No. 17)
Act II Scène du Chateau de sommeil (N0. 19)
Act II Scène et Finale. Le réveil d’Aurore (No. 20)
Act III Marche (No. 21)
Act III Polonaise Dansée (No. 22)
Act III Pas de caractère Le Chat Botté et la Chatte Blanche (No. 24)
Act III Pas de deux de l’Oiseau Bleu et la Princesse Florine (No. 25)
Act III Variation de la Princesse Florine (No. 25)
Act III Variation de l’Oiseau Bleu (No. 25)
Act III Pas De Deux. Aurore et Désiré (No. 28)
Act III Coda Générale (No. 30)
Act III Apothéose (No. 30)

Left: Marianela Nuñez as Aurora, with Thiago Soares as Florimund. Photo: Bill Cooper / ROH © Right: Nuñez as Aurora by Johan Persson / ROH ©

Mini-Biography

Original Choreography: Marius Petipa
Music: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Original Design: Henrich Levogt (Prologue), Ivan Andreyev (Act 1), Mikhail Bocharov (Acts 1 & 2), Matvey Shishkov (Act 3) with costumes by Ivan Vsevolozhky
Original Cast: Carlotta Brianza as Aurora, Pavel Gerdt as Prince Désiré, Marie Petipa as the Lilac Fairy, Enrico Cecchetti as the Bluebird and Varvara Nikitina as Princess Florine.
Premiere: St. Petersburg, Imperial Mariinsky Theatre, 15 Jan 1890.

For the Royal Ballet’s current production (the 2006 revival of 1946 production by Ninette de Valois)

Production Credits: Monica Mason and Christopher Newton after Ninette de Valois and Nicholas Sergeyev with designs by Oliver Messel and Peter Farmer.

Choreography: Marius Petipa, with additional choreography by Sir Frederick Ashton (Act II, Aurora’s Variation and Prince’s Variation and Act III: Florestan and his sisters after Petipa), Anthony Dowell (Prologue: Carabosse and Rats and Act III Polonaise and Mazurka assisted by Christopher Carr) and Christopher Wheeldon (Act I: Garland Dance).

Sources and Further Information

Wikipedia Entry for Sleeping Beauty [link]
BalletMet Sleeping Beauty Notes by Gerald Charles [link]
NYCB Sleeping Beauty Notes [link]
Performance Notes and Programme for The Royal Ballet’s Sleeping Beauty (2008) including The Sleeping Beauty by Clement Crisp, A Cinderella Story for a Sleeping Princess by Tim Scholl and The Good, the Bad and the Symphonic by John Warrack.
For Ballet Lovers Only: feature on the Reconstructed Beauty by Doug Fullington [link]
The Sleeping Beauty (The Royal Ballet) DVD. Recorded Performance from 2006, featuring Alina Cojocaru as Aurora and Federico Bonelli as Prince Florimund. BBC/Opus Arte, 2008 [link]
The Magic of Sleeping Beauty. Royal Opera House Podcast, presented by Deborah Bull. 2007 [link]
Wake up Princess, the Movies are Calling. Dance review by Alastair Macaulay for the NY Times [link]
CD: Tchaikovsky: The Sleeping Beauty London Symphony Orchestra directed by André Previn, 2004. EMI Classics. [link]

Jewels

Linda — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 10:16:12 +0000

Balanchine’s three-act ballet Jewels has become a global phenomenon. This autumn the ballet returns to New York City Ballet, the company for whom it was originally created (don’t miss this recent video where NYCB dancers Jenifer Ringer, Sterling Hyltin and Sara Mearns discuss each act), while the Royal Ballet presents this season’s final performance on Wednesday.

Jewels is also being released by the Mariinsky on DVD/Blu-ray (and an older DVD version with Paris Opera Ballet also exists) with our dream cast for Diamonds: Uliana Lopatkina.

With all this bling, it’s worth revisiting our own Jewels cheat sheet, freshly updated and illustrated with gorgeous production images:

Is this ballet for you?

Go if: You like to mix & match different ballet styles or you want to take a crash course on Balanchine. This particular piece covers all his styles and influences.

Skip if: You do not fancy abstract, plotless ballets. That would be a shame though, as between Emeralds, Rubies & Diamonds there might be at least one rock that is right for you!

Dream Casts

Emeralds with the Royal Ballet (Tamara Rojo or Alina Cojocaru) or the Paris Opera Ballet

Rubies with NYCB (Ashley Bouder please!)

Diamonds with the Mariinsky (Uliana Lopatkina or Viktoria Tereshkina)

Left: Zenaida Yanowsky in Rubies. Right: Alina Cojocaru and Rupert Pennefather in Diamonds. Photos: Johan Persson / ROH ©

Background

Jewels is said to be the first full-length abstract ballet, although in reality, the ballet features three independent acts – each with music by a different composer, choreographed and designed to an individual style – linked by the common theme of gemstones. The story as to how Balanchine came up with the inspiration for Jewels also varies: according to one, jeweler Claude Arpels would have suggested it after inviting Balanchine to his showroom. In another, the idea came when Balanchine was trying to buy a ring for his muse & beloved, the ballerina Suzanne Farrell.

