Recent Rambert Reviews 'Four Scenes' reviews 'Swansong' reviews

Following this introduction, it was some of the accessible US companies such as 'Momix' and 'Pilobolus' together with the first of the current crop of brilliant Flamenco companies, which really turned me on to dance and I became a Friend of Sadler's Wells. The discounts for Friends in the early 1990s were so good that I went to most performances and saw lively companies like 'Phoenix Dance' in the front of the dress circle for £8. Sadler's Wells also opened the door to ballet for me with a memorable Birmingham Royal Ballet evening, which included 'Façade' and 'The Green Table'. How's that for contrasting programming? Thus, the theatre provided me with a basic education in dance, as it did for so many others.

The old Sadler's Wells had a lovely atmosphere. Yes, it was tatty with the foyer unpassable and the lack of leg room often meant you ended up playing 'kneesy' with your next door neighbour - often no bad thing. But nobody went there to be seen and the performances generated terrific excitement in the predominantly young audiences. So it was with much sadness that we saw the old Wells close. Happily, the management had found a temporary new home and this certainly eased the withdrawal symptoms. The Peacock will never win prizes for atmosphere, but it is perfectly serviceable and a wide variety of top quality performers from Paco Pena to Bill T. Jones filled the gap. Incidentally, in a bold move The Peacock is being retained as a venue, thereby expanding the choice of dance in London still further.

Nevertheless, some still lament the old theatre and it's easy to understand why. However, the problem of the stage was insuperable and had led to companies such as 'Rambert' reluctantly striking it from their list of acceptable venues. Overseas visitors like the excellent 'Ballet de Monte Carlo' sometimes made the mistake of programming large scale works such as 'Scheherazade' and the ensuing rugby scrum, with dancers elbowing each other out of the way provided a certain amount of amusement, but also a significant aesthetic shortfall. Several modification schemes for the stage were examined, but they were all relatively expensive and provided, at best, limited improvements. If Sadler's Wells was to continue to offer top quality dance experiences into the 21st Century, a new building was essential.

The New Sadler's Wells

It is just two years since the old theatre closed its doors for the last time and over this period those of us who live in London have been astonished at the rate of progress of construction of the new theatre. Nevertheless, they only just managed to open on time, after a final frenzy of activity. This reached a climax with Ian Albery, the Chief executive, emerging from the stage curtains at 8.00 p.m. on the preview night to tell us that a performance license had been issued for the theatre two minutes earlier. He continued that not only did this mean that the programme could start, but also that we would be able to buy alcoholic drinks in the interval. He was rewarded with a resounding and well-deserved cheer.

Albery also paid a glowing tribute to Rambert for putting up with truly appalling conditions for both dancers and technical staff. The story about Rambert rehearsing in facemasks to keep out the dust is true. One Company staff member told me that the dancers are a cheerful, robust group, familiar with the slings and arrows of a touring company's life. But never have they experienced the problems that they faced in preparing for this week. Apart from dust, noise and cold, only one dressing room was finished by opening night. A nearby hall that was pressed into service as a rehearsal space provided a haven where the stressed out dancers could sleep, relax and unwind. In the end, Christopher Bruce, Rambert's Artistic Director, and his team focussed on the honour and excitement of being the opening company at the new theatre and earned themselves another place in the history books.

On one visit, I had the opportunity to chat briefly to Ian Albery and he told me about some of the problems surrounding the building process. He put the development in context, by pointing out that this was the first theatre to be built in London for over 20 years and, as a result, presented a range of challenges for all involved. Clearly those who work there were delighted to be opening on time, even though there were lots of improvisations, temporary signs and giggling staff pointing to walls that had only been painted that afternoon. A young friend of mine wandered in on the day of the official opening and enquired if there were any job vacancies. She was asked if she could come that evening and was soon selling programmes with the best of them. She tells me that despite all the pressures and difficulties, staff morale is high and management have helped to create an excellent work atmosphere and esprit de corps.

