Companies

In Commemoration of Ekaterina Maximova

“Fragments of One Biography”
Bolshoi Ballet and Guests
Bolshoi Theatre
Moscow, Russia
February 01, 2024 (video)

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2024 by Ilona Landgraf

1. Ensemble, “Fragments of One Biography” staged by V.Vasiliev, Bolshoi Ballet 2024 © Bolshoi Ballet / E.FetisovaOn February 1st, the Bolshoi Ballet’s prima ballerina, Ekaterina Maximova (1939-2009), would have celebrated her 85th birthday. A phenomenally successful (and multi-decorated) artist, Maximova’s fame reached far beyond Russia’s borders. After retiring from the stage of the Bolshoi in 1988, she continued to dance with other Russian and international companies—and sometimes even returned home to the Bolshoi. From 1990 on, Maximova worked as a coach, teacher, and member of several arts councils and committees. Every five years, Maximova’s husband, Vladimir Vasiliev, stages a gala at the Bolshoi in honor of his late wife. I was able to watch this year’s event on video.

2. V.Vasiliev, “Fragments of One Biography” staged by V.Vasiliev, Bolshoi Ballet 2024 © Bolshoi Ballet / E.Fetisova3. E.Maximova (Kitri) and ensemble, “Don Quixote”, Bolshoi Ballet © Bolshoi Ballet / V. Pchelkin 4. V.Vasiliev (Nutcracker Prince), E.Maximova (Marie), and ensemble, “The Nutcracker” by Y.Grigorovich, Bolshoi Ballet 1966 © Bolshoi Ballet / V. PchelkinVasiliev, a renowned former principal dancer of the Bolshoi and the company’s director from 1995 to 2000, has also been productive as a choreographer. Several samples of his ballets were shown at the gala. Much to the audience’s appreciation, for the first time, Vasiliev included film footage and archive photos of Maximova’s performances and private life, which testified to her dazzling talent and vibrant personality. The clips he chose depicted her in the very same roles that were subsequently performed live at the gala, allowing comparisons between her and today’s ballerinas. They left no doubt that Maximova’s performances should be considered a standard. Although forty years or so have passed, her style and technique still looked fresh and modern. Most striking, though, was her captivating charisma. How impressive must she have been alive and in person!

7. V.Vasiliev (Spartacus) and E.Maximova (Phrygia), “Spartacus” by Y.Grigorovich, Boslhoi Ballet © Bolshoi Ballet / G. Soloviev6. E.Maximova (Katerina) and V.Vasiliev (Danila), “The Stone Flower” by Y.Grigorovich, Bolshoi Ballet © Bolshoi Ballet / E. Umnov 5. E.Maximova as Giselle, Bolshoi Ballet © Bolshoi Ballet / E. UmnovUsually, guest dancers from different theaters join the Bolshoi company for this event. This time, they came from two Russian companies. Amanda Gomez and Mikhail Timaev from the Tatar State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre performed a scene from Vasiliev’s Fragments of a Biography. Gomez, a graduate of the Bolshoi’s ballet school in Brazil, seemed slightly tense as she stepped onto the Bolshoi’s historical stage, but moments later, she started to flirt cheerfully with the audience. In contrast to her light-hearted solo, her pas de deux with Timaev featured serious affection.
8. E.Sergeenkova (Giselle) and K.Efimov (Albrecht), “Giselle” by J.Perrot, J.Coralli, and M.Petipa (revised by Y.Grigorovich), Bolshoi Ballet 2024 © Bolshoi Ballet / E.Fetisova 9. E.Sergeenkova (Giselle) and K.Efimov (Albrecht), “Giselle” by J.Perrot, J.Coralli, and M.Petipa (revised by Y.Grigorovich), Bolshoi Ballet 2024 © Bolshoi Ballet / E.FetisovaSt. Petersburg’s Mariinsky Ballet sent to Moscow Renata Shakirova and Kimin Kim who contributed a pas de deux from Don Quixote. Both danced impeccably, but while Kim’s Basilio was a paragon of dash and charm, Shakirova’s Kitri was as calculating as Odile. She threw herself into smug poses and rattled off the choreography as if competing with a high-speed sewing machine.

