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Cinderella VideosRoyal Ballet Paris Opera Ballet reviewed by Eugene Merrett | |||||||
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There is nothing like a live ballet performance, but video is often the only way many people can see some performances. With that in mind we thought it would be useful to start reviewing videos; this month a couple of Cinderellas come under the spotlight. Our man with the clear views reports......
Cinderella (Ashton) Anthony Dowell, Antoinette Sibley, Ashton, Helpmann and Sleep Ahh - those glory days of the RB when it was drowning in talent. This is a video of a live performance in 1967 when the RB was at its peak. Ashton's production was a landmark one for the RB because it was the first 3 act dramatic ballet choreographed by an English person (and we have a page purely devoted to Ashton's Cinderella). As well as being very funny it also pays tribute to the British pantomime tradition. Like his other glorious "English Ballet" La Fille mal Gardee you always feel better after seeing it. It is what I call "Visual Prozac". This video is the only one that has the partnership between Sibley and Dowell. Antoinette Sibley is perhaps the most beautiful and graceful of all British dancers. She is perfectly cast as Cinderella, giving one of the most touching performances I have seen. Dowell was perhaps the most handsome dancer to grace the stage. He is suitably dashing as the Prince. This video has some of the most glorious dancing ever but it may seem rather obsolete by today's standards. Legs barely go above waist level and jumps were not very high. The style could not be more different from the ultra physical Paris version. Perhaps some people who are used to more modern ballet productions would find this production rather unexciting. However for those who adore the British style (such as myself) this is the only Cinderella worth considering. The video is only available in the U.K at Dance Books as a special import at £20. Or why not see if any This interesting Cinderella was produced and choreographed by Rudolf Nureyev and was filmed in 1988. It is a bold and quite different variation on the evergreen fairy tale. The setting is Hollywood with Cinderella and her step sisters cast in the roles as aspiring actresses. The sets pay homage to the film "Metropolis" (hardly Hollywood) in addition to the Hollywood glitz. The staging was a great success in France and it launched Sylvie Guillem to super-stardom. As it was choreographed for Guillem it plays to her phenomenal technique and is a must for Guillem fans. You will never see her (or for that matter anyone else) more dazzling than on this video. Because it was shot in the studio Guillem makes even bolder steps than even she would do in live performance. The standard of dancing by the rest of the cast is very high indeed. I particularly liked Carole Arbo as one of the four seasons - (cleverly realised as a fashion show for each season). The two step sisters (Lourdieres and Guerien) conveyed a strong element of malice in their roles and showed great speed and technique in their steps. Charles Jude, a long standing veteran with the POB) was very good too. Perhaps however he could have shown a bit more movie star allure. There is also a brief variation for the great Nureyev as well. However by then he was a mere shadow of his former greatness. The main weakness of this Cinderella is that Guillem, brilliant as she is, is totally miscast as the poor step-daughter. As well as being obviously taller then her bullying step sisters she displays no weakness or vulnerability. In her sad solo in the first act she displays all the vulnerability of a Panzer Tank Division - her movements are too strong and emphatic to be convincing (inappropriate choreography does not help). However she is more convincing in the second act (the ballroom scene) where she wows the guests with her style and technique. Her acting ability then was far inferior to what it is today. Another irritating aspect about the production is the Metropolis sub-context. Perhaps it was intended to underscore the decadence of 1920's Hollywood but it seemed to me to be silly pretentious "Eurotrash" which takes away a lot of the magic from this updated Fairy Tale. The sets are visually stunning all the same. Moreover I think Nureyev's choreography is 'so so' at best. The pas de deux are quite good but much of the rest is weak. I find him rather unimaginative and he resorts to cold regimented steps particularly for the corps when he runs out of ideas. I think this video is for those who want to see some of the most spectacular dancing ever recorded on film and are not concerned about dramatic integrity. As I said earlier you will not see Sylvie any better. So on that basis I give this video a qualified recommendation. This video is widely available at all major classical record shops.
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