Despite having claimed that the ballet had nothing to do with actual jewels, Balanchine did evoke the colour and glitter of jewels in dancing – watch for the elaborate floor patterns and shaping of groups, reminiscent of necklaces and chains – and on the dancers themselves. For this, Barbara Karinska, his long time collaborator, created distinct, matching looks for each section of the ballet. The costumes were also designed so that the dancers could move freely, to meet the demands of Balanchine’s choreography.

Artists of the Royal Ballet in Diamonds. Photo: Johan Persson / ROH ©

Given that most of the glitter would come from the reproduction of the stone colours and their sheen in costumes and dancing, the settings were relatively simple, with some jewels to reflect the lighting. Perhaps for this reason, ballet companies around the world have certain artistic freedom in choosing stage settings for Jewels, whilst the costumes – with the exception of Paris Opera Ballet’s – remain true to Karinska’s original creations. The Royal Ballet for instance has set designs specifically created by Jean-Marc Puissant.

Emeralds

The opening piece, Emeralds, is set to music by Gabriel Fauré. This is Balanchine’s ode to Romantic ballets, hinted at not only in the long, Romantic-style, tutus, but also in the choreography: fluid, airy and delicate, full of floating bourrées, Giselle-like balances and sinuous steps. It evokes 19th century Paris and French ballerinas of that era. With a small corps de ballet of ten women, three soloists and two leading couples, the piece starts with an opening Pas de Deux from the first couple, two solo variations for the ballerinas, a vivid Pas de Trois (one of the highlights of Emeralds), a Pas de Deux for the second leading couple and an ensemble finale.

Jenifer Ringer and Jonathan Stafford in NYCB's Emeralds. Photo: Paul Kolnik / NYCB ©

Rubies

If Emeralds is about 19th century “Romantic Paris”, Rubies brings us nearer to jazzy America in the Thirties, thanks to Igor Stravinsky‘s extremely energetic and syncopated “Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra”. Here the costumes are short, “Ballet-on-Broadway” looking skirts for the girls. The choreography attempts to display all the different twists in the music, so one sees angular shapes, high extensions, jutting hips, flexed feet and more. Due to its “wow factor” Rubies has been the most successful of the three sections and is often performed independently of the other two. Dancers usually compare performing in Rubies to running a marathon, given the required stamina. The ballet has a leading couple, a female soloist and a corps of eight women and four men. After the ensemble opening, we see a solo for a tall, Balanchine-type ballerina, a very sparky Pas de Deux for the leading couple and a real marathon of a finale, where the dancers prance and chase each other, like “racing horses”, full of fun, energy and intensity.

Artists of the Mariinsky Ballet in Rubies. Photo: Natasha Razina / Mariinsky Theatre ©

Diamonds

This final section, with its choreographic nods to the Imperial Russian Ballet schooling and to Petipa‘s classical masterpieces, is Balanchine’s homage to both his grand ballerina Suzanne Farrell and to Russian tradition. Unsurprisingly, Balanchine chose a Russian score (Tchaikovsky‘s Symphony No. 3) and dressed his ballerinas in wonderful white tutus. The ballet opens with a waltz for a corps de ballet of twelve women and two soloists. The next movement is a regal Pas de Deux for the principal couple, structured in the classical tradition, with an extended adagio and variations – think Sleeping Beauty, Raymonda, Swan Lake and La Bayadère all rolled into one – followed by an even more spectacular final polonaise (a crowd-pleasing, applause-generator essentially), where all the dancers return to the stage forming intricate swirling patterns, as if replicating Diamond chains in their dancing.

Ulyana Lopatkina, Igor Zelensky and Artists of the Mariinsky Ballet in Diamonds. Photo: Natasha Razina / Mariinsky Theatre ©

In short, even though Jewels has no underlying story and is, effectively, a “mix and match” of independent sections unified by the overall “gemstone” theme, on stage the mix of dancing styles and music wraps up mood, excitement and drama in one dazzling, vibrant package.

Music

An essential playlist for your Spotify / iPod would read as follows:

Emeralds:
Gabriel Fauré. Pelléas et Mélisande (op. 80) and Shylock (op. 57).

Rubies:
Igor Stravinsky. Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra.

Diamonds:
Pieter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Symphony No. 3 in D major op. 29 (omit first movement).

Mini-Biography

Original Choreography: George Balanchine
Premiere: NYCB at New York State Theatre, April 13 1976.
Original Cast:
Emeralds: Violette Verdy and Conrad Ludlow, Mimi Paul and Francisco Moncion,
Sara Leland, Suki Schorer and John Prinz
Rubies: Patricia McBride and Edward Villela, Patricia Neary
Diamonds: Suzanne Farrell and Jacques D’Amboise
Original Designs: Peter Harvey with lighting by Ronald Bates and costumes by Barbara Karinska

Artists of the Mariinsky Ballet in Emeralds. Photo: Natasha Razina / Mariinsky Theatre ©

Sources and Further information

Wikipedia entry for Jewels
Ballet Notes from BalletMet Colombus by Jeannine Potter
The Balanchine Trust
The Balanchine Foundation
Patricia Neary speaks for the ROH Podcast. Available to download free from iTunes.
How brightly shining? Jewels review by John Percival at Danceviewtimes

Mariinsky in London: Balanchine & Robbins Dress Rehearsal

Guest — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 10:41:08 +0000

US-based dance photographer Brian Mengini is currently in London, working on a photo project with dancers from English National Ballet and The Royal Ballet. Brian lives in Pennsylvania and often works with the Pennsylvania Ballet and Boston Ballet. He recently shared with us his experiences shooting the Boston Ballet in rehearsal.