Kitri was one of seven of Maximova’s iconic roles that the students of the Moscow State Academy of Choreography called to mind in their opening Entre. Another one was that of Giselle. Maximova’s mad scene on celluloid was continued by Eva Sergeenkova and Klim Efimov who performed a pas de deux from Act II. Compliments to them for conjuring up the Wilis’ ghostly realm from nothing.
11. A.Ovcharenko (Nutcracker Prince) and E.Sevenard (Marie), “The Nutcracker” by Y.Grigorovich, Bolshoi Ballet 2024 © Bolshoi Ballet / E.Fetisova10. E.Sevenard (Marie) and A.Ovcharenko (Nutcracker Prince), “The Nutcracker” by Y.Grigorovich, Bolshoi Ballet 2024 © Bolshoi Ballet / E.FetisovaOf Maximova’s Marie (from The Nutcracker), we watched a scene from the final in which the young Marie happily reunites with her Nutcracker doll. The pas de deux that Eleonora Sevenard (Marie) and Artem Ovcharenko (Nutcracker Prince) performed (Yuri Grigorovich’s version) rewound the plot to the couple’s journey toward the top of the Christmas tree. The journey’s climax was reached when the assembled courtly escort lifted both simultaneously from within their midst. I haven’t seen Ovcharenko for quite some time and was happy to find him in peak form. He nailed his pirouettes with the elegance of a pro and evinced a mind-boggling spring in his step.

12. I.Tsvirko (Phillipe), “The Flames of Paris” by V.Vainonen, Bolshoi Ballet 2024 © Bolshoi Ballet / E.Fetisova13. M.Shrayner (Jeanne) and I.Tsvirko (Phillipe), “The Flames of Paris” by V.Vainonen, Bolshoi Ballet 2024 © Bolshoi Ballet / E.FetisovaI also admired Igor Tsvirko’s daredevil Philippe in The Flames of Paris. If I were to describe the series of intricate jumps that he delivered as “terrific,” it would be an understatement. The eyes of Margarita Shrayner’s rebellious Jeanne radiated the same triumph as Maximova’s as she sat on Philippe’s shoulder.
Dmitry Smilevsky, who I recently watched in La Fille du Pharaon, danced the leading role this time in two excerpts of Vasiliev’s version of Leonid Lavrovsky’s latest major work, Paganini. His performance was a treat. Initially absorbed in a tender pas de deux with his muse (Elizaveta Kokoreva), a strike of genius later sparked an almost aggressive determination in him. Paganini was a legend, and Smilevsky also has what it takes to become one.
Paganini is set to music by Rachmaninoff, as is Elegy—a pas de deux by Vasiliev, which he and Maximova danced multiple times. Its many nuances of melancholy require sensitivity, whereas the many challenging lifts call for expert technique. Anna Nikulina and Egor Gerashchenko demonstrated both.

15. V.Lopatkin (Modest Alexeyevich), “Anyuta” by V.Vasiliev, Bolshoi Ballet 2024 © Bolshoi Ballet / E.Fetisova14. A.Stashkevich (Anyuta) and ensemble, “Anyuta” by V.Vasiliev, Bolshoi Ballet 2024 © Bolshoi Ballet / E.FetisovaIt’s always a gift to watch Vladislav Lantratov dance, and I consider it especially lucky that he appeared twice. He was the linchpin of five ballerinas’ Waltz Fantasy and the main character in Ballad, a poignant duet by Vasiliev set to music by Chopin. Ballad depicts the desperation of a man (Vladislav Lantratov) after having lost a beloved woman (Elizaveta Kokoreva): how he first hesitantly, then full of joy, recalls her and relives their mutual fondness and trust and how he tries to squeeze all that was precious between them into that fleeting moment of reminiscence. When he finally had to acknowledge that she was gone, he seemed to accuse the entire world of this loss.

