Birmingham Royal Ballet

DANCE REVIEW: BIRMINGHAM ROYAL BALLET at York Theatre Royal.



Birmingham Royal Ballet is currently touring in the south and north of the country, splitting itself in two, to bring the nation "Bite-sized Ballet". Widely diverse, the performance included the Clog Dance from "La Fille Mal gardée", the Grand pas de deux from "Sleeping Beauty" and Act II of "Coppelia", as well as Balanchine's "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" and Macmillan's pas de deux from his "Concerto".

Despite not being a huge fan of popular humourous performance, I found the Clog Dance amusing with its mimickry and entertaining costumes. Visions of dainty ballerinas clumping about in wooden shoes made a refreshing contrast from the more staid action of "Coppelia" which came before it. The set and toy soldier costumes of this opening piece did please the eye, but I soon became irritated by the overdramatic gestures, girlish silliness of the early dancing, and the overuse of the stiff puppet movements.

What really took my breath away was the captivating pas de deux from Kenneth Macmillan's "Concerto". Costumed in orange, with the setting sun backdrop, the pair excelled in their performance of this technically difficult piece. So many clever lifts and supports allowed the dancers to really engage with each other, producing a kind of mirroring effect at some points, and a kind of organic melding of ballerina and partner at others. I was particularly impressed with the final iconic image, that of the ballerina carefully balanced across her partner's knee, a moment which seemed to conclude and express the message of the piece so well, that of dependence and relationship.

The main focus of the show was on the final piece, a performance of George Balanchine's "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue", a clever story, adapted from a musical, in which an assassin sits in the audience determined to kill the dancer when he stops dancing and commits suicide in the show. This piece was well-executed, with the dance of the policemen standing out as particularly incongruous and striking. Where else do you get dancing policemen? Very amusing.

The remaining pieces from "Sleeping Beauty" were also well-executed with the exception of a few wobbles, but sadly their partnering with such a diverse and interesting range of pieces made them seem a little staid. Though it was nice to see some more traditional pieces performed, pieces which I personally find more enjoyable than the less serious dances, their beauty was rather lost in the mosaic of clashing styles and juxtaposition of popular amusement and classical performance. It all came across as rather disjointed, with no clear flow between the pieces.

Given the rarity of ballet performances in this area, though, Birmingham Royal Ballet only deserve praise for their tour. Clearly this show was intended to showcase a broad selection of what they do, and so this must temper any criticism of the lack of continuity. Anyone who brings dance to a wider audience is doing good work, and if this work also allows me to see wonderful pieces like Macmillan's pas de deux from his "Concerto", then I can hardly complain.

Verve 2011

SHOW REVIEW: VERVE 2011 at York Theatre Royal

“We are in the midst of wilderness, even curled up with our lovers in bed” (Paul Shepherd’s The Cultivated Wilderness Or, What is Landscape?). This perfectly defines the essence of the gripping final piece, “Forces”, brilliantly choreographed by Ben Wright. The curtain lifts to reveal the mesmerising soft glow of a chandelier hung so low it leaves but a crawl space between itself and the floor. Mist creeps around the dancers, intensifying the gothic feel of this piece, with its frenzied movements and silhouetted figures.

By far the most captivating of the three pieces displayed by Verve 2011, “Forces” reminded me of the death of a glacier, the dancers reacting to the soundtrack of creaking, crashing ice. Though there was no overall “story” to this piece, many people commented on its Titanic overtones, while each character certainly seemed to have their own tale to tell. I was particularly interested in the male dancer writhing and squirming beneath the chandelier, as if possessed by something. This neatly captured the fundamental idea behind this piece, an exploration of the unseen impulses which cause bodies to move, in both the disciplines of physics and dance.

In my opinion “Forces” was by far the strongest piece performed by Verve 2011. Unfortunately injury forced a reduced show, with only three pieces shown of four, but this did allow us the privilege of an impromptu post-show question and answer session.

The earlier pieces, “Cascade” and “Unspoken”, were less impressive. “Unspoken” in particular was a little dull, although it did feature a beautiful central duet. The choreography was based on John Siddique’s poem Atom, which was commissioned for the imove Sacrament of Marriage Exhibition in Bradford. “Cascade” was an intriguing exploration of psychological interactions between the dancers, but could not be sustained for the duration of the piece. While more emotionally charged and of greater technical interest than “Unspoken”, this piece was similarly disappointing and seemed very flimsy in the afterglow of the final piece.

Verve 2011 is made up of graduate students from the Northern School of Dance who spend a year with the company, working with internationally renowned choreographers. Their show should be an opportunity to showcase a selection of the best contemporary art, teaming experienced choreographers with vibrant young dancers. Sadly, though, only one piece performed lived up to these expectations. We can only hope perhaps Verve 2012 will have more to offer.