(The following is as it first appeared on the Ballet.co Postings Page)
Lots of new work, but SFB's scary dancers make the evening. If you like ballet and dance you should be there. This programme can be seen again Friday Night.
Background
SFB wowed London dance-goers very much in 1999 when they visited Sadler's Wells and this is a much awaited return. It was simple: the dancers were enchanting and the repertoire interesting. How will it pan out this time in the larger Opera House space, with no subsidy, and more expensive seats?
Fanfare
I love Robbins’ sense of offbeat fun in Fanfare where dancers act the parts of the orchestra it’s to Benjamin Britten's "A young Person's Guide to the Orchestra". There is a lot of heraldic pageantry about the place as a narrator opens proceedings before curtain-up and pops up at regular intervals all through. The company is split into the four parts of the orchestra, and then their constituent sub-sections, each getting their own solo. The effect is to introduce the company and dazzle you, not perhaps with wonders of technique, but as an ensemble. A quirky opener - lovely to see now and then, but not too regularly.
A Garden
A new SFB piece by Mark Morris and only premiered in February 2001. No designer is named and it shows in horrid costumes - black, sloppy, loose dresses for the girls and the boys appearing to wear B&Q staff uniform. Choreographically its stronger: a happy clappy piece with the girls in pointe shoes as well (rare for a Morris work I think). The music is pretty much Mark Morris classical - Richard Strauss after François Couperin. Nice enough but I didn't feel I'd really seen anything new from Morris. I am however a relatively new-to-liking-Morris-person so hopefully will be forgiven for missing any obvious brilliance!
Magrittomania
By company dancer, Yuri Possokhov, this piece has been much praised in San Francisco and won prizes etc. As you might expect it’s about Renee Margritte the 20th century Belgian surrealist painter who had bowler hats and large green balloons in his paintings. The programme notes this is "Possokhov's highly personal attempt to distil the emotions and impressions generated in him by Margritte's art".
There were some inspired moments but overall I had an indulgent “company choreographic workshop” indulgent about it.. with designs created as a local arts school project so everything got thrown at it! This is all beastly given the praise elsewhere but I couldn't unlock it I'm afraid. The joy of the piece however was Yuan Yuan Tan and Roman Rykine dancing - Tan is amazing plastic technique - a moving sculpture of a woman that demands you follow her. For her I'd see this several times.
Symphony in Three Movements
Balanchine's ponytail ballet and the hit of the evening for me. Wonderful neoclassical choreography coupled with strong casting made for a riposte to the more newly-commissioned works. Balanchine still looks incredibly fresh and incisive even 30 years on. Lucia Lacarra and Yuri Possokhov were the leads - breathtakingly athletic and sharp. She looks like Audrey Hepburn but there is so much steel in there. I was not very impressed by Lacarra in an ENB Nutcracker back in 1997 but in work like this she inspires and scares you witless.
Does it work?
With mixed bills come mixed responses. I enjoyed the night if not all the pieces. The dancers are lovely and there is real privilege in seeing so many new things. Oh that we had companies that could take so much new repertoire abroad...
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