16. A.Stashkevich (Anyuta) and ensemble, “Anyuta” by V.Vasiliev, Bolshoi Ballet 2024 © Bolshoi Ballet / E.Fetisova17. M.Lobukhin (Pyotr Leontievich) and ensemble, “Anyuta” by V.Vasiliev, Bolshoi Ballet 2024 © Bolshoi Ballet / E.Fetisova The gala concluded with an excerpt of Vasiliev’s bittersweet Anyuta, led by Anastasia Stashkevich in the title role alongside Vyacheslav Lopatkin as Anyuta’s husband, Modest Alexeyevich. Originally, Vasiliev was meant to appear as Anyuta’s father, Pyotr Leontievich. However, he suffered a serious injury backstage during the performance and had to be taken to hospital. Mikhail Lobukhin replaced him on short notice.

18. Ensemble, “Fragments of One Biography” staged by V.Vasiliev, Bolshoi Ballet 2024 © Bolshoi Ballet / E.Fetisova

Links: Website of the Bolshoi Theatre
“Fragments of One Biography” – Ekaterina Maximova (video)
Photos: 1. Ensemble,Fragments of One Biography” staged by Vladimir Vasiliev, Bolshoi Ballet 2024 © Bolshoi Ballet / Elena Fetisova
2. Vladimir Vasiliev,Fragments of One Biography” staged by Vladimir Vasiliev, Bolshoi Ballet 2024 © Bolshoi Ballet / Elena Fetisova
3. Ekaterina Maximova (Kitri) and ensemble, “Don Quixote”, Bolshoi Ballet © Bolshoi Ballet / V. Pchelkin
4. Vladimir Vasiliev (Nutcracker Prince), Ekaterina Maximova (Marie), and ensemble, “The Nutcracker” by Yuri Grigorovich, Bolshoi Ballet 1966 © Bolshoi Ballet / V. Pchelkin
5. Ekterina Maximova as Giselle, Bolshoi Ballet © Bolshoi Ballet / E. Umnov
6. Ekaterina Maximova (Katerina) and Vladimir Vasiliev (Danila), “The Stone Flower” by Yuri Grigorovich, Bolshoi Ballet © Bolshoi Ballet / E. Umnov
7. Vladimir Vasiliev (Spartacus) and Ekaterina Maximova (Phrygia), “Spartacus” by Yuri Grigorovich, Boslhoi Ballet © Bolshoi Ballet / G. Soloviev
8. Eva Sergeenkova (Giselle) and Klim Efimov (Albrecht), “Giselle” by Jules Perrot, Jean Coralli, and Marius Petipa (revised by Yuri Grigorovich), Bolshoi Ballet 2024 © Bolshoi Ballet / Elena Fetisova
9. Eva Sergeenkova (Giselle) and Klim Efimov (Albrecht), “Giselle” by Jules Perrot, Jean Coralli, and Marius Petipa (revised by Yuri Grigorovich), Bolshoi Ballet 2024 © Bolshoi Ballet / Elena Fetisova
10. Eleonora Sevenard (Marie) and Artem Ovcharenko (Nutcracker Prince), “The Nutcracker” by Yuri Grigorovich, Bolshoi Ballet 2024 © Bolshoi Ballet / Elena Fetisova
11. Artem Ovcharenko (Nutcracker Prince) and Eleonora Sevenard (Marie), “The Nutcracker” by Yuri Grigorovich, Bolshoi Ballet 2024 © Bolshoi Ballet / Elena Fetisova
12. Igor Tsvirko (Phillipe), “The Flames of Paris” by Vasily Vainonen, Bolshoi Ballet 2024 © Bolshoi Ballet / Elena Fetisova
13. Margarita Shrayner (Jeanne) and Igor Tsvirko (Phillipe), “The Flames of Paris” by Vasily Vainonen, Bolshoi Ballet 2024 © Bolshoi Ballet / Elena Fetisova
14. Anastasia Stashkevich (Anyuta) and ensemble, “Anyuta” by Vladimir Vasiliev, Bolshoi Ballet 2024 © Bolshoi Ballet / Elena Fetisova
15. Vyacheslav Lopatkin (Modest Alexeyevich), “Anyuta” by Vladimir Vasiliev, Bolshoi Ballet 2024 © Bolshoi Ballet / Elena Fetisova
16. Anastasia Stashkevich (Anyuta) and ensemble, “Anyuta” by Vladimir Vasiliev, Bolshoi Ballet 2024 © Bolshoi Ballet / Elena Fetisova
17. Mikhail Lobukhin (Pyotr Leontievich) and ensemble, “Anyuta” by Vladimir Vasiliev, Bolshoi Ballet 2024 © Bolshoi Ballet / Elena Fetisova
18. Ensemble, “Fragments of One Biography” staged by Vladimir Vasiliev, Bolshoi Ballet 2024 © Bolshoi Ballet / Elena Fetisova
Editing: Kayla Kauffman

