The Royal Ballet: Woolf Works ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Woolf Works, a brand new production conceived out of the works of 20^th century novelist Virginia Woolf, received an outstanding roar of applause and standing ovations at its premier last night. The Royal Ballet’s own resident contemporary choreographer, Wayne McGregor was inspired to fulfil Woolf’s dream of combining her stylistic prose which defied the writing rules of her era with the transformative and emotional powers of dance. McGregor worked tirelessly with Uzma Hameed as the production’s dramaturg to unravel ‘the luminosity, sonorousness and poignancy of [Woolf’s] world.’

With an array of the best principal dancers from the Royal Ballet including Natalia Osipova, Federico Bonelli, Edward Watson and former ballet principal Alessandra Ferri (now aged 52, can you believe?), Woolf Works brings together the flair and multiple perspectives of the author’s non-linear writing through three of her best loved novels – Mrs Dalloway, Orlando and The Waves.

Acclaimed British composer Max Richter, who previously collaborated with McGregor on his other ballets, including Infra and Kairos, revealed the delicate tinges of Woolf’s moving works through simple melodies, orchestral influences from minimalist composers, such as Philip Glass and Steve Reich, with structured fusion of electronic and industrial music. Taking turns with Richter’s pre-recording sonic music was the Royal Opera House’s orchestra who were conducted by Koen Kessels with craft and subtlety; as of the start of the 2015/16 season he shall be the new Royal Ballet's music director.

I Now, I Then covers the tale of Mrs Dalloway, which is delicately handled by Ferri. Ciguë and We not I, the stage designers for the entire triptych, have large human-size photo frames rotating for the principals to dance around and stand inside with projections of London and the countryside from Clarrisa’s past. As the frames rotate, one by one the characters flow in just as they had entered Clarrisa’s life in the book. Her puzzling choice of lovers from Sally Seton, which is captured in a kiss shared with British rising star Francesca Hayward, to her first meeting with her husband, Richard Dalloway danced by Bonelli who enraptures her in his arms. The heart-felt trauma characterised in WWI sufferer Septimus Warren Smith is set on fire by the soaring jumps and intensely courageous performances by Edward Watson. Here, the audience get the most out of the Royal Opera House’s orchestra through gripping strings that are tied down to the rhythms of a ticking clock.  

Orlando is a renowned satirical feminist classic, which is shown through the piece Becomings. Male principal dancers are dressed in Moritz Junge's tutus and metallic costumes’ cut from the Elizabethan period. The stage is bare but the dancers have Lucy Carter’s beaming strobe and laser lights shinning above them that turn the Royal Opera House into a nightclub scene, however, Richter’s electronic music is more subversive, slow and reflective of Woolf’s emotive piece. A mesmerizing sight is also shown through a seductive pas de deux that looked as if it had been dragged out of an Alexander McQueen fashion show.

Orlando is a tale about a nobleman who wakes up to find that he has changed into a woman. To abstractly depict this Osipova provides a dazzling solo that grows into eclectic group choreographies with Akane Takada, Melissa Hamilton and Sarah Lamb providing androgynous vibrancy with Steven McRae, Tristan Dyer, Eric Underwood, Matthew Ball, Gary Avis and Watson presenting feminine foot steps and gestures to relive the attributes of the metamorphosed nobleman. The climactic finale is also a thrill with all the dancers assembled into three separate circles and Richter’s score sky rocketing.

The last piece is the shape-shifting Tuesday from the book The Waves that commences with a letter by Woolf read by actress Gillian Anderson. With a video clip of the sea and its waves, audiences watch as children revive our memories of youth as the dancers intertwine and lock together conveying the rich diversity of life. It ends with Ferri supported tenderly by Bonelli who carries her until she lies on the ground signifying the end.

Three carefully created pieces pull together Woolf’s inner consciousness and convey them in dissimilar ways through Richter’s immersive score and McGregor’s daring contemporary style. This is a sensational piece of modern dance that shouldn’t be missed. Don’t waste a moment. Go grab a ticket while you can. 

Photos courtesy of @The Stage. Production ends on May 26th. Click here for more details.

#ROHwoolf Ooh, this one for luck. 5-star performance.Don't waste a moment.Go get a ticket before it ends.Sensational! pic.twitter.com/CAxKpY5vup

— Mary Grace Nguyen (@MaryGNguyen) May 11, 2015

Curtain call #ROHwoolf Principal dancers,creative team,ROH orchestra @WayneMcGregor &even Woolf deserve the applause pic.twitter.com/ARKhnH0Ti9

— Mary Grace Nguyen (@MaryGNguyen) May 11, 2015

#ROHwoolf BECOMINGS from Virginia Wolf's Orlando was hands down sensational. From costumes, group choreographies, piano solo & laser beams.