So, was it all worth it? My initial impression is that the new theatre will fulfil all its promise and will be the premier dance venue in London, due to the variety as well as the quality of work that will be on show. The new stage is the heart of the project - double the size of its predecessor and comparable with that at The Coliseum. In addition, there are state of the art facilities for multi-media productions and it will be interesting to see how innovative companies make use of these. Nigel Hinds, the Programming Director, told me that the leading international companies are now queuing up for slots. It's worth remembering that, apart from short and very expensive opportunities at The Coliseum, there has been nowhere suitable for large dance companies to appear in London. This enthusiasm for the new Sadler's Wells is indicated by the programming for the first two booking periods, which includes Ballett Frankfurt and Pina Bausch. Space has also been found for smaller UK companies like Arc Dance and Green Candle.

How is it for audiences? I have sat in all three of the levels and I'm impressed with the improvements. The seats are comfortable and the sharp rake means that there are generally excellent sightlines. My thoughts on the various parts of the theatre are:

• The small-scale work, 'Swansong', looked great from the central stalls.
• The 1st circle is my favourite place for larger scale works, in which shape and the use of the full depth of the stage play an important part.
• I saw the first Royal Ballet programme from the front of the 2nd circle and in my view this provides the best value for money. However, in order to get the front three rows, customers will probably have to be on the Friends or seat-donors early booking lists.
• As one goes back in both the circles, the sharp rake means that the height above the stage increases rapidly. In addition, for some of the current productions all of the 1st circle seats are the same price. Frankly, I would much rather sit in the front of the 2nd circle rather than the back of the 1st at double the price.
• Another aspect of the rake is that upper parts of the stage can be obscured from further back in all levels and this was particularly noticeable in Rambert's Cunningham piece.
• I have not sat at the back of the 2nd Circle, but a friend told me that the legroom there is poor, but elsewhere, I have found it perfectly comfortable.

I managed to see all three programmes, including the 'Swansong in Focus' school's matinee. The first programme started with two works by Jiri Kylian. 'Petite Mort' is much more of a crowd pleaser with clever use of foils and frocks on rollers, but the first piece, 'No More Play', had more appeal for me. The tone is dark, but the choreography is rich and inventive with strong ensemble and individual performances, especially from Paul Liburd and Didy Veldman.

The third work was the specially commissioned, 'Four Scenes', by Christopher Bruce. Incidentally, Jo Jewkes has written about learning Four scenes in the October ballet.co magazine. The opening is strong and eye-catching and there is interesting and distinctive choreography, which establishes well defined characters and the dancers seize the opportunities presented, with Patricia Hines, Glenn Wilkinson and Matthew Hart particularly catching my eye. However, from about half way, I began to lose the plot and this confusion detracted from my enjoyment of the closing stages. I hope to have the opportunity of seeing the piece again.

The final work was Paul Taylor's 'Airs', which has been in the Company's repertoire since 1982. One critic described the work as terminally old-fashioned, but I found it joyful, elegant and timeless. It was particularly good to see Jo Jewkes in the lead role and when I saw the work for a second time later in the week, she seemed to be having a real high, casting off the trials of the past year and dancing with gusto. Again, the ensemble dancing was very strong, which is a hallmark of the Company. Elizabeth Old had a prominent role and brought to it fine phrasing and suppleness.

My second visit was to 'Swansong in Focus'. This programme was put together for schools studying this dramatic work, based on a prisoner and his brutal interrogators, which is a set work for GCSE and A/L Dance. It was very exciting to see 1500 young people enjoying this excellent work, but sadly there were only a handful of boys in the audience. I took a group of adults from Amnesty International, where we have been working with Rambert to use 'Swansong' for human rights education.

