© Bill Cooper RB 'Polyphonia' reviews RB 'Four Temperaments' reviews RB 'Sinfonietta' reviews Cope in reviews Benjamin in reviews recent RB reviews more Graham Watts reviews

The three elements of this bill share a theme of freedom and each work represents a new beginning for its choreographer. ‘Polyphonia’ was one of Christopher Wheeldon’s first creations after he ceased to dance; ‘The Four Temperaments’ represents the seminal work from Balanchine’s new beginning in New York with the establishment of his Ballet Society in 1946, which two years’ later translated into the NYCB; and ‘Sinfonietta’ was Jiøí Kylián’s first success at NDT.

There is coherence in the juxtaposition of the three pieces which is often missing in mixed programmes. As Wheeldon’s first major work at NYCB as its Artist in Residence, ‘Polyphonia’ is an homage to Balanchine. One fancies that it might be the kind of concept that Balanchine himself would be developing from Ligeti’s music if he had worked in this later generation. Can there be any doubt that it marks Wheeldon as one of the most gifted choreographers at work today?

In some senses, Kylián’s ‘Sinfonietta’ should have been the odd one out. I wasn’t looking forward to it and almost followed Clement Crisp to the exit after the second interval but I am glad that I didn’t! Analysing why I should like it much better than last year’s outing, I realise that there are two reasons.

One is that the programme worked this time, whereas it didn’t as a follow-up to ‘Winter Dreams’ –one of the more bizarre couplings in recent memory! Two is that it represented a new beginning of sorts for Antonio Pappano, the Royal Opera’s Music Director, perhaps seduced into conducting for the Royal Ballet for the first time by the extraordinarily vibrant, wonderfully expressive Janácek score.

I found my eye drawn to Pappano many times and the passion flowing through his fingertips is evidently contagious. I don’t recall who has conducted when I have watched ‘Sinfonietta’ before, but Pappano showed how a great conductor can transform an OK production into something really very special.
 

Jonathan Cope and Leanne Benjamin
in Christopher Wheeldon’s Polyphonia
© Bill Cooper

It seems almost invidious to single out any dancers since all the 40 or so performers contributed to a very enjoyable evening of pure dance. But there are a few who simply have to be mentioned! First honours go to Cope and Benjamin, whose two dances in the 2nd and 9th variations of ‘Polyphonia’ were super-charged with sensuality – their bodies moulded together through a mixture of her sublime flexibility and the maturity of his sensitive partnering. It’s so good to welcome Leanne Benjamin back to the Royal Opera House after maternity leave.

Alina Cojocaru was, as ever, beautiful to watch in the sixth variation of ‘Polyphonia’, combining graceful classicism, effortless speed of turn, superb balance and a mesmerising stage presence. Her partner, Federico Bonelli, looked slightly uncomfortable, almost as if he was concentrating too hard, rather than enjoying the dance.

Despite this praise for others, my ‘stars’ of the first month of the new season (challenged closely by Nuñez and Soares’ debuts as Nikiya and Solor) have been Lauren Cuthbertson and Ed Watson. Some have criticised the Royal Ballet for its lack of home-grown talent but they have clearly overlooked these two brilliant RBS graduates. They have started the new season with a real ‘buzz’ and both are on top form throughout this triple bill - I really enjoyed Watson’s interpretation of the phlegmatic variation in the final rehearsal - and we still have their Romeo & Juliet to come.
 

Whatever reservations one may have about just how well the Royal tackles Balanchine, Four Temperaments is clearly a great work, which would repay a lot further study than we will have the chance to see. It has a remorseless logic about it, and the handling of the corps is exemplary: how to make four girls look like an advancing army of amazons. It doesn’t need any décor: there’s too much dance to watch.

It was interesting to see very experienced interpreters of Balanchine in Kevin Thomas, a Principal from the Dance Theatre of Harlem, who guested in the Melancholic variation of the 4 T’s, alongside new recruit, Eva Natanya, from NYCB. The Royal Ballet fielded three other North Americans of its own in this cast: Jaimie Tapper, Christina Elida Salerno (replacing Mara Galeazzi in the second theme pairing) and Deirdrie Chapman.

Deirdre has no obvious Balanchine pedigree and she has never particularly stood out for me before. Here, she was a replacement for Marianella Nuñez and I thought that her sometimes angry, sometimes sullen interpretation of the choleric variation was really very good.

It is 30 years since the Royal Ballet first dabbled with ‘The Four Temperaments’ and this run began with only its 5th performance ever at the Royal Opera House. It is a classic point of reference in global dance history, marking as it does the emergence of the New York City Ballet as one of the major forces in twentieth century dance. Hopefully, it will now stay in the repertory, enhancing even further the already rich diversity on offer at Covent Garden.