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Making a pointe in dance
Pointes of view Birmingham Royal Ballet Birmingham Hippodrome *** Whether this be deemed a plus or minus, the
programme revels in not having a tutu in sight. The lack of tutus is
seen as a way of engaging with newcomers to ballet as well as provoking
comment from those more aux fait with ballet. Who knew that tutus had so
much influence. Far more interesting is the deliberately
clashing styles of music, staging and choreography. There literally is
something for every taste – as long as they like ballet. With the night segmented into three it means
that the audience does not have the opportunity to be bored by the show.
Alas, this also means that sometimes a successful segment ends too soon,
but better to be left wanting more rather than gently nodding off. Opening with Concerto, a piece created
by the much lauded Kenneth MacMillan (Choreographer of BRB's forthcoming
Romeo and Juliet). Whilst lacking the traditional linear plot
structure, the dancers and orchestra almost afford the audience the
opportunity of imagining their own. The only fault being that the slower
portions of the piece have nothing to tie themselves to and, as a result
they can drag a touch. The second, romantic, movement was the
highlight of the piece with Jenna Roberts and Tyrone Singleton
captivating the audience.
The second piece, The Lady and the Fool
is ballet in the more traditional, narrative mode. Providing a welcome
contrast, the characters and plot engaged the audience in a completely
different way. The scene stealing Cesar Morales, as Bootface, providing
pathos to the piece. Filled with comedy, romance and conflict it is a
shame that only The final act was Twyla Tharp's In the
Upper Room, a piece of such energy that it truly took the night
towards a fitting crescendo. Filled with a fusion of dance styles the
piece took classical ballet and then shook it up. Dressed in trainers and bright red pointe
shoes, the dancers moved at such a pace, with such grace, that the
audience is literally pinned to their seat as they process what's going
on. With nine movements it literally is a non-stop
rollercoaster ride and the glistening torsos of the bare-chested male
dancers ably demonstrates the sheer effort such a piece requires. Pointes of View provides
the perfect taster session for those who want to experience ballet, as
well as providing an enjoyable experience for bona fide ballet fans.
With this in mind the Hippodrome has provided
the perfect entree to an excellent dance programme over the next month. If traditional ballet floats your boat then
from Tuesday 28th September – 2nd October the
Birmingham Royal Ballet is performing Romeo & Juliet, again with
the choreography by Kenneth Macmillan. This looks to be a real stonker
of a production so book your tickets now! If you're more interested in non-traditional
dance then there are two upcoming performances that should fit the bill. Tuesday 5th October & Wednesday 6th
October see the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. The chance to
see what some view as the most successful modern dance company on the
planet is one not to be missed. If streetdance is more up your erm . . .
street then Thursday 7th October – Saturday 9th,
Blaze – The Streetdance Sensation is in town. Featuring 16 of the best street dancers, DJs
and breakers in the world, including So You Think You Can Dance
finalists Lizzie Gough and Tommy Franzen the
night promises to be essential for fans of Streetdance. Pointes on View runs to 25-09-10. Theo Clarke
**** THIS latest triple bill by the BRB included
the usual cocktail of exquisite dancing by a cast who, it seems, can do
no wrong. On opening night there was a surprise
appearance by director David Bintley who announced before curtain up
that one of the principal dancers, Elisha Willis, had injured a foot and
would be replaced in the second piece - The Lady and the Fool - by Nao
Sakuma. But if the audience noticed that Elisha was
still down to dance in the final number, In the Upper Room, that was
because she and other dancers would be wearing trainer-style shoes,
Bintley explained. Well, Sakuma was excellent in the role of La
Capricciosa, a famous beauty courted by three admirers representing
wealth, gallantry and rank, played by Matthew Lawrence (Signor Midas),
Chi Cao (Capitano Andoncino) and Jonathan Caguioa (