The session started with an illustration of the ballet and Cunningham technique classes and then covered various aspects of the dance process, including learning a work with the help of Banesh notation, lighting etc. This was followed by an analysis of 'Swansong' using excerpts and then, after a break, we saw the full work with a different cast. I found the first half instructive and it was fascinating to see two contrasting casts in one of my favourite works. In the first half excerpts, Didy Veldman played the prisoner and used her strong technique and understated, but dramatic phrasing to bring out the emotional aspect of this difficult role. This made me keen to see her in the complete work and there may be an opportunity in Brighton in late November.

In the second half performance we saw an all-male cast and an uncompromising rendition. Conor O'Brian was frightened and puzzled as the prisoner and Simon Cooper and Christopher Powney as the guards were unrelenting. The ensemble sections were executed with great precision, which magnified the menace. However, the two guards were so brutal throughout that humorous sections like the 'Tea for two' dance seemed out of place. In comparison, the original English National Ballet production, which is available on video, has more light and shade and blends the different styles of dance more persuasively. Conor O'Brian danced swiftly and confidently, but it seemed to me that some of the beauty and pathos of the slower sections was lost in the speed of the turns and extensions. Nevertheless, in the final section, the cane dance was fast and exciting and the death scene had much of the emotional power that we have come to expect of the work. The dancers were rewarded with one of the most enthusiastic receptions they may ever receive. Overall, a great success and there are still opportunities for adults as well as children to see 'Swansong in Focus'around the country. See ballet.co listings for details.

The second evening programme gave two works from the repertoire of the past ten years and a work, new to the Company, by Merce Cunningham. This latter piece, 'August Pace', had interesting steps against a quirky background, but never really engaged my complete interest. In comparison with Cunningham's own company, Rambert seemed to approach the work in a reverential way. Merce is an icon, but he has a love of wit and theatricality, which didn't really come across in the Rambert interpretation. An exception was Glenn Wilkinson, who has worked with Cunningham and as a result seems to have a greater feel for his work.

Next came Ohad Naharin's 'Axioma 7', where the Rambert boys and girls get their kit off. Well, most of it. Around a semi-circle of chairs, a cascade of clothes periodically arch into a pile in the centre as the dancers move place by place around the curve and do short party pieces as they cross to the far side of the semi-circle. It's great fun with lots of skill required to avoid knocking the chairs over and for stripping at a furious pace - not themes on the syllabus of your typical dance school. Rambert have a number of excellent humorous or lighter works, which are invaluable in providing balanced programmes.

Finally, we saw 'Embarque', which was created ten years ago for the Company by Siobhan Davies, when she was their Associate Choreographer. The work gave us another chance to see much beautiful ensemble dancing to a fast score by Steve Reich. Minimalist music seems to have achieved more acceptance in the dance world than in the concert hall. It can provide an excellent framework for dancers and 'Embarque' is no exception. Compared with the Cunningham piece, the Company seemed to get more out of this energetic, fluid piece.

Overall, the week showed that Rambert remain on good form and Sadler's Wells was given a great baptism. However, perhaps the repertoire on show did not have quite the firepower of the Coliseum season. Nothing as funny as 'Rooster', nor as moving as 'Stabat Mater'. I would have been pleased to see 'Swansong' in the evening programme, but I am biased about this piece. Some commentators were critical of what they saw as a lack of development in the company over the past few years. For myself, I am always happy to see some of the great work from their back catalogue and I'm eagerly looking forward to Rambert's return in a couple of weeks to perform the revival of the full length 'Cruel Garden'. However, funds permitting, it would be good to see the Company tackle some new cutting edge work, as it did in the 70s and 80s.

At the time of writing, we are well into the Royal Ballet season at Sadler's Wells and the usual ballet.co suspects are much in evidence, as they were for Rambert. There is no doubt that the RB has benefited greatly from the crucial first days of the new theatre, when a range of problems were identified and tackled. A big, big thank you is due to all at Sadler's Wells for their vision and tenacity in re-launching this famous venue and to Rambert for sticking with it and providing a terrific weeklong launch party.