ToThePointe's Last Season Highlights
Liam Scarlett’s ‘Swan Lake’ at The Royal Ballet
You can’t talk about last season at The Royal Ballet without mentioning Liam Scarlett’s brand new production of Swan Lake. I realise now that I never wrote about it, which is a shame when I think about how much I had to say about it. I was fortunate to see the production many times and the more I saw it the more it grew on me. I really do think this was a beautiful take on the famous classical ballet and I think Scarlett should be very proud of what he was able to accomplish especially at such a young age. The first act is quite military in style, with elegant sets and polished costumes. Gone are the happy-go-lucky peasants, instead replaced by the more refined echelon of society. I disagree with the girls wearing white - I would have liked to have seen a greater contrast to the white tutus in Act Two but hey, with lovely new choreography to go with that ridiculously long waltz, I can let the white skirts slide. I love what Scarlett has done with the pas de trois and the choreography he has created for them - it’s fresh and difficult and has brought life back into what was a real dip in the action for me. I particularly like what he’s done in Act Three, bringing back that fab music from the original production and allowing the trio to make another appearance - narratively it definitely makes more sense and I like how he’s turned Benno into a larger role. It seems to me that Benno has been created on all those spritely men in the Royal Ballet corps, leaving Siegfried to be danced by the more mature male principals. I say that - Vadim Muntagirov sure added energy into his performances. Speaking of narrative, I think Scarlett needs to develop Von Rothbart’s role a bit. It’s not too clear what his deal is and I wasn’t really sure what his motive was in the end. I get he’s power hungry, but was he too under a spell? What was he doing flapping about in a costume that was too similar to Macfarlane’s designs in Frankenstein? Yes, Rothbart needs a second go I think. Everything else though will do and I look forward to the return of this production and watching it repeatedly for many years to come.
Yasmine Naghdi in The Royal Ballet’s ‘Swan Lake’
Out of all of those who danced Odette / Odile it has to be Yasmine Naghdi who absolutely stole the show. I can’t ever believe it when I’m told that a Naghdi show is a debut. It just always looks as if she’s been dancing whatever role it is for years. She puts so much into every performance and gives it everything; it always baffles me that she’s only been a Principal for a season. Not many dancers debuting as Odile would attempt to hold a balance like she did and not many debuting as Odette would come out with the confidence that she did. I admire her determination and confidence so much that I often find myself wondering ‘what would Naghdi do’ when faced with a situation that needs a bit of Yasmine like attack. Naghdi was partnered in her debut by Nehemiah Kish and although he partnered well and danced the role well, the chemistry wasn’t as strong as when she danced it with Federico Bonelli. The passion and energy these two had together was something to see. They were passionate and intimate during their first meet, wicked and daring in Act Three and mature and moving in the final scenes. It made for a great performance and one that I will remember for a long time.
Maria Alexandrova in English National Ballet’s ‘The Sleeping Beauty’
Now this was everything that I thought it would be - bold, brash and camp but you know what, I loved it. I’ve always wanted to see Alexandrova perform and I’ve only ever been able to see YouTube clips of her dance but to see her take on Aurora in the flesh was pretty special for me. She was far from a sleeping beauty, instead displaying boisterous energy as she leapt and twirled across the stage. She was partnered by Aaron Robinson who I don’t think was the right fit for her as he didn’t seem to know quite how to handle her and I think perhaps her energy and style overshadowed him. Alexandrova, however, has such presence on stage and she demands that all eyes are pretty permanently on her. The performance may be different in style to what we are used to over here, but sometimes you just can’t beat that Bolshoi pizzazz and gumption.
Francesca Hayward in The Royal Ballet’s ‘Manon’
No one is dancing the role of Manon quite like Francesca Hayward at the moment. Her understanding of the character and the way in which she displays her interpretation of the choreography is quite simply magnificent. She is a real breath of fresh air and makes every part of Manon’s character seem believable and naturalistic. It’s as if we are watching a real woman fall from grace. Hayward is able to be powerful, sultry, vulnerable and knowing all at once. Whether it’s through a subtle glance or a simple gesture, she envelops every atom of Manon’s being and brings her to life so wonderfully on stage. She also has a believable balance between naive girl to knowing woman which really takes you on a journey over the course of the production. Other dancers often give it all away in that first act but Hayward teases the audience, making us wait to see how she develops the role on stage. When many dancers retire there is always a role that has been their signature to dance throughout their career. Although Hayward is far from retirement I can bet that Manon will be just that for her.
Benjamin Ella and Akane Takada in The Royal Ballet’s ‘Giselle’
The Royal Ballet’s run of Giselle last season was a triumph, for the most part because at the last minute Akane Takada and Benjamin Ella were cast in the leading roles and created memorable ballet magic. I haven’t always been the greatest Takada fan but everything I saw her in last season was an absolute treat. She is fast becoming a dancer I seek to watch and her impressive technical ability is establishing her as one of the greats of this generation. Her take on Giselle was everything it should be. She was sweet, vulnerable and naive. Her mad scene was believable, understated and pure and her second act was serene classical heaven. This alone would have been great but when partnered with Ella, this performance was a magical thing to see. Ella stepped in pretty last minute to take on the role of Albrecht and although I was unsure whether he would be a natural Prince he sure proved me wrong. He was so graceful and elegant and his Albrecht was sincere and vulnerable. You really felt he was as naive as Giselle, unaware just how bad his actions would affect her. Their love was real making the performance all the more tragic. Ella needs a bit of work to get on the same technical level as Takada but I don’t think this will take long. I hope it doesn’t as I think this is a blossoming partnership in the making that I would love to see more of. I have everything crossed in hope that someone is going to give these two Romeo and Juliet next season - they will break the hearts of many as the star crossed lovers. More from them together please!