One wonders why foreign ballet companies are not a
regular feature in London’s cultural life - the exception being the
Kirov Ballet, which thanks to a clever promoter receives VIP treatment
by being able to perform either at the Royal Opera House or the Coliseum
for extensive seasons. But where are the great companies from Europe
or from overseas? The National Ballet of Cuba, New York City Ballet
or the American Ballet Theatre, only to name but a few, have not been
seen in London for ages. Sadly, there are understandable reasons to
avoid the British capital. Despite decades of fighting and lobbying
for an adequate dance house, there still does not exist a theatre with
a stage big enough to accommodate those companies. They have to cope
with the new Sadler´s Wells Theatre, which is sufficient for middle
scale companies, but certainly not for the big ones. If they spend all
that money to visit London, they rightly want to be seen under the best
possible conditions - and they do not exist. Furthermore, London is
well known for the hostility of some of its critics towards anything
foreign. It is a well-known fact that certain companies and their directors
or choreographers have avoided London in the past for exactly those
reasons.
Therefore, the recent visit of the Seattle
based Pacific Northwest Ballet
(PNB), under its artistic directors Kent Stowell and Francia Russell,
at Sadler´s Wells Theatre was more than welcome (2-6 July) even if the
dancers had to cope with a stage much smaller than they are used to
and with the unavoidable jetlag. PNB had left an unforgotten mark during
its first ever visit to London - also at the Sadler´s Wells Theatre
in February 1999. Then, we experienced a breathtaking interpretation
of George Balanchine´s A Midsummer Night´s Dream, never seen
in this country before and, subsequently, filmed by the BBC, and a mixed
program of American choreographies. It is important to know that PNB´s
huge repertoire, consisting of choreographies by Kent Stowell, contemporary
works commissioned for the company and classics from the ballet and
modern dance repertoire, also includes twenty-five masterpieces by George
Balanchine. Both artistic directors were once soloists with Balanchine´s
New York City Ballet (NYCB), while Francia Russell was one of the first
ballet masters chosen by Balanchine to stage his works all over the
world. Thanks to these two outstanding personalities PNB, the NYCB of
the west coast, is firmly rooted in the Balanchine tradition.
The company opened its short season with Silver
Lining, a two act evening long showpiece celebrating the genius
of Jerome Kern, choreographed by Kent Stowell and first seen in Seattle
as the grand finale to PNB´s 25th anniversary in 1998. The orchestral
arrangement of thirty Jerome Kern songs by the Seattle based Russell
Warner, in the American way brass orientated and gigantic, had been
overpowering in its dynamic versatility and rich colours. Congratulations
should go to the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra which managed this enormous
task under PNB´s Oxford born music director, Stewart Kershaw. For Kent
Stowell Silver Lining has been a labour of love and it is to
his and all the dancers credit that one felt the labour only occasionally,
but was generally overwhelmed by the sheer love, humour, spirit and
never ending energy on stage.
Jerome Kern´s musicals are quintessentially American.
Being not too familiar with his output I was fascinated by the variety
of tunes and songs, interpreted on stage by the charming soprano Valerie
Piacenti, the elegant baritone Erich Parce and even all the dancers.
One can have differing opinions about dancers singing - but why not?
It worked well and they seemed to enjoy it. But most of all I admired
how Stowell transformed the ballroom dancing this music originally asks
for into mainly pure classical dance, most of it on point, thereby using
the whole range of classical steps and combinations with great effect
and imagination. Be it in solos, pas de deux or big ensemble scenes,
the dedication and commitment of Kent Stowell and his dancers created
a ballet feast of pure entertainment, wit and charm, danced with bravura,
ease and obvious joy. The colourful back drops (Ming Cho Lee) and the
range of constantly changing costumes (David Murin) played their own
distinctive part in creating this unusual version of the American musical
theatre tradition. But, ultimately, it was left to the more than forty
beautifully trained dancers, who triumphed with a technical fluency
and presence one rarely experiences. To single out one of them would
not be fair.
Obviously, Silver Lining did not aim to be high
art; it mirrors American gaiety and light-hearted temperament. Personally,
the evening reminded me of a quotation from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe´s
prologue at the theatre in his famous play "Faust", where the manager
stresses: "But the main idea is a lot of action. The people come to
see things happen; that´s what they like. If a lot is spun before their
eyes, so that they can stare with surprise, in the long run you´ve succeeded,
and you´re a made man."
The second program confronted ballet as being one of
the most sensitive of the arts, but sadly only in a more or less abstract
way; any narrative piece like Limon´s The Moor´s Pavane (not
seen here for a long time and part of PNB´s repertoire) was missing.
With Balanchine´s Divertimento #15 and Fearful Symmetries
by Peter Martins as the two pillars of the evening the contrasts could
not have been more convincing. Balanchine´s divertissement for five
principal girls, three boys and a corps de ballet of eight girls, choreographed
in 1956 for his NYCB, uses Mozart´s Divertimento No.15 in B flat
major(K.287). This time, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra had a
few problems, especially with the solo violin in the last variation
of the second movement. Never mind, Carrie Imler danced this variation
with such clarity, style, impeccable technique and musicality that the
rough violin sound became unimportant. For me, this work, choreographed
mainly on the music and on each little phrase, but not so much on the
flow of the music, is more sweetex than sugar. It asks for grace, beauty,
delicacy and a fluent instinctive musicality, all of which those PNB
dancers possessed to the extreme. What a joy, to watch the superior
elegance of the Prima ballerina Patricia Barker, primus inter pares
of a Balanchine ensemble par excellence.
Peter Martins, who succeed George Balanchine as Ballet-Master-in-Chief
of NYCB in 1983, is himself a prolific choreographer, firmly based in
the Balanchine tradition. His Fearful Symmetries (1990) to the
by now overused, explosive and dangerous score by John Adams is difficult
for any orchestra to tackle yet here the RPO was in full control. It
had one disadvantage: red costumes in front of a red back trop, which
only occasionally changes to blue. Seeing this plot-less ballet for
23 dancers with its endless energy and enormous speed at the end of
an altogether exciting, but also exhausting evening, wears one out.
My eyes got tired and I have to admit that only a second viewing fully
convinced me of its artistic and inventive potential - a brilliant and
breathtaking piece, but also a tour de force for the entire ensemble,
which did the choreography proud.
The centre part belonged to Jardí Tancat (1983),
the first ever work by Nacho Duato, a former member of Netherlands Dance
Theatre and now the artistic director of the Madrid based Compania Nacional
de Danza. This passionate and intense piece for three couples, based
on Catalonian folk tales collected and sung by Maria del Mar Bonet,
is danced bare foot and asks for a more contemporary dance like approach.
The six dancers - outstanding Ariana Lallone, Kaori Nakamura and Olivier
Wevers - had no difficulty in switching styles, thereby creating the
necessary atmosphere in which this deeply emotional work could breath.
It was unnecessarily followed by Petipa´s Le Corsaire
Pas de Trois, staged by Yuri Fateev, giving three alternating casts
the possibility to shine. Sadly, I missed the second one, but the third
cast with Kaori Takamura (Medora), Le Yin (Ali) and Astrid Zejnati (Conrad)
were near perfect in this spectacular virtuoso showcase and justified
its otherwise dubious existence within a program rich of diversity and
artistic challenge. The rare, refreshing attitude of all the dancers
and their incredible flair, style and presence, as well as their masterly
interpretations, made this an enjoyable evening. I wish PNB well and
only hope the company will be able to return to London, to give us more
of its rich Balanchine repertoire.
Hans-Theodor Wohlfahrt
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