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Northern Ballet TheatreFebruary 2006 Bradford, Alhambra by Janet McNulty |
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As posted on our Postings pages... On Saturday afternoon I saw the most wonderful performance of David Nixon’s elegiac production of Madame Butterfly. Chiaki Nagao and Darren Goldsmith danced Butterfly and Pinkerton. Chiaki Nagao was vulnerable and fragile from the start until part way through the pdd that ends Act 1. During the pdd you could see her visibly blossoming into a young woman who has fallen in love. Darren came over as a gauche young sailor who was out for a bit of fun, ending up in love until it was time to rejoin his ship at which point love was forgotten. Chiaki and Darren were perfectly matched in the pdd, both with beautifully expressive arms and lines that mirrored each other. The moment at the end where Butterfly wraps herself around Pinkerton and he carries her in to the house was just breath taking. Darren is a very elegant dancer and is always a joy to watch on stage. He can find the pathos in any role. Many of the audience were in tears – and this was the happy bit! In Act 2, Chiaki showed steely resolve to wait for her man and Darren perfectly expressed his regret and ultimate cowardice in not being able to face her as he has come to claim Trouble for his American wife (beautifully danced and acted by Ginny Rae). Pippa Moore as Suzuki had a wonderful rapport with Chiaki. Stephen Wheeler was compassionate as Sharpless. He is another very elegant dancer and he Darren were well matched in their pas de trios with Ginny.
When Butterfly decides to take her own life, Chiaki commanded the stage and was profoundly moving in the final dance of death. This was truly a magical performance the memory of which will live on in my mind for a long time.
 © NBT
Saturday evening saw Desire Samaai and David Kierce end the week with another superb performance. In interpretation, Desire is somewhere between Keiko’s flirtatiousness and Chiaki’s fragility. David Kierce is such a wonderfully strong partner that she can really throw herself into the pdd with utmost confidence and all the audience gasped as she hurtled across the stage to be caught by him. The whole company are looking on good form and I particularly enjoyed the performances of Ayana Kanda as Suzuki on Saturday evening and Hironao Takahashi as Father/Bonze/Yamadori on Saturday afternoon.
The Company is also performing I Got Rhythm this season. This is a real showcase for the whole company and is a good fun evening. Both these productions are on at Sadler’s Wells in May.
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