Love, Faith, and the Inevitability of Karma

“Land of Faith – Bargujin Tukum”
Ballet of the Buryat Academic Ballet and Opera Theatre
Buryat Academic Ballet and Opera Theatre
Ulan-Ude, Russia
February 2024 (video)

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2024 by Ilona Landgraf

1. M.Ovcharov and ensemble, “Land of Faith - Bargujin Tukum” by N.Dmitrievsky, Ballet of the Buryat Academic Ballet and Opera Theatre 2023 © N.Dmitrievsky Roughly 4000 miles separate Moscow from the Sakhalin Island in Russia’s Far East. Two-thirds along this stretch towards the east lies Ulan-Ude, the capital city of the Republic of Buryatia. Its population amounted to 436,000 last year. Lake Baikal is about 100 miles north of Ulan-Ude; the border with Mongolia to the south is 130 miles or so away.
Last year, the Republic celebrated the centenary of the foundation of the Buryat Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic—currently known as Buryatia (which is still an autonomous republic within the Russian Federation). On this occasion, the Buryat National Ballet and Opera Theatre commissioned the Moscow-based contemporary choreographer, Nikita Dmitrievsky, to create a new ballet. His Land of Faith – Bargujin Tukum premiered last May and will return to the schedule later this year. During a tour to Moscow last December, it was shown at the Stanislavsky Theatre. I was able to watch a video of the premiere. (more…)

A Grand Spectacle

“La Fille du Pharaon”
Bolshoi Ballet
Bolshoi Theatre
Moscow, Russia
February 16, 2024

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2024 by Ilona Landgraf

1. M.Mishina (Ramze), E.Kokoreva (Aspicia), and ensemble; “La Fille du Pharaon” by P.Lacotte, Bolshoi Ballet 2024 © Bolshoi Ballet / D.Yusupov The Bolshoi Ballet’s La Fille du Pharaon is about an Egyptian pipe dream—and it felt like a dream indeed. I was already impressed in 2019 when I watched it for the first time. Five years later, the cultural landscape has changed so much that its magnificence seems surreal. It highlights the extent to which the paths of Western and Russian cultures have diverged. While European culture finds itself on shaky grounds, the Bolshoi stands firm as a rock. The critics who argue that Pierre Lacotte’s recreation of Marius Petipa’s La Fille du Pharaon (1862) is like unearthing a dusty ballet mummy are wrong. True, the piece’s libretto (which is based on Theophile Gautier’s 1857 Le Roman de la Momie and was edited by Lacotte) is flimsy. Hearty drags on an opium pipe transport a traveling Englishman and his servant to the pyramids during the reign of a mighty pharaoh. This pharaoh has a daughter who instantly falls in love with the Englishman. After some adventurous trouble (including the dispatch of a lion, a last-minute escape, a nearly murderous assault, a suicide attempt, and the hero’s near execution), the lovers are happily united. But – alas! Upon awakening, (more…)

How to Warm an Audience

Don Quixote”
Ballet of the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Music Theatre
Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Music Theatre
Moscow, Russia

