© Stephanie Berger Ashton Centenary Resources on Ballet.co Lincoln Center Ashton Festival reviews all Birmingham RB reviews all Royal Ballet reviews all Joffrey Ballet reviews all K Ballet reviews

Frederick Ashton's work has been known in the United States for many years - the visits of the Royal Ballet usually included a small sampling of his choreography, notably "Symphonic Variations", which was coolly received, being dubbed 'Balanchine with water'.

Two local companies have long offered samplings - American Ballet Theatre has for many years offered us "Les Patineurs", now happily stripped of its fussy Beaton victorianisms, but the Red Girls and the Blue Girls still do not carry their muffs, in spite of protests to the 'artistic' staff, and the eight corps dancers do not seem to have a very good idea of what skating is all about. The Blue Boys have mostly been quite excellent technically, but have all been rather inclined to 'try to squeeze out that extra pirouette', as David Vaughan remarked. However, things have somewhat improved recently with the addition of "La Fille Mal Gardee", a ballet received with great delight, and then the addition of "The Dream" which was described as being 'ravishing'. The cast that I saw consisted of Alessandra Ferri as Titania, who brought less to the role than she should have, and Ethan Stiefel, who as Oberon did his best to create a character, but remains alas merely a magnificent athlete. A Puck as tall as Oberon was a surprise, to say the least, but it seems that shorter males are no longer de rigeur in ballet companies. Nevertheless the whole production successfully lived up to its adjective. Unfortunately this company's fascination with three-act block-busters severely limited the number of times these two ballets were on view. The other company, the Joffrey Ballet, when under the aegis of its founder, Robert Joffrey, was outstanding in its programme of saving and offering us works from European creators - "Parade", "The Three-Cornered Hat", "The Green Table" and from Ashton we saw "A Wedding Bouquet", "Les Patineurs" and "Monotones I & II", all revived and produced with the utmost care, and cherished as they well deserved to be.

But nothing prepared us for the overwhelming sight of nearly three weeks of nothing but Ashton works on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera House, offered us by four sizeable ballet companies - the K Ballet from Tokyo, the Joffrey Ballet from Chicago, the Birmingham Royal Ballet from guess where, and the Royal Ballet.

The K Ballet from Tokyo, founded by a group of disgruntled refugees from the Royal Ballet, offered only the one ballet - "Rhapsody" - which Ashton had created on Baryshnikov, remarking at the time "I never before had so brilliant a dancer to work with"- it had, on the whole, a so-so reception. The critics who liked the spectacular approved of it, but most seem to have realised that it was merely a piece d'occasion, and treated it coolly.

The Birmingham Royal Ballet offered "Dante Sonata", "The Two Pigeons", "Five Brahms Waltzes in the Manner of Isadora Duncan", and "Enigma Variations". As a comparatively unknown company (at least that is the case in the U.S.) it achieved an outstanding success and the care which it lavished on its productions became quickly apparent. "Dante" was acknowledged to be dated (Robert Gottlieb called it 'risible'), but Tobias said that it should be shown at the next (political) summit meeting. "Two Pigeons" was acknowledged to be charming but with a rather trite scenario, and the two pigeons themselves were adored, and "Five Brahms Waltzes" succeeded not only by its ingenuity but also by the extremely favourable impression created by the performer.

And now to "Enigma Varitions".......................how to begin? The New York critics had for years been reared on a diet of pure Balanchine, a diet of pyrotechnics, and a general dislike of 'story' ballets, yet on being offered a ballet with no balletic stunts, very little demanding pure classical movement, a ballet full of hints, suggestions and subtleties, containing a telegram and a bicycle, the critics 'nearly fell out of their seats' (I am quoting Joan Acocella, the New Yorker critic). Mindy Aloff called it 'one of the greatest ballets of the century', (even though the audience greeted it with puzzled polite applause) and Joan Acocella talked of Ashton's 'rich deep emotions, his charity and his melancholy, and his sense of fun'. Only one unfortunate lady talked of its being 'campy' - had she ever seen a ballet before, and did she have the faintest idea what the word 'camp' actually means? Only the New York Times lady was cool about it, - but in my view her taste is rather - shall we be kind and say 'different'?.

"Scenes de Ballet" evoked considerable discussion, the Beaurepaire scenery was rather loathed (why WHY is it still there?) the costuming was questioned (chic is not, I fear, in U.S. lexicons). "Cinderella" has always been loved here, Cojocaru achieved a great personal success, Dowell and Sleep as the Ugly Sisters were chided for overdoing it, and Ashton' s sweetness in allowing the Ugly Sisters to be forgiven rather than being punished was commented on.

"Marguerite and Armand" which was originally designed to be a mere 'vehicle' for a declining Fonteyn and a rising Nureyev should, I think, be dropped. Forever. It really is not a good ballet, ever if it was a good vehicle, and it appears that Guillem, in her efforts to bring some reason to it, continued to expose its triteness even more. I don't think she won much approval by it, although alas, told that the performer is a 'star' audiences world-wide will greet her with the traditional 'hand'.

The season concluded with a showing of films for which Ashton created the dances "The Story of Three Loves", "Dance Pretty Lady", "The Tales of Hoffman" and a complete showing of the "Ondine" tape........but no "Tales of Beatrice Potter" - one wonders why.

Of the whole season, Robert Gottlieb remarked "Balanchine tells us that ballet is Woman, but Ashton tells us that ballet is Man and Woman". He didn't come out and say so, but one sensed that he preferred Ashton's dictum. He also hoped very much for a repeated viewing of the programmes, and more of the same.

Tobias said that "Cojocaru is simply the best thing to happen to classical dancing (ladies division) for a long time". In her clear sighted view of the Royal Ballet's outlook on dance "They appear to place the highest value on the technical aspects of the legs and feet, combined wth sculptural portes de bras, a gentleness and gentility even carried over into feats of bravura and demonstrations of strong emotions" and she wondered if perhaps this restrain was holding back potential stars.

One cannot finish this account without a deep reverence to David Bintley, the director of the Birmingham company. The care and love with which this company cherishes (and there can be no other word for it) the works of other choreographers is frankly a rare delight - rare indeed, and a delight to see. Not only has he saved for posterity some of Ashton's greatest oeuvres, but the best works of de Valois "Checkmate" "Rakes Progress" "The Prospect before Us" are now safe. And now, Mr. Bintley, why not Ashton's "Les Masques" and "Capriol Suite" which would be a delicious double bill, and then of course "Nocturne" - "Horoscope" alas, being long gone.

The logistics, the organisation, and the expense of this festival, involving as it did four large companies, eleven ballets, five pas de deux, and god knows how many dancers, technicians, wardrobe staff, must have been incredible, yet smoothness and efficiency, excellence, delight and approval were the results, and to all concerned, the biggest and loudest bravo ever.

Physical shortcomings, ticket prices - the really decent seats were $150.00 - kept me away - I would have sold my soul to be there, but received no offers.