In this new guest blog he talks about how the opportunity came about to photograph the Mariinsky Ballet’s dress rehearsal for their acclaimed Balanchine/Robbins triple bill, staged last week in London. Check out some great photos of the Company, with ABT Principal David Hallberg as a special guest in Scotch Symphony. Lookout for our “Mariinsky in London” roundup soon.

I arrived into London on Wednesday and, shortly after settling in at my hotel in Watford, I got straight over to Covent Garden. I had a shoot that evening with Mariinsky principal dancer Igor Kolb. It was a fun session that took place on the rooftop balcony of the Royal Opera House. What an amazing experience! At the conclusion, Igor invited me back to shoot the dress rehearsal the following day. That night, the Mariinsky Ballet was dancing Don Quixote, for which I had a ticket. So, after the session, I hung out and took in the sights. “Don Q” was great but I had a splitting headache and was falling asleep as it was my travel day so I headed home early.

When I arrived at the Royal Opera House on Thursday, Igor met me at the stage door with a smile and handshake. He was very warm and friendly. He took me up to his dressing room so I could leave my bag and things up there then ushered me down to the auditorium. Official rehearsal didn’t start until 1:30 pm, but when I arrived (at 1 pm), there were some dancers on stage, trying out steps. The orchestra was also warming up. Always nice to hear them tune up their instruments. The curtains closed: show time!

Just then, I took a look around the theater in amazement. How incredible is this? Here I am in London, shooting a dress rehearsal for the Mariinsky in the Royal Opera House. Just incredible. Curtains opened with Ballet Imperial. Beautiful & simple. Then they went into another Balanchine piece: Scotch Symphony. It was my first time seeing it and I had fun photographing it. They closed the rehearsal with Jerome Robbins’s In the Night, this time in full costume and makeup. This gave me some great photo candy. I remember when they were setting it up, it was poorly lit and I thought: “oh… this should be interesting.” But alas, the lighting was just perfect, as was the dancing. I think this piece gave me the most images of the three of them (see gallery below). It was a true honor and privilege to photograph this programme. I hope to have the chance to do it again.

Credits: Igor Kolb in Ballet Imperial (with Alina Somova in the background), Maria Shirinkina and David Hallberg in Scotch Symphony, the Matvienkos (Anastasia and Denis) in Robbins’s In the Night. All photos by Brian Mengini ©.

And plenty more here (Click on thumbnails to enlarge & see as slideshow):

About the Author:

Photographer Brian Mengini resides in suburban Philadelphia and keeps a studio in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. Brian’s unending passion for ballet came in the summer of 2007, when the Mann Center asked him to come in and shoot the Royal Ballet’s final performance of Swan Lake.   Since then, his images have appeared in a variety of exhibits and publications including Pointe Magazine and Dance Magazine.   In June of 2010, Brian started Barre Boys, a website dedicated to the male in ballet with a goal of squashing stereotypes and inspiring more males to pursue ballet. Together with his wife, he has launched Hope Dances, a nonprofit dance outreach program for children with special needs.

The Little Humpbacked Horse

Emilia — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 17:13:00 +0000

Is this ballet for you?

Go if: you like coming of age stories, where the male hero has to overcome various obstacles, preferably dancing plenty of virtuoso steps along the way (in fact, all three main characters have challenging steps to negotiate). Do not be put off by the weird title: The Little Humpbacked Horse is based on a Russian folk tale for children, but the latest adaptation for the stage by Ratmansky is fresh, fun and very creative, with a wide audience appeal. A perfect blend of “classical meets modern”.

Skip if: a delightful musical score (in this case, by Shchedrin) and lovely choreography are not enough for you. You absolutely need your ballets extravagantly decorated à la Sleeping Beauty, with rich tutus, lavish settings, a huge corps de ballet and blow-the-budget production.

Vladimir Shklyarov as Ivan and Viktoria Tereshkina as the Tsar Maiden in Ratmansky's The Little Humpbacked Horse. Photo: Natasha Razina / Mariinsky Theatre ©

Dream Casts

For the hero, Ivan “the fool” (or Ivanuschka) – Vladimir Shklyarov, not only because it’s one of his favorite roles.

For Ivan’s love interest, the Tsar Maiden – Viktoria Tereshkina, given her amazing ability to make the biggest technical challenges seem like no trouble. Or the edgy Alina Somova whose modern style is well suited to Ratmansky’s choreography and because, after all, this role has earned her a Golden Mask award, and the even more precious gift of Maya Plisetskaya’s own diamond earrings.