February 15, 2024

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2024 by Ilona Landgraf

1. A.Limenko (Kitri) and ensemble, “Don Quixote” by R.Nureyev, Stanislavsky Ballet 2024 © K.Zhitkova Moscow’s ballet audience is well-versed and demanding. The crowd that filled the Stanislavsky Theatre last Thursday to watch Don Quixote gave the quirky Don Quixote (Nikita Kirillov) and his gluttonous squire, Sancho Panza (Konstantin Semenov), a friendly but reserved welcome. The company’s former artistic director, Laurent Hilaire, added the production to the repertoire in 2019, and Hilaire’s successor, Maxim Sevagin, has kept it since 2022. As a former etoile of the Paris Opera Ballet who danced under Rudolf Nureyev’s directorate, Hilaire chose to introduce the Russian audience to Nureyev’s version of Don Quixote. Its set and costume design replicates Nicholas Georgiadis’s originals for the Paris Opera premiere.

Back at the bustling market square, the exuberance of the Spanish youth gradually spread through the rows. The legs of the toreadors sliced the air like knife edges; their leader, Espada (Evgeny Zhukov), missed no chance to parade his oomph; the sultry show of Olga Sizykh’s street dancer heated the air so much that the men began to brawl over the women – but the arrival of Don Quixote (on top of his armored old nag Rocinante) chilled passions. (more…)

Reassuring

“Chopiniana”/“Grand Pas from the Ballet Paquita
Bolshoi Ballet
Bolshoi Theatre (Historic Stage)
Moscow, Russia
February 14, 2024

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2024 by Ilona Landgraf

 1. A.Denisova, “Chopiniana” by M.Fokine, Bolshoi Ballet 2024 © Bolshoi Ballet / D.Yusupov The musicians of the Bolshoi Orchestra are on their toes. After acknowledging the welcoming applause, conductor, Pavel Klinichev, raised his baton in the same instant that he turned around to face them. The vigorous bars that he prompted belonged to a Polonaise by Chopin. It opened Mikhail Fokine’s romantic Chopiniana (1908), which the Bolshoi Ballet revived in November 2022. It’s the first part of a double bill the second piece of which – the Grand Pas from Petipa’s Paquita – has been a landmark of classical dance since its creation in 1881.

There’s no need to discuss how Fokine’s choreography was performed. The Bolshoi is a guarantor of sublime performances. Indeed, the unity of the corps was nothing less than staggering; every step was measured yet effortless like an outpouring of natural decency. Perfect proportions soothed the eye. As the leading sylphs, Anastasia Stashkevich, Elizaveta Kruteleva, and Anastasia Denisova paid great attention to detail, adding the right tinge of buoyancy, melancholy, or playfulness to their solos. Vyacheslav Lopatin’s poet combined sensitivity and decisiveness. His clean and – at times mighty – jumps earned applause. Alyona Pikalova’s set design – an arch of gnarled treetops opening onto a sunny water meadow – invited the mind to dream.
I’ve watched several companies dance Chopiniana, but no performance was as complete as the Bolshoi’s. Perhaps due to experiencing messy times in my home country of Germany (and in the West in general), the refined order and serenity of Chopiniana felt especially comforting. It seemed like the epitome of civilization. (more…)

Spoiled

“Timekeepers” (“For Hedy”/”Rhapsodies”/”Les Noces”)
Ballet Zurich
Opernhaus Zurich
Zurich, Switzerland
January 20, 2024

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2024 by Ilona Landgraf

1. S.Williams, “For Hedy” by M.Tankard, Ballet Zurich 2024 © G.BatardonThe Ballet Zurich’s new triple bill Timekeepers is a testament to a wind of change that has swept through the company since Cathy Marston took the reins as artistic director last August. Twenty new faces joined the company, and many others left to follow the previous artistic director, Christian Spuck, to the State Ballet Berlin. I was told that, despite initial hesitation, the Ballet attracts large audiences to its performances. The premiere of Timekeepers was indeed very well attended. Its program combined two world premieres – Meryl Tankard’s For Hedy and Mthuthuzeli November’s Rhapsodies – with Bronislava Nijinska’s Les Noces (1923). Each of the three pieces comprises music that premiered almost exactly one-hundred years ago.