— Mary Grace Nguyen (@MaryGNguyen) May 11, 2015

Edward Watson as Septimus in I Now, I Then was quite emotional. Soaring jumps and gracious footwork. I might have wept a tear #ROHwoolf

— Mary Grace Nguyen (@MaryGNguyen) May 11, 2015

Francesca Hayward’s debut as Manon at the Royal Opera House

Impressed by the 22 year old Francesca Hayward's impish bird dance at the Royal Ballet’s earlier production of Sleeping Beauty, I was naturally curious to see her perform again but as a lead in a tragic tale. This season of the Royal Ballet introduced the loving and disturbing tale of Manon, a ingénue whose struggle for love and material greed lead to her inevitable demise. 

Its music is written by Jules Massenet, which recounts the sensualness and naivety of Manon’s flawed character, which has been produced into various historical operas and plays from the original 1731 novel by Abbé Prévost. Created by Kenneth MacMillan in 1974, the English ballet was a delight to watch in its efforts to portray a never-ending spiral bridging two lovers, Manon and Des Grieux, that are tangled in forces beyond their control; finance, feelings and, life and death situations. Yet I have to admit, that I have seen fancier and riskier ballets that show more flair and technique, than this one. There was unmistakably a lot of talent, much leaping, lifts and beautiful movement that ingratiated the stage, as designed by Nicholas Georgiadis, and without putting down the strength and physical prowess of its dancers, I felt, the ballet’s choreography, as a whole, was a level below from the, more, grander and, more, popular ballets.

For Hayward however she was remarkable and proved herself worthy as Manon. Her role as a canary in Sleeping Beauty in the Canari qui chante was distances and miles away from here where we saw a more mature Hayward – this time a woman with the ability to decide her own fate, which ends up being a tragic one. Hayward kept a tiny part of her character innocent nonetheless, within the reaches of a tame lady as oppose to a temptress. She danced on the stage with unlimited passion and valour with her tiny, yet fervent feet and kept, almost, ever accent of her toes and hands movements clear. The role of Manon is never an easy one, whether it be in ballet form or not, it’s the interweaving challenges of facing emotional turmoil, reality versus love for a poor student.

The first scenes of the ballet aren’t as alluring as the love scenes with Manon and Des Grieux’s, (Edward Watson) pas de deux so, be mindful of having to watch the warm up before the main show. The wait is worth it however as we see both lovers run to each other’s body’s unashamedly and uncompromisingly. Lifts in the air are done with confidence and loyalty. These type of rejoicing scenes, which include a lot of hearty embraces and passionate kisses, are the visual epitome of our wants and desires from a lover.

Yet Hayward’s sexual intensity, understated dynamic twirls and spins are decimated at the final scenes where we see her shipped off to America as a prostitute. Hayward makes no excuses and embodies a slow-death in the way she dances with her wretched body as  ghastly Manon. Her gestures are entirely uneven, unsteady, looser and rough, all deliberately done, of course. This is evident in the final pas de deux where Watson carries and shakes her like a doll and tirelessly tries to dance with her until she is a complete dead weight. Ballet requires no words – but from bare movement alone, you can sense death, which in Hayward moved the audience, some to tears, including myself.

As noted, the role of Manon is a tricky one yet Hayward retained the balance throughout as an 18^th century mystery girl, who is uplifted by love, misled by her own wrong doings (attention seeking, materialism and financial security), arrested and shipped away into human trafficking. There was a certain allure about Hayward’s Manon, which I found addictive. Perhaps it was her ability to meld together who Manon was in Prévost’s novel, her ballet expertise and unique style as well as MacMillian choreography at the same time. Only someone who had truly understood the text could have done that, evidently Hayward did.

Watson’s performance, on the other hand, was rather off-putting. His steps and arabesques weren’t as tight and sharp as I would have liked. At times, I thought he looked rather nervous when he was doing well. His Des Grieux seemed intimidated by Hayward’s Manon at first, but it was all set aside as soon as she kissed him on the mouth, interestingly enough. Nevertheless they looked good together and off the stage, one could tell they had a dynamic and supportive relationship.

Campbell, Hayward and Watson taking a bow to the audience

Other dancers made concrete contributions. Alexander Campbell as her brother Lescaut was handsome and springy on the stage with no doubt in his mind about his next moves. His drunken adagio was masterful and comedic whilst Thomas Whitehead as Monsieur GM was subtly perverted, but well executed.