For Ivan’s friend, The Little Humpbacked Horse of the title – a soloist who is great at jumping and at petit allegro.

History & Background

The Little Humpbacked Horse (Конек-горбунок) is the tale of a simple young boy, Ivan, and his friend the Humpbacked Horse. After Ivan’s two fine stallions are stolen, the magical Humpbacked Horse and a firebird feather lead him from an idyllic life at his father’s farm into the service of the Tsar. The latter sends Ivan on various missions: to the top of a Mountain to find a Tsar Maiden, to retrieve an engagement ring from the bottom of the sea, and to bathe in a boiling cauldron. But with the assistance of his magical horse, the heroic Ivan ends up winning the Tsar Maiden’s hand and taking the throne.

This well-known tale is a staple of every Russian childhood and has important connections to older folklore like The Firebird. As with La Fille Mal Gardée, The Little Humpbacked Horse has seen several choreographic incarnations over time. The tale was first staged as a ballet by Arthur Saint-Léon (who would later choreograph Coppélia), with a score by Cesare Pugni. It premiered at the Imperial Ballet on 15 December 1864, with Marfa Muravieva and Timofei Stukolkin in the leading roles.

Alina Somova as the Tsar Maiden in Ratmansky's The Little Humpbacked Horse. Photo: Natasha Razina / Mariinsky Theatre ©

The ballet was a success, not only because of Pugni’s memorable score, but also due to the grand scale of scenes on the magical underwater world, one of the places Ivan has to travel to at the command of the Tsar. As was typical at the time, the ballet ended with a divertissement celebrating the Russian Empire. Thirty years later (1895) Marius Petipa would use parts of Pugni’s score (combined with incidental music by Riccardo Drigo) to recreate – under the title The Tsar Maiden – his own version for the acclaimed prima Pierina Legnani. Interestingly, this particular version of The Little Humpbacked Horse would be the first work ever to be performed by the newly formed Ballets Russes.

Over the years The Little Humpbacked Horse would undergo numerous revivals, including a restaging by Alexander Gorsky for the Bolshoi (1901) that had a veritable medley of music, with sections by Anton Simon, Boris Asafiev, Tchaikovsy, Antonín Dvořák, Alexander Glazunov, Brahms and Liszt. This version – originally with Lyubov Roslavleva (as the Tsar Maiden) and Alexander Gorsky (as Ivan) – would serve as the basis for many subsequent revivals in Russia, but over time, the ballet became outmoded. Like many other 19th century works, only its most celebrated passages were presented at galas and special performances.

Shchedrin, Maya & Radunsky

By 1960, when the Bolshoi’s Aleksandr Radunsky choreographed Rodion Shchedrin’s new score for The Little Humpbacked Horse, there were a dozen previous versions of the ballet. The young Shchedrin had composed his score in 1956 (in collaboration with librettists Vasily Vaionen and Pavel Malyarevsky), and legend has it that this was the work that brought him together with his future wife Maya Plisetskaya (who created the role of the Tsar Maiden). Thanks to Shchedrin, the story’s characters were brought to life with expressive music that evoked comedy, drama and lyricism, much in the same vein as Prokofiev’s Cinderella.

This version was also released as a film, with original leads Maya Plisetskaya, Vladimir Vasiliev and Radunsky himself (as the Tsar). The ballet’s first St. Petersburg (then Leningrad) production took place in 1963.

The Firebirds. Artists of the Mariinsky Ballet in Ratmansky's The Little Humpbacked Horse. Photo: Natasha Razina / Mariinsky Theatre ©

Ratmansky

Alexei Ratmansky’s new version of the ballet premiered in 2009 at the Mariinsky’s “Stars of the White Nights Festival”, to generally favorable reviews (incidentally it was the only production at the festival to be given four performances). The ballet’s revival helped cement Shchedrin’s score as the definitive one. With minimalist sets and costumes, this new version focuses on the music and narrative; the main characters are given expressive choreography and are treated by Ratmansky with plenty of personality, humour and creativity. Ratmansky’s Little Humpbacked Horse offers an interesting mix of modern concepts (the deconstructed Pas de Deux, the references to pop culture in designs and dances – at one point Ivan and the Tsar Maiden dance steps that belong in a pop concert) and classical ballet (presence of mime, virtuoso steps, use of the corps de ballet).

Ratmansky received this commission from Mariinsky director Valery Gergiev, a keen admirer of Shchedrin, who had on several occasions conducted highlights of The Little Humpbacked Horse. To revive the libretto, Ratmansky had the assistance of Maxim Isayev. Of this new staging, Shchedrin says:

I always dreamed that he [Ratmansky] would turn his visions and ears on The Horse. It seemed and seems to me that it is close to his unique, witty individuality of theme, where lyricism and humour, craftiness and light sadness are natural neighbours. (Programme notes from the Mariinsky Theatre)

The Story

Act I

Scene 1: A Farmhouse close to a field

We see an old man at home with his sons Gavrilo, Danilo and the youngest, Ivan. The man goes out to cut rye wheat while Ivan’s brothers arrange an outdoor party. Returning from the field, the man is disappointed to find them dancing and making merry with wet nurses. He orders them to stop and expels the maidens. Hoping they will learn to be more responsible, he tells his sons of a terrible villain who comes at night to trample on the wheat and sends Gavrilo and Danilo out to guard the field. Ivan is eager to accompany them but is considered too young and clumsy. His brothers think he is a fool but Ivan, who is afraid of nothing, is determined to help catch the villain. He decides to set out into the field alone.