The Australian Tankard took on the challenge to choreograph George Antheil’s composition Ballet Mécanique, a medley of noises made by mechanical instruments, such as electric bells, propellers, a siren, and sixteen self-playing pianos (or pianolas). It couldn’t be realized in 1926, as synchronizing so many pianolas turned out to be impossible back then. (more…)

An Empty Packaging

“Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève” (“Noetic”/“VÏA”)
Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève
Forum Ludwigsburg
Ludwigsburg, Germany
January 12, 2024

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2024 by Ilona Landgraf

1. Ensemble, “Noetic” by S.L.Cherkaoui, Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève 2024 © G.BatardonNothing in last weekend’s tour of the Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève reflected the name of the company. It did not present ballet, and the two pieces that they performed did not represent in any way the significance that the theater claims. The first – Noetic (2014) – was choreographed by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, former artistic director of the Royal Ballet of Flanders, who has held the same position at the Grand Théâtre de Genève, Switzerland, since 2022. VÏA is a 2023 creation, which the Morocco-born Fouad Boussouf choreographed for the company.

Noetic (from the Greek noēsis, meaning inner wisdom, direct knowing, intuition, or implicit understanding) opened promisingly as Shogo Yoshii silently stepped behind his Japanese Taiko drums and hammered out a forceful staccato. It called the dancers – ten men and ten women, one of whom was clad like the men – into the light-gray box that the stage had been turned into. As they assembled in groups of three, standing motionless back to back, they reminded me of the triple formations of German federal police when securing the train station against traveling football fans. Noetic’s dancers weren’t uniformed though. (more…)

Additional Thoughts

“Coppélia”
Ballet Company of Teatro alla Scala
Teatro alla Scala
Milan, Italy
December 17, 2023 (online broadcast)

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2024 by Ilona Landgraf

1. T.Andrijashenko (Franz) and L.Di Pasquale (Coppélia), “Coppélia” by A.Ratmansky, Teatro alla Scala 2023, photo by Brescia and Amisano © Teatro alla ScalaAlexei Ratmansky’s latest piece is a new version of Coppélia for the Ballet Company of Teatro alla Scala. A recording of its premiere on December 17th can be watched on Medici TV. In her review on December 18th, the New York Times dance critic, Roslyn Sulcas, praised the “wealth and detail of nuance” that Ratmansky brought alive. “He has infused [Coppélia] with new life,” she wrote, “as if a carapace of formulaic presentation and interpretation has been cracked open.”

She’s right, it’s an ambitious production in many respects – an asset for the company. At times though, Ratmansky’s wealth of detail feels like a continuous bombardment, as if he is overeager in combining an abundance of steps with plenty of flourish and excessive acting. His unconventional, fresh approach suffers from his striving for exceptionalism. And though I understand that as many dancers as possible should be involved, I’d have preferred a less crowded village square to better show off the pas de deux of the leading couple – Nicoletta Manni (Swanilda) and Timofej Andrijashenko (Franz). (more…)

A Showpiece

“A Swan Lake”
Semperoper Ballet
Semperoper
Dresden, Germany
December 17, 2023 (online since December 28, 2023)

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2024 by Ilona Landgraf

1. Ensemble, “A Swan Lake” by J.Inger, Semperoper Ballet 2023 © Semperoper Dresden/N.MacKayDo not expect the Semperoper Ballet’s new A Swan Lake to be the well-known classical swan story. True, it’s still danced to Tchaikovsky’s score, but it eschews the greatest part of its traditional personage. Vladimir Begichev’s original libretto of Swan Lake (1877) wasn’t what the Swedish choreographer Johan Inger had in mind. He took inspiration from the German author Johann Karl August Musäus’s folk tale The Stolen Veil (1784), which is considered to be one of several possible sources that Begichev used.