The audiences seemed pleased. The orchestra was in good form, yet, in some parts, I would have liked it to be louder for climactic and dramatic emphasis yet this could simply be my personal preference. There are a large number of fascinating débuts for this production. You should check them out. 

The Royal Ballet in Covent Garden current production of Manon ends in November 1st 2014. Click here for details.

The Royal Ballet’s worldwide cinema broadcast of the mesmerizing Sleeping Beauty showcases a spellbinding performance between Steve McRae and Sarah Lamb which captivates a wistful audience *****

By Mary Grace Nguyen

The Royal Ballet broadcasted a live performance of this year’s production of Sleeping Beauty, with Boston born Sarah Lamb as Princess Aurora and Aussie born Steven McRae as Prince Florimund, for our starry romantic duo. In 1,400 cinemas in over 32 countries, thousands came to see Dame Monica Mason’s and Christopher Newton’s production that has continued the legacy of Dame Ninette de Valois - a revival production at Covent Garden previously known as the Sadler’s Well Ballet in 1946.

    (Morgot Fonteyn played Aurora in 1946 at the Sadler's Well Ballet)

Sleeping Beauty is a classically mesmerizing ballet piece and a reminder of childhood nostalgia through a world-renowned fairy tale. The ballet is a story of hope and love conquering over evil which Tchaikovsky’s magical music score of harps and strings recreated, combining grandeur and fairy dust into a wonderful masterpiece. Marius Petipa’s choreography is astounding, following the music precisely from every hand gesture to every turn, allowing the dancers to show off their true brilliance to a wistful audience. In addition, every detail is significant from all storyland characters, dancers and non-dancers, from King Florestan XXIV, acted by Christopher Saunders, to Cattalabutte (Alastair Marriott) whose miming adds to a cleverly thought out ensemble creating what we see at the Royal Ballet today. With the choreography and musical changes made by Frederick Ashton, Antony Dowell and Christopher Wheeldon over time, it has managed to retain its world-class status as one of the greatest ballets in history.

                                                Cattalabutte performed by Alastair Marriott 
 
The Royal Ballet manages to implement a timeless quality to the ballet and it was originally Oliver Messel who designed the 1946 production to which the charming décor, flamboyant costumes and mesmerizing staging owes its credit. The Royal Ballet has left the production relatively unchanged in this sense, to keep the tradition as part of their signature heritage.

Darcell Bussel, one of the Royal Ballet’s own ballerinas, hosted the live presentation that followed a host of historical footage of the production and interviews with the ballet dancers and production directors including Kevin O’ Hare, and Alexander Agadhanov, one of the principal coaches.

The prologue is an opulent gathering with elaborate pastel costumes introducing the individual personalities of the adorable six fairies. Canari qui chante was perfectly handled by Francesca Hayward who showed us an impish canary who hovered and vibrated her hands from behind her back to the twittering of piccolo and flute. Violente, or the tempestuous fairy, danced by Elizabeth Harrod presented a fiery passion through darted pliés, finger variations and alternating her arms from one side to the other. Laura McCulloch, as the Lilac Fairy, flowed amiably across the stage, whilst Carrabossa, re-lived through Kristen McNally, showed a prettier evil fairy that prior productions would have portrayed as more grotesque. Nevertheless McNally managed to achieve a malificent performance with exaggerated gestures with the help of her devilish rats.

 

(Elizabeth Harrod in the Nut Cracker)

 (Francesca Hayward in the Nut Cracker)

The corps de ballet during the Garland Waltz in Act 1 is an idyllic scene where our principal ballerina, Lamb, makes her debut. During an interview, Agadzhanov said how technically challenging Lamb’s part is as it is technically artistic and repetitive at the same time. She has to retain an ‘effervescent’ quality when she employs her moves but at this performance it was a rather shaky start as she found difficulty finding her balance with the four princes twirling her slowly in full circle. However, she still captivated the audience through a violin solo as part of the famous Rose Adagio. Not only does Lamb look like a young and vulnerable Princess Aurora, who is 16 years old in the fairytale, her 90-degree arabesques, series of spirals and accurately timed moments of arrival were engaging. Her leaps and steps backwards presenting a state of delirium when her finger is pricked by a spindle are sweet yet terrifying at the same time.

 

   Sarah Lamb

The handsome red haired McRae enters in Act 2 playing a charming prince who pines and longs for something new and mysterious. Yet, it is in Act 3 where he is at his prime and shows us a ferocious and electrifying performance during the solo adagio. He confidently makes classically difficult ballet moves look effortless including the low sauts de basque. It is a thrill to watch him as he spins ravishingly faster and faster which won him the loudest applause for the night.

                                                     McRae had the loudest applause for the night

The Sumptuous Wedding in Act 3 showcases the skills of all storyland characters. Florestan and his two sisters, performed by James Hay, Elizabeth Harrod and Beatriz Stix-Brunell were exemplary and Yuhui Choe, as the Princess Florine was a smiling diamond. A change of tone was delivered by the playful, paw scratching and hip swaying Sabina Westcombe and Ryoichi Hirano who performed as the entertaining Puss-in-boots and White Cat. The final act ended with the energy and harmony between McRae and Lamb that was replicated in their swopping fish dives at the Grand Pas De Deux that proved to be a spellbinding partnership. 

                                                          Yuhui Choe - Smiling Diamond

Throughout the night, an excited audience was tweeting from across the world from as far as Portugal, France, Milan and Madrid. ‘Spectacular’ and ‘Belissimo’ were the mentioned key words on twitter followed by McRae’s and Lamb’s names. A special mention should be given to Mark Jonathan and Christopher Carr who managed to convey the Panorama scene in Act 2 by cleverly coordinating the stage and successfully executing a gentle, thick and smoke-like mist to recreate the ‘cloud of unknowing.’ Unfortunately for us at the Vue Piccadilly, we lost 2 minutes' footage of the final Apotheosis but irrespective of that, it was pure mystical genius we were listening to while we waited to see the grand finale. 

 

(Swopping fish dives at the Grand Pas De Deux)

La Bayadère: An array of synchronised white tutus, salvaged by the stunning Spanish heart, Tamara Rojo

La Bayadère (the Temple Dancer) like Swan Lake, is a masterpiece bought to life by musical composer Ludwig Minkus and Marius Petipa’s French and Russian inspired choreography, however, it lacks the exposure and necessary praise that it truly deserves. Soviet-Russian-born prima ballerina Natalia Makarova managed to captivate the American audience for the first time back in 1974.

One of Makarova's repertoires was staged at The Royal Ballet in 2009, which was screened this week by Francesca Secola from Birkbeck’s Spanish and Portuguese Speaking society. She hosted this open evening to devote time to those who enjoy classical ballet at the college. There were a small group of us from different courses who attended this rare occasion - the majority had not seen the ballet before.  

The cast for the ballet included a Latin mix of collaborations underpinning the ethnic connection which Francesca wanted to share. Cuban born, then Royal Ballet principal, Carlos Acosta, played the charming Solor; he has danced numerous times at the Royal Ballet as a highly accomplished talent. Argentinian ballerina Marianela Nuñez led as the devilish rival Gamzatti who steals Solor’s heart with her divine, seductive looks and dancing ravishingly poised yet, with Acosta there seemed to be minimal symmetry Acosta’s portrayal of a confused protagonist, spiraling hopelessly with both Bayadèr and Gamzatti in an ménage a trois scene, did not leave his strength and agility to question though.

Pier Luigi Samaritani’s colourful Indian scenery and Yolanda Sonnabend’s eastern set design added a unique flavor to the classic ballet, not forgetting the small springy bronze idol played by another latino dancer Jose Martin. Yet, it was the Spanish heroine Tamara Rojo that was the star of the stage who proved to be a better match for Acosta, with her natural, seemingly effortless and seamless turns. 

Rojo’s performance was exciting to watch. It's hard for the audience to not marvel at her flexible, sculpted body with her passion for dance. She danced as if it were her last. In the mysterious Kingdom of Shades, twenty-four delicately synchronized dancers concentrated on their arabesque penché, pacing slowly in a harmonious trail of shining tutus, to a dreamy stage of heart-felt strings in the background. 

Makarova once said the, “…corps de ballet is the leading role… Yet, the corps

must always work together as a unified whole.” This contrasts with the beginning acts’ vitality, variety of post-colonial Indian hues and a collection of gypsy scarfs and high-jumping savagery choreography. Viewing this extravagant work through a DVD, allows the audience to zoom in on techniques that a live performance would not have access to.

After the screening the classroom was lit with content students all saying the words, ‘that was enjoyable!’ Secola is a student ambassador for the Royal Opera House, who promotes their productions to Birkbeck. This screening is the first of many to take place at the university. The intention is to provide an awareness of how accessible the so-called elitist and unaffordable performances at the Royal Opera House are, which can be attainable for a measly tenner.

Please visit their website for more information on ‘Student Standby’ discounted tickets.

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