Royal Ballet Mixed Bill
Richard Davis
I'd like to add my comments on Royal Ballet's recent triple bill at
Covent Garden.
The surprise (and highlight) of the evening for me was Consort Lessons -
a far cry from some of Bintley's more recent works that have appeared at
Covent Garden. Choreographed when he was a young upstart back in 1983,
the work is jam packed with technically demanding (and seemingly
exhausting) dancing, as if Bintley was determined to announce his
choreographic presence. He creates a myriad of interesting architectural
shapes and patterns, constantly in a state of flux and dynamism,
punctuated by spins, multiple turns and repeated motifs that domino
across the dancers.
The similarity to Balanchine is obvious - abstract dance (with shades of
Agon and Apollo) to Stravinsky's concerto for piano and wind instruments.
(The original was cheekily staged immediately after a New York City
Ballet season at Covent Garden!) Although Bintley cannot possibly match
the genius and musicality of Mr B, the ballet works extremely well in its
own right.
Sarah Wildor was very impressive in the original Leslie Collier role,
especially when dancing with her four 'consorts' in the ravishing slow
second movement. Michael Nunn and William Trevitt also impressed (I
always prefer them in modern rather than classical roles), and Hubert
Essakow is definitely a name to watch out for in the future.
Judas Tree was both shocking and brilliant. It was like a symbolist
painting in movement, leaving the audience both disturbed at the message
and stunned by the power and mastery by which the message is conveyed.
The ballet raises as many questions as it answers and, in particular,
what is the role of the girl? Is she real or is she purely symbolic - an
image of vunerability, a worthless creature to be chalked around like a
dead body at the scene of a crime, a provocator of betrayal, a victim,
the object of every man's desires, or a even a representation of the
Madonna? This is MacMillan's genius - to throw up questions such as these
through movement or a simple gesture - like the wonderfully poignant
moment when the foreman, having just assaulted the girl to the point of
collapse, looks at he other workmen with boyish innocence, and then goes
up to one of his friends and gives him a kiss on the cheek.
Both Irek Mukhamedov and Jonathan Cope played the role of the foreman
with great venom, although Irek is starting to lack the vigour of old.
Michael Nunn was excellent as the foreman's friend - especially in the
inventive 'hand flapping' dance when he starts to become protective of
the girl.He is really coming of age at the Royal Ballet at the moment.
Push Comes to Shove was the most disappointing of the three. The problem
was not with Tyla Tharp, whose works I admire immensely (Mr Worldly Wise
apart), but with Tetsuya Kumakawa in the lead role. From a technical
point of view Teddy is dazzling, pulling off multiple pirouettes as if he
were born with a spinning top inside him; he is probably one of the few
dancers with the virtuosity to even attempt this highly demanding piece.
But he is devoid of all charisma and personality - his performance lacked
humour, cheekiness and sex appeal, all elements essential to the success
of the work. On stage he is, frankly, a cold fish. Push is dependent not
only on flashes of brilliance but on subtle nuances - the tweak of a hat,
brush of the hair, slink of the hips. These are all mannerisms that are
tailor made for Baryshnikov, on whom the work was created in 1976 for the
American Ballet Theatre, after which the young Russian emigre hit America
by storm and launced himself on the road to stardom.
But the ballet is not just about the protagonist. Tharp imposes a complex
web of shapes, patterns and movements on the corps using choreography
that is innovative and challenging for the dancers who, at the Royal, are
used to an entirely different balletic vocabulary. Sarah Wildor was a
dream, but Debbie Bull and some of the corps members looked distinctly
uncomfortable in their roles.
All in all, however, this was a breath of fresh air for the Royal, and
should only improve with future performances. Anthony Dowell should be
applauded for his choice of programme and for pushing (or should I say
shoving) the Royal Ballet in the right direction.