Matthew Bourne’s triumphant modern re-interpretation of Swan Lake, with its cast of male swans, has turned tradition upside down and taken the ballet fraternity by storm. Never has such a contemporary re-working of a traditional ballet thrilled both ardent critics and modern dance enthusiasts in such equal measure. “Matthew Bourne has turned Swan Lake on its head, he has given it a sex change and catapulted it into another universe … some of the best performances you will ever see on a ballet stage. It will be a great big hit” The Times
La Sylphide
When Lis Jeppesen – the Sylphide of our time – in diaphanous white costume and with shining wings, dances for the Scottish farmer James, whom she has entranced with her love and beauty, we are witnessing the first scene of the most famous and enduring ballet by August Bournonville. Of all his surviving ballets it is the oldest and most widely performed. The Royal Danish Ballet rightly regards its interpretations of the Bournonville classics as being in the purest and most faithfully maintained tradition. Lis Jeppesen dances the lead role of La Sylphide, a role which demands lyrical interpretation as well as superb technique. Equal expressiveness and faultless dancing are required of James, here performed by Nikolaj Hübbe. Sorella Englund is the brilliant interpreter of the role of Madge, the witch and fortune-teller, whose rejection by James leads her to seek dreadful revenge on him, with tragic consequences.
Bolshoi Ballet – Live in the Park
Bolshoi is Russian for great, an often over-worked adjective, but in the case of the Bolshoi Ballet, it is a worthy description of the world’s most famous ballet company. On this tour to the UK, the Bolshoi proved that it is a company of absolutes, in flamboyance and daring, brilliance and technical execution; and these triumphant qualities are captured for posterity in a divertissement programme which shows off the Bolshoi’s top ranking soloists at their bravura best.
La Fille mal gardée
Frederick Ashton’s delightful ballet has proved irresistible to audiences of all ages and The Royal Ballet’s production has immediate appeal for newcomers to ballet as well as for those who return time and again to enjoy its lyrical comedy. It is a ballet set in the English countryside, telling how Lise manages to win the hand of the man she loves – the young farmer, Colas – despite her mother’s determination to marry her off to the dim-witted son of a wealthy vineyard owner. This is one of the great masterpieces of The Royal Ballet’s repertory, created by Frederick Ashton, set amid the witty designs of Osbert Lancaster, with Hérold’s delightful melodies to inspire the performances by some of the Company’s leading artists.
Nutcracker Sweeties
Nutcracker Sweeties is Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington’s big band attack on Tchaikovsky. It portrays Broadway and America in the 1940s; full of humour, irony, commentary, swing and blues. The cast, dressed in an array of glamorous Jasper Conran costumes, includes pom-pom girls, drum majorettes, sailors, GIs and Candy Kane. David Bintley’s choreography is a catwalk of jazz styles. With its glamour-puss clothes and flashing neon set, Nutcracker Sweeties is imaginative, funny and visually irresistible.
Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan: Songs Of The Wanderers
Legend has it that “Cloud Gate” is the name of the oldest known dance in China, a ritualistic dance which was supposed to have been performed more than 5,000 years ago. In 1973 the choreographer Lin Hwai-min used this classical name for the company he founded, the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan, which was the fi rst company in the Chinese speaking part of the world to dedicate itself to the modern dance theatre. A visually stunning paean to spiritual pilgrimage, “Song of the Wanderers” creates a world intense of reverences, distinctly Asian in its imagery yet with powerful relevance far beyond Asia. Spiritually evocative movement set to soulful Georgian folk songs, brought to life on a truly astonishing set of 3,5 tons of shimmering golden grains of rice.“Asia’s leading contemporary dance theatre.” (The Times) “One of the finest dance companies in the world.” (The Globe and Mail). In addition: DCD066_01 is a documentary about the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan including interviews with the director and artists.
Mats Ek’s Sleeping Beauty
Tchaikovsky’s greatest ballet score meets Swedish dance royalty in Mats Ek’s staging of The Sleeping Beauty – performed here in 1999 by Cullberg Ballet, the company (founded by Ek’s mother) for which this production was created. The tradition that Ek inherited was one of innovation, and his Sleeping Beauty – updated, pared back and stripped of its traditional Romantic opulence – caused controversy when it was first seen in 1996. Today, it’s regarded as a classic, driving straight to the poetic, sometimes troubled heart of the original fairy tale: a near-perfect modern visualisation of Tchaikovsky’s impassioned music.
Egon Schiele – Self Portrait
No place inspired Egon Schiele more than Ceský Krumlov, a stunning architectural gem and one of Europe’s most beautiful historic towns. Familiar with the town from childhood holidays, Schiele moved there after leaving the Vienna Academy to develop his distinctive style. Staged in the exceptional revolving theatre in the baroque gardens of Ceský Krumlov, this performance by choreographer Jan Kodet honours the life and work of the great painter. Choreography, set and costume design take inspiration from the themes and colours of Schiele’s paintings, to great effect. Glimpses of Schiele’s life flash before the audience as the auditorium revolves around the action.
Ukiyo-e
Ukiyo-e, or how to survive together in a world constantly in crisis? A meditation on our capacity for resilience, this new piece by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui is named after the “images of the floating world”, the famous artistic movement that emerged in Japan during the Edo period, in the half-worlds of urban hedonism. The piece activates a work of balance in the face of impermanence. Beyond dualities, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui proposes to envisage bodies that do not end with fracture and limit, but rather to exalt these as augmentations of our person. Alexander Dodge’s set will feature a network of impossible staircases in which the dancers get lost. These mobile labyrinthine structures are intended to evoke both the ascent and the abyss. “Meditative, floor-based, soft and flowing dances that are among the most beautiful that contemporary dance holds.” (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung)
Nederlands Dans Theater 3
According to the ancient Greek legend, Prometheus brought fire and culture to mankind, thus saving the world from being destroyed by Zeus. Through the ages, this story has inspired countless artists, poets and musicians to some of their grandest creations.
Christopher Swann’s film is based on a 1993 televised concert from Berlin’s Philharmonic Hall.
The program features music by Beethoven, Liszt, Skriabin and Nono based on the legend of Prometheus. The four compositions could not be more diverse in style and conception, representing highly different approaches: from the Prometheus as bringer of plague and destruction to the punished Prometheus chained to a rock.
In this film, Christopher Swann stresses a visual approach to this variety of ideas, using a number of modern film techniques to underscore and illustrate the musical presentation.
Performances by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under Claudio Abbado are first-rate, although it is the presence of Argerich that will make this DVD an obligatory purchase.