Manon: Des Grieux’s Story
Some men are beautiful. That’s what I learnt after Vadim Muntagirov’s performance in Manon. Some male ballet dancers are great partners, others can do all the tricks and turns while some rely on their acting skills alone. Vadim not only conquers all of the above but he is also a beautiful dancer. It’s very easy when watching the uptight and technique ridden classics like Sleeping Beauty or Swan Lake to cast aside the men, after all that was the intention during their creation. Men made the women look pretty, they were the support (look no further than the Rose Adagio, a perfect example of male partnering) and as long as a few jumps could be done, you could provide a comfortable performance. We have since moved on from these stuffy ideals, thank god, and male dancers have as much importance as their female counterparts. The Royal Ballet are fortunate in that they are brought up with Kenneth MacMillan, and I can’t think of another choreographer who places so much emphasis on men within a full length narrative ballet. Look at Rudolph. Look at Romeo. And now look at Des Grieux. From the past performances I have seen in this run of Manon, I have been preoccupied perhaps with whoever is dancing Manon and her relationship with the men around her. Vadim, however, made me think otherwise. He made me see that this ballet can also be Des Grieux’s story. A story about a young and naïve man whose deepening affection for the seductive Manon causes not only her destruction but also his. I was left feeling that this ballet is actually just as much his story as it is hers.
When I talk of Vadim’s beauty, it’s a type of aesthetic that I have not seen before. Well not live anyway. When Steven McCrae dances Lensky in Onegin, he too becomes a beautiful and emotional dancer. His solo is so moving and it’s really quite something to see. Well Vadim is similar, well actually, better at conveying such emotion purely through the use of his body. For me, the beauty lies in his arms and in particular his hands. His introductory solo when he first meets Manon was delicate, caring and gentle. He’s already in love. His long limbs effortlessly extend in front of her, his arms carefully communicating with the rest of his body and his control over each balance is exquisite. Actually my favourite scene was inside the brothel; as Manon re-enters the room she finds Des Grieux confessing his love for her during a moving dance. With Vadim, this isn’t just a moment of sadness but rather a declaration of love as well as an acknowledgement of his fate. The despair and sadness which he expresses not only facially but also during the movement through his neck and right down to his fingertips is beyond moving. It’s tragedy in its finest form. A star is already born in Vadim due to this passion and ability to really get inside the character. His technique is on another level yet he is believable and relatable. This is so rare yet the boy can do it all.
A running question since Vadim’s arrival into the company has been who will partner such a star. Naturally, many assume it should be Osipova because of the Russian thing and the fact they are both excellent dancers. Others feel it should be Cuthbertson, who began to form a partnership with Sergei Polunin before his sharp exit (still not over that one), and therefore deserves a chance with a handsome young Russian. I feel they could be very interesting together. Whoever it will be, Sarah Lamb was a perfect fit for him in Manon. I had never seen her Manon before, and it was certainly something special. She just got it. The flirting, the manipulation, the passion and the fire. She got it all. It made me think of Sarah as the kind of intelligent dancer that we find in Tamara Rojo. Together they were full of passion and where the music ascends to its climatic moments so did their dancing making the pas de deux’s in particular overwhelming and exciting. I believed their story and I also believed their connection, which can be difficult to convey. Sarah exudes strength not only technically but also in her expression and with a body like hers, she’s a perfect fit to be thrown from one man to the other. Although I am sad to have missed out on Frankie Hayward’s debut in the role and I will also be missing Zenaida Yenowsky perform, I feel like I’ve seen a beautiful run of Manon this year with some truly exceptional portrayals. Each dancer gave me something different, but as partnerships go, Vadim and Sarah topped them all.