For those familiar with a traditional Swan Lake, a few names of the characters, Inger included, ring a bell. One of them is Benno, the original Prince Siegfried’s friend. Dresden’s version has no Prince Siegfried, and Benno is the lover of Queen Zoe, the unhappy spouse of King Zeno. Thanks to a magic veil, she’s able to transform into a swan and fly to a faraway lake. There, she takes a rejuvenating bath once a year and lives out her secret love affair with Benno. Zeno, however, finds out about it and, tearing up the veil, puts an end to further escapes for Queen Zoe. Act II features Zoe twenty years later. (more…)

Rekindled

“Shifting Symmetries” (“Concertante”/”Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet”)
Vienna State Ballet
Vienna State Opera
Vienna, Austria
December 23, 2023, (online: December 27, 2023)

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2024 by Ilona Landgraf

1. Ensemble, “Concertante” by H.van Manen, Vienna State Ballet 2023 © Vienna State Ballet/A.Taylor The Vienna State Ballet’s newest triple bill combines pieces by Hans van Manen, William Forsythe, and George Balanchine. As Forsythe doesn’t allow video streaming of his works, his In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated wasn’t part of the online broadcast on December 27th (which showed a recording of the premiere on December 23rd).
I’ve often been unhappy about the Viennese performances, but what’s to expect when the choreographies given to them are mediocre? This time though, a meaty dance-diet was on the menu, and the company rose splendidly to the occasion.

Concertante (1994) has the punchy elegance that van Manen is known for. It’s sophisticated (but without frills) and so densely energetic that my eyes stayed glued on the dancers. Van Manen doesn’t choreograph pretty steps. His dancers prance cooly and strongly, throw challenging glances, and are forcefully present on stage. (more…)

Homage to Rainier III, Prince of Monaco

“Soirée Maurice Ravel” (“La Valse”/“L’Enfant et les Sortilèges”)
Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo
Salle des Princes, Grimaldi Forum
Monte-Carlo, Monaco
December 23, 2023

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2023 by Ilona Landgraf

1. Ensemble, “La Valse” by G.Balanchine, Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo 2023 © A.BlangeroThis year, Monaco celebrated the centenary anniversary of Prince Rainier III (1923–2005), the Principality’s monarch and head of state for almost 56 years. One highlight among the numerous events and exhibitions was a new double bill of Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, featuring Balanchine’s La Valse and the company’s artistic director, Jean-Christophe Maillot’s L’Enfant et les Sortilèges (The Child and the Spell). Both pieces are set to music by Maurice Ravel. L’Enfant et les Sortilèges is a one-act opera with a libretto by Colette whose 150th anniversary happens to be celebrated this year. World War I delayed its premiere at the Monte-Carlo Opera until 1925. Back then, Balanchine choreographed the dance sequences. In 1992, Maillot created his adaption. As a tribute to Prince Rainier – who is said to have loved Ravel’s music in general and especially L’Enfant et les Sortilèges – he presented a new version this year. There were only four performances scheduled at the Grimaldi Forum, and I saw the last one on December 23rd. It was attended by Prince Albert II, Princess Caroline, and Princess Stéphanie and opened with Monaco’s anthem. (more…)

Work Ethics

The Australian Ballet
Southbank/Victoria, Australia
December 2023

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2023 by Ilona Landgraf

It’s no secret that the country of Germany is in descent. Of the various aspects that add to the misery, one is that work has lost its intrinsic value in many classes of German society. Matters are different in the ballet world though. The Australian Ballet, for example, delivered high quality throughout the year. Earlier this December, the company’s artistic director, David Hallberg, honored the achievements of his dancers. In a sweeping series of promotions, sixteen dancers climbed the ranks. Their joy was infectious. Each promotee knows that a higher rank bestows higher expectations, and each one seemed to wholeheartedly embrace the new challenge.

The newest coryphées are Sara Andrlon, Saranja Crowe, Hugo Dumapit, Adam Elmes, Evie Ferris, Lilla Harvey, Larissa Kiyoto-Ward, and Montana Rubin.

