Bayerische Staatsballett's 'Onegin'

I’m not entirely sure why I haven’t written about Bayerisches Staatsballett’s production of Onegin yet but what I am sure of is that it’s been a poor effort on my part leaving it this late to write about it. The fact that something has kept pulling me towards writing about the performance can only be a good thing. And a good thing it was going to see the Bayerisches Staatsballett perform. I have to say that this is a really good company. I was surprised by how good they were actually. When you’re privileged enough to be watching the Royal Ballet and English National Ballet right on your doorstep in London, sometimes it’s easy to overlook smaller companies in Europe. Well Staatsballett have shown me how important it is to take more notice of the talent we have across the channel. A beautiful corps de ballet resides in this jewel of a company in Munich and their Principal dancers rival many we have over here.

I decided that I would take my boyfriend to Munich for his Christmas present, so off we went in the beginning of February to drink pints of Paulaner and eat Schnitzel with dumplings, the very things that my boyfriend loves. I, of course, also love ballet and was well aware that Staatsballett were performing Onegin whilst we were there. After a persuasive argument that it would just make perfect sense to ‘nip in’ to the ballet, we bought some last minute tickets and found ourselves standing in the top tier. Not a perfect view, but what more do you want for a few euros? Onegin has always been one of my favourite ballets and it was such a treat to see it again especially inside the lavish Opera House in Munich. I had forgotten how much I loved the music which was played so beautifully by the orchestra and I felt myself completely gripped to every note of the score and every piece of movement on the stage.

We were very lucky with the casting with Erik Murzagaliyev dancing the role of Onegin and Ksenia Ryzhkova dancing the role of Tatiana. They were quite hesitant in the opening scenes and I wondered whether they were both new to dancing the role. It wasn’t until I stupidly picked up the cast list at the end that it stated both were making their debuts. They warmed up well and their final pas de deux was emotional and heart breaking. For a debut, both did exceptionally well. The technique was also pretty faultless and both are clearly strong dancers in the company. I think Murzagaliyev needed just a bit more arrogance to really pull off Onegin’s cruelty but having said that his realisation in the final act that he loves Tatiana and perhaps did all along was quite special. It was a real treat to also have Laurretta Summerscales dance Olga and Jonah Cook dance Lensky. When I used to watch Laurretta at English National Ballet I was never too sure what the hype was all about. The only Principal role I saw her dance in was as Giselle and thought she was good technically but didn’t really get much else from the performance. Well, I don’t know whether there’s something in that Bavarian water or whether she’s just happier and more at home with Staatsballett, but dancing with them has changed her game completely. I was really impressed with how strong her technique was and how effortlessly she tackled John Cranko’s difficult choreography. She sailed through her pas de deux and floated through each solo with confidence and class. It was like watching a different dancer. I also noticed that her characterisation has improved immensely. Her Olga is naive and silly but clearly has her head screwed on. As she tests how far she can push her Lensky, she finally realises she’s gone too far just as it’s too late. As she breaksdown once he is shot dead, her collapse on stage sums up her loss and heartbreak. I’m not sure whether Laurretta’s plan is to return to the UK but from the looks of where she’s heading with this company and with the epic repertoire she’s sinking her pointe shoes into, I personally wouldn’t be rushing to catch a flight back.

I have to say that Jonah Cook is a bit of a revelation. Within moments it was clear he had some form of Royal Ballet training (well spotted if I may say so myself as he graduated from the Royal Ballet Upper School) as he had a similar style that we are so used to watching at the Royal Ballet. He had beautiful lines and stable technique and was a passionate and heart felt Lensky. He partnered Laurretta well and I think they could dance well together in other ballets such as Romeo and Juliet. Cook looked to me like he has a promising career ahead of him and could be one of the company’s bright stars to look out for.

A huge appeal about this company is their repertoire. It’s astonishing. Just look at what they’re doing in April alone – a different ballet almost every day! Thirty shows of The Nutcracker or a hundred of Swan Lake are just not going to cut it with these guys. Instead they shuffle their rep around. It must be so demanding for the dancers not to mention the orchestra and stage crew but then I would also guess it keeps everyone interested and motivated. No one can quit that company and complain that they’re bored with the rep! They will be performing The Taming of the Shrew, Spartacus, Romeo and Juliet, a Midsummer Night’s Dream and Alice in Wonderland and that’s just in one week in the middle of April. Although demanding, this provides dancers with good opportunities to dance a variety of roles and never have to wait too long for their favourites to come back around.

I know I’ve mentioned the lead roles but the other stars of the show were the corps de ballet. They really are beautiful and they all danced in time and effectively conveyed the emotion required for each scene during the ballet. The women were elegant with strong technique and I noticed that many of them have lovely fluid arms making me wish I could see them all in Swan Lake sometime. Many of the men were broad and tall and were very convincing as either the local Russian townspeople or the aristocratic noblemen of the Russian court. The corps alone makes me want to see more from this company, which I hope to do from now on. If you ever have the chance to see Staatsballett then you must take it. They boast a wonderful repertoire, talented dancers and they welcome some of the most famous guest dancers to their stage (Polunin or Osipova ring any bells?) so get yourself a ticket, enjoy a pint and a sausage and revel in one of Europe’s great artistic gems.