Scene 2: the Field

Ivan sees a beautiful Young Mare trot into the field. The mare is trampling and ruining the wheat. Ivan reacts quickly: grabbing the mare by the tail he awkwardly mounts the animal back to front. The Young Mare is not amused and keeps trying to buck off Ivan. It finally gives up and decides to barter with Ivan: it will gift him three Horses, two stallions plus a little Humpbacked Horse in exchange for its freedom. Ivan is puzzled by the Humpbacked Horse but accepts the trade. Distracted by firebirds that have just landed on the field, Ivan hasn’t noticed Gavrilo and Danilo wander in. They covet the beautiful horses. As Ivan returns with a firebird feather he realises the stallions have disappeared. Visibly upset, he is consoled by the little Humpbacked Horse, who promises to help Ivan pursue the abductors. Ivan realises this is indeed no ordinary horse. Together they set off on their first adventure.

Vladimir Shklyarov as Ivan in Ratmansky's The Little Humpbacked Horse. Photo: Natasha Razina / Mariinsky Theatre ©

Scene 3: A Square in the Capital

People are making merry and some dance a quadrille. Gavrilo and Danilo have just arrived with the intention of selling the horses. The Tsar also enters to have a look around. He has noticed the stallions and is interested in them. Ivan and the Humpbacked Horse rush onto the square in time to stop Ivan’s brothers, but the Tsar has become attached to the animals and wants to bargain with Ivan. The Tsar offers Ivan the Chamberlain’s hat (thus indirectly his job). They make a deal, leaving the Chamberlain enraged and jealous of Ivan.

Scene 4 : The Tsar’s Chambers

The wet nurses are feeding the Tsar who soon falls asleep. Ivan is also tired and ready to go to sleep. The demoted Chamberlain is keeping a close eye on Ivan and, as soon as Ivan dozes off , he snatches the firebird’s feather from him. He awakens the Tsar and they wonder how Ivan has acquired such riches. Ivan’s feather leads the Tsar to a vision of the firebirds and, amongst them, a lonely Tsarevna. The vision fades but the Tsar is now in love with the Tsarevna. The Chamberlain wakes Ivan from his sleep and orders him to bring in the maiden. Ivan is in despair. He doesn’t know where to seek out such a creature. Once again, the Little Horse comforts Ivan and tells him not to worry, together they hatch a plan and depart for yet another adventure.

Act II

Scene 1: A Mountain at the edge of the world

Ivan and the Horse have come to the edge of the world to find the firebirds and the Tsarevna. Ivan tries to capture the Firebirds but they fly away. He now sees the beautiful Tsar maiden and cannot take his eyes off her. The Tsarevna is also somewhat taken with Ivan and allows him and the Little Horse to capture her and take her to the Capital.

Scene 2

The Tsar and his Boyars are in the royal chambers waiting for the Tsarevna. Ivan returns with the Little Horse and the maiden. The Tsar wakes up and sends everyone away. He declares to the Tsarevna that he plans to marry her and shows her an engagement ring. Ivan – who loves the Tsarevna – is distressed. The Tsar maiden agrees to marry, but she is not happy with the ring; for she wants a stone that lies on the seabed. The Chamberlain knows just how to procure such a stone: he gives the task once again to Ivan, who leaves for the seabed with his magical horse.

Yekaterina Kondaurova as the Sea Princess with Artists of the Mariinsky Ballet in The Little Humpbacked Horse. Photo: Natasha Razina / Mariinsky Theatre ©

Scene 3: The Seabed

Ivan and the Little Horse reach the seabed where the Sea people are going about their marine lives. Ivan looks for the ring, which is nowhere to be found. Ivan has the idea to ask for help and the Sea Princess agrees to bring him the stone ring.

Scene 4: The square in the Capital

The Tsarevna is invited to dance by the Tsar. She accepts but the Tsar is old and tires quickly. Ivan reappears with his Little Horse and the stone to the Tsarevna’s delight. Angy that Ivan has once again been successful, the Chamberlain snatches the ring and tells Ivan his services are no longer required, as the Tsar is ready to marry. But the Tsarevna does not really fancy the Tsar for a husband. She has a plan of her own: she tells him that first he needs to become “as handsome as a portrait” and for that he must jump into a cauldron of boiling water.

As the cauldron is brought in, the Tsar worries about jumping into boiling water. The Chamberlain once again suggests he gets Ivan to try it out. The faithful Little Horse works a spell and Ivan is transformed into a handsome Tsarevich. The people rejoice. It is now the Tsar’s turn. However, without the Little Humpbacked Horse to work his spell it all goes wrong: the Tsar dies as soon as he immerses himself in boiling water. He is briefly mourned by his subjects but Ivan Tsarevich and the Tsarevna are delighted as they can now be with each other. Preparations for the wedding are made and the couple celebrates with the Little Humpbacked Horse and the people.

Vladimir Shklyarov as Ivan and Alina Somova as the Tsar Maiden in Ratmansky's The Little Humpbacked Horse. Photo: Natasha Razina / Mariinsky Theatre ©

Music

While completing his postgraduate studies with Yuri Shaporin at the Moscow Conservatory, Rodion Konstantinovich Shchedrin started working on his first ballet score: The Little Humpbacked Horse (1955). Three years later Shchedrin would marry the ballerina Maya Plisetskaya. Of this period, the composer says:

The music for the ballet The Little Humpbacked Horse is an early, a very early, work of mine. But it is the work of an era important in terms of my emergence as a composer and which defined much in my life. A work with which I firmly “grasped” the unearthly Firebird – Maya Plisetskaya. The score is dedicated to her… (Programme notes from the Mariinsky Theatre)

Shchedrin belongs to a generation of modern Russian composers whose works take inspiration from the past – in his case, Sergei Prokofiev, Dmitri Kabalevsky and Dmitri Shostakovich – balancing tradition with modernism to find new ways of artistic expression. Shchedrin’s style connects Russian classics and elements of folklore with modern compositional methods. From Prokofiev specifically, the composer has embraced marked rhythms and constructive rationality. Shchedrin’s compositions play with tone colours, changing lyrical and dramatic sections and extending melodic lines. Even in his later works, which are less academically formal, Shchedrin tends to observe balance and density, with a musical texture that is enlivened by dramatic blasts.

In addition to The Little Humpbacked Horse, Shchedrin wrote the following ballets: Carmen Suite (1967), based on the opera Carmen by Georges Bizet, Anna Karenina (1971), The Seagull (1980) and The Lady with a Little Dog (1985). He has also composed many operas, concertos and orchestral works.

For iPods and Spotify playlists, here is a full track listing for The Little Humpbacked Horse.

Viktoria Tereshkina as the Tsar Maiden, with the Tsar (Andrei Ivanov) and the Chamberlain (Yuri Smekalov). Photo: Natasha Razina / Mariinsky Theatre ©

Videos

From a special gala performance: Underwater scene (Gorsky, Petipa after Saint-Léon)
From a special gala performance: Enchanted Isle of the Tsar Maiden (Gorsky, Petipa after Saint-Léon)
Maya Plisetskaya & Vladimir Vasiliev as Tsar Maiden and Ivan (Radunsky)
The Tsar Maiden living among the Firebirds (Ratmansky)
Victoria Tereshkina & Mikhail Lobukhin in The Wedding Pas de Deux (Ratmansky)
Vladimir Shklyarov, Alina Somova and Vasily Tkachenko discuss their roles (Ratmansky)
Yuri Smekalov as the Chamberlain (Ratmansky)
Two Tsar Maidens: Alina Somova & Evgenia Obraztsova (footage from her debut)
Trailer for Ratmansky’s version from the Mariinsky’s YT channel

Mini Biography

Choreography: Arthur Saint-Léon
Music: Cesare Pugni
Original Cast: Marfa Muravieva and Timofei Stukolkin
Premiere: 15 December 1864, Imperial Ballet, St Petersburg

Choreography: Aleksandr Radunsky
Music: Rodion Shchedrin
Original Cast: Maya Plisetskaya and Vladimir Vasiliev
Premiere: 1960, Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow

Choreography: Alexei Ratmansky
Music: Rodion Shchedrin
Designs: Maxim Isaev (Set and Costumes) and Damir Ismagilov (Lighting)
Original Cast: Viktoria Tereshkina and Mikhail Lobukhin
Premiere: 14 March 2009, Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg

Sources & Further Information:

Programme Notes for Mariinsky’s The Little Humpbacked Horse, Théâtre du Châtelet, November 2010.
Programme Notes from the Mariinsky Theatre’s Website.
Wikipedia entries for The Little Humpbacked Horse (Ballet) and Rodion Shchedrin.
Rodion Shchedrin biography from Scottish Ballet’s Website.
Ballet.co Magazine, Review of 1960 production on DVD by John Mallinson. September 2007.
Ballet.co Magazine, Review of The Little Humbpacked Horse revival by Kevin Ng. November 2010.
Notes from MrLopez2681 on The Little Humpbacked Horse (after Gorsky/Petipa/Saint-Léon).
Discussion threads at Ballet Alert forum: The Little Humpbacked Horse (Pugni/Gorsky after Petipa/SL) and 9th Mariinsky Festival: Performance Reports.
The Humpbacked Horse ballet at Answers.com
Mariinsky straddles the “Little Humpbacked Horse” by Svetlana Naborshikova. RT, March 2010.
A Truly Festive Humpbacked Horse. Review by Michael Johnson. ConcertoNet.com, June 2009.

Dance Futures: Freya Thomas Creates for The Royal Ballet

Emilia & Linda — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 17:00:05 +0000

Yesterday we dropped by the Clore Studio at the Royal Opera House to catch the first dress rehearsal of “Umbra” by young choreographer Freya Thomas. Freya’s work is part of Dance Futures, a new project from ROH Education which will see over 120 young people take to the Covent Garden main stage this Sunday to present a mixed bill that also includes a new dance work by Wayne McGregor (to be performed by young East Londoners) and an abridged version of Fokine’s classic The Firebird.

Umbra, a 10-minute piece to a piano solo by North American composer Nico Muhly, will feature Royal Ballet dancers Nathalie Harrison and Ryochi Hirano. Freya’s inspiration for the work comes from observing “how shadows bend across objects, how different creatures are within the shadows”. She tells us that Umbra does not necessarily infer a relationship between the two dancers “It’s just different situations happening in that space using shadows as the main stimulus”. To help establish a “moody and dark atmosphere”, Freya had the help of McGregor’s long-time collaborator, lighting designer Lucy Carter “I told her my general ideas and she told me how to adapt for an audience perspective. There will be a strong silhouette image at the start so you can’t see Nathalie’s facial features; she just looks like a shadow and then different cross fades to bring in Ryo.”

Freya’s own choreographic ideas draw heavily from her background in hip hop and break dancing, both dance styles with an emphasis on ground moves. But the 18-year old also admires dance companies like NDT, Random Dance and the work of Hofesh Schechter. For this piece, she has steered away from a natural inclination towards floor-work, adapting instead to the individuality of this particular duo: “It’s hard to choreograph something in your head; you need the bodies in front of you. I came here and taught Nathalie and Ryo a couple of phrases I had created at college and it looked completely different on their bodies. They have given me options and input too, so I have adapted to work with what they can do; to recreate the shapes I had in my head.”

Ahead of Sunday, here’s a sneak peek at Freya working with Nathalie and Ryo:

(Click on thumbnails to enlarge & see as slideshow)

Dance Futures – 10 July 2011 at the Royal Opera House. To book tickets visit the ROH website.

See also: ROH’s video blog of Freya and dancers in rehearsal

Best of Costumes – Our Readers Pick Their Favorites

Emilia & Linda — Fri, 06 May 2011 14:03:17 +0000

We recently wrote about how many different elements have to come together for one of *THOSE* perfect evenings at the ballet. Designs and, in particular, costumes, play a big part in creating a mood, helping dancers express themselves and inhabit their roles. They come in all shapes, colours and fabrics: from vaporous Romantic skirts to Balanchine’s Black & White “leotard ballets” and everything in between, including tutus, of course. Despite being notoriously impractical, classical tutus have been around for over 100 years and they continue to retain their allure. When we asked costume designer extraordinaire Yumiko Takeshima how she felt about them, she said:

I love big productions and costumes in general, like the Swan Lake costumes, I love them. I think they should stay, there should be options…

We also asked each of you to pick a favourite ballet costume. In this slideshow we look at some of your top choices. And some of the quirkiest ones too!

Yumiko Alicia Leotard Promotion Results:

Thanks to everyone who participated in this competition! We received many wonderful entries via email and comment. As usual, it was hard to pick only two entries, yet, after much deliberation we are pleased to announce the winners:

1) Wiebke Schuster who emailed the following entry:

My absolute favorite costume lately, is from the Pacific Northwest Ballet’s production of Mark Morris’ Pacific, currently part of the Contemporary 4 program. I love how everything underlines the heritage of the Northwest, from the music to the colors of the costumes, to the movement and how the fabric moves. The skirts for the male dancers, maybe a gutsy choice but then again – it’s Mark Morris! Talk about gutsy! The man is seriously one of the great ones in our generations who is not afraid to take a risk to push the development of classical ballet as well as modern dance. The costumes might be simple, but the purity and flow complement the complex structure of the choreography perfectly well. They flatter the beautiful dancers of PNB, who have such striking athleticism and glowing artistry (…)

2) Ellen Barlow who posted the following comment:

This is a tough one. I think it’s tied between Balanchine’s Serenade and Balanchine’s Rubies from Jewels. The long romantic tutus used in Serenade are so elegant and match the music perfectly. The simple and few layers of blue tulle move with the dancers as they move to Tchaikovsky’s brilliant Serenade in C, exposing their grace and beauty. I’ve never felt so beautiful as when the curtain opened on us and we had our hands blocking the light to our faces and were wearing those gorgeous costumes. The Rubies costumes are simply decadent. The color is rich, the skirts are short and sensual, and the curtain opens on dancers drenched in red. So gorgeous.

Congratulations Ladies! We’ll be in touch by email soon.

If your entry was not picked this time, don’t worry. Check back for further Yumiko promotions soon!

With special thanks to all ballet companies credited in this slideshow.

10 Reasons Why We Love Manon

Emilia — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 14:42:30 +0000

A big helping of MacMillan is finally coming our way after a very Ashton-heavy season. Manon, one of his most famous full-length ballets, opens at Covent Garden on Thursday for a run of 15 performances and is to return during the autumn season. Having shortlisted it as one of our new season favorites we were asked via Facebook to write a post on “why Manon is supposed to be so great”. We know J-Ho would disagree, but we find MacMillan’s adult ballets seriously appealing, so we were eager to accept the challenge.

Below, in no particular order, are “10 Reasons Why We Love Manon“. Agree/disagree? Let us know via comment:

1. The amazing Pas de Deux. They truly speak for themselves:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBPqeiiLzFg

2. Des Grieux’s Act I solo. MacMillan found a way to use steps to convey everything about his characters. In one of the most beautiful adagios for a male dancer, Des Grieux opens up to Manon and reveals he is a romantic, a “what you see is what you get” kind of guy.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpk6q77iefA

3. Manon’s coquettish signature walk en pointe.

4. The corps and character roles – the individual episodes taking place around the stage are just as interesting as the main action, so pay attention!

5. The gorgeous music by Massenet originally arranged by Leighton Lucas, now freshly reorchestrated by longtime Manon conductor Martin Yates.

6. Drama, drama, drama! It is make it or break it in this ballet. It can fall flat with the wrong cast, but great leads bring highly individual interpretations to the story.

7. The dramatic “flips ‘n’ tosses” of the last Pas De Deux, requiring Manon to take some incredible leaps of faith.

8. The costumes. Nicholas Georgiadis’s beautiful designs convey decadence in 18th century Parisian society – see for instance, Manon’s jewelry and gold embroidered dress in Act 2.

9. The complexity of Manon’s character – does she have flexible morals; or no morals at all? – How Manon is corrupted by a domineering older brother and how this all stems from MacMillan’s own personal experiences.

10. The riches to rags story. Refreshing after so many Cinderellas; not least because the underlying themes of frivolity and greed hold a mirror right back to our modern society.

And here are some of the things our tweeps love about Manon:

@theballetbag #2 Costumes #3 Pas de Deuxs!

April 14, 2011 10:54 pm via TweetDeck ReplyRetweetFavorite

@KMorganNYCB

Kathryn Morgan

@theballetbag #4 MARCELO GOMES @KMorganNYCB LOL

April 14, 2011 10:58 pm via Twitter for iPhone ReplyRetweetFavorite

@chrismcdaniel08

Christopher McDaniel

Love Georgiadis's costume, & complicated character RT @theballetbag: 10 things we love about the #ballet #Manon - music, pdds, what else???

April 15, 2011 7:00 am via Echofon ReplyRetweetFavorite

@naomip86

pchan/naomi

@theballetbag The pas de deuxs! And the corps -- what they're doing at the side is just as interesting as the main action!

April 14, 2011 10:42 pm via webReply RetweetFavorite

@may_kwok

May Kwok

@theballetbag the drama! The gangplank! The shorn off hair! The (ahem) naughty bits!

April 14, 2011 10:46 pm via Twitter for iPhone ReplyRetweetFavorite

@balletteachers

LucindeL

@theballetbag the adult nature of the plot. Very grown-up ballet

April 14, 2011 10:49 pm via ÜberSocial ReplyRetweetFavorite

@AliceLagnado

Alice Lagnado

@theballetbag The lifts in the last PDD! I was gobsmacked the first time I saw them and I still love them http://myloc.me/jeA6N

April 15, 2011 8:58 am via ÜberSocial ReplyRetweetFavorite

@CURZONPRODUCT

SEBASTIAN PETIT

@theballetbag The drunken pdd of course! Always a crowd pleaser.

April 15, 2011 7:07 am via Echofon ReplyRetweetFavorite

@BBB_Mrs

Karen McLernon

The little "extras" the whores do in the background RT @theballetbag: 10 things we love about the #ballet #Manon - music, pdds, what else???

April 15, 2011 7:42 am via Echofon ReplyRetweetFavorite

@bangorballetboy

Lee McLernon

@theballetbag Seeing what remains of the original novel, which I used to teach. Many novels transfer disappointingly to stage; not this one.

April 15, 2011 2:44 pm via webReply RetweetFavorite

@asanderson197

Anne Sanderson

The cheap whores in Act 2! RT @theballetbag: 10 things we love about the #ballet #Manon - music, pdds, what else???

April 15, 2011 7:32 am via Twitter for iPhone ReplyRetweetFavorite

@Bennet76

Bennet Gartside

@theballetbag ... Macmillan/Geordiadis partnership of Gods & story which hits a hundred resonances - it's up there with Traviata 4 me #Manon

April 15, 2011 5:58 pm via webReply RetweetFavorite

@dodynash

Dody Nash

@theballetbag DG's opening solo! (manon)

April 15, 2011 4:53 pm via TweetDeck ReplyRetweetFavorite

@seenfromafar

Seenfromafar

...story is told in the steps & not defined by 32 fouettés, exposes how silly "romance" can be while still indulging in it... #ballet #Manon

April 15, 2011 7:50 pm via webReply RetweetFavorite

@youdancefunny

Steve Ha

Thanks to everyone who contributed!