(more…)

Lacking Punch (and more)

“The Nutcracker”
Stuttgart Ballet
Stuttgart State Opera
Stuttgart, Germany
December 19, 2023

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2023 by Ilona Landgraf

1. A.Su (Clara), D.Ionescu (Mrs. Stahlbaum), H.Erikson (Fritz), F.Puthenpurayil (Mr. Stahlbaum), and ensemble; “The Nutcracker” by E.Clug, Stuttgart Ballet 2023 © R.Novitzky/Stuttgart BalletAfter half a century without a family-friendly “Nutcracker”, the Stuttgart Ballet decided last year to fill the vacuum with a new version by Edward Clug. Clug, artistic director of the Maribor Ballet/Slovenia, had already contributed several short pieces to the Stuttgart company’s repertory, but “The Nutcracker” was his first full-evening story ballet for them. Stuttgart Ballet’s artistic director, Tamas Detrich, took the set and costume design choices into his own hands and commissioned a longstanding collaborator of the troupe – Jürgen Rose – to team up with Clug.

Rose’s design for the Stahlbaums’ Christmas celebration and their daughter Clara’s dream journey into a magical realm is a medley of old and new styles. The costumes and Clara’s bed are Biedermeier-ish, and the Stahlbaums’ mansion is ultra-modern. Its plain, washy-brown walls create a claustrophobic atmosphere. Walnuts of different sizes connect the scenes like a visual leitmotiv. (more…)

Customized

“Jane Eyre”
Hamburg Ballet – John Neumeier
Hamburg State Opera
Hamburg, Germany
December 09, 2023

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2023 by Ilona Landgraf

1. M.Sugai (Jane Eyre), “Jane Eyre” by C.Marston, Hamburg Ballet 2023 © K.WestLast December, John Neumeier announced that his then-new “Dona Nobis Pacem” would be his last choreography for the Hamburg Ballet. I was rightfully doubtful because the eighty-four-year-old did indeed schedule the premiere of yet another new creation – Epilogue” – for July 2024. With very few exceptions, the Hamburg Ballet’s purpose has been to present its artistic director’s oeuvre. In his farewell season, he at least allocated the other premiere to a foreign choreographer, the Zurich Ballet’s new artistic director, Cathy Marston. Her “Jane Eyre” received its Hamburg debut earlier this December. It’s an adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s eponymous 1847 novel and was created for Northern Ballet in 2016 and later developed into a big-scale production for American Ballet Theatre and the Joffrey Ballet.

In an interview printed in the program booklet, Marston reports having been surprised about the unexpected assignment by Neumeier and also hints as to why Neumeier might have chosen “Jane Eyre”. (more…)

The Full Package

“Marguerite and Armand”/“The Dream”
The Australian Ballet
Sydney Opera House/Joan Sutherland Theatre
Sydney, Australia
November 21, 2023 (livestream)

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2023 by Ilona Landgraf

1. N.Brook (Armand), “Marguerite and Armand” by F.Ashton, The Australian Ballet 2023 © D.Boud The last new program of the Australian Ballet’s 60th anniversary season was an all-in-one package. Its two Ashton ballets – “Marguerite and Armand” (1963) and “The Dream” (1964) – showcased the dancers’ prowess and satisfied the audience’s appetite for both the tragic and the comic while at the same time celebrating the company’s historic connection to the Royal Ballet. This connection has been of the most pleasant nature as became evident in the interview that the livestream’s presenter, Catherine Murphy, and the artistic director, David Hallberg, conducted with Berry Wordsworth. Wordsworth, the Royal Ballet’s former music director, joined the Opera Australia Orchestra to conduct the Ashton program. As he recalled Ashton’s creative passion and the friendship between Peggy van Praagh, the Australian Ballet’s founder, and her London counterpart, the Royal Ballet’s Dame Ninette de Valois, one could sense that the buoyant spirit of the good old days is still vibrant. Furthermore, warmth and good humor dominated the add-on program and included additional backstage interviews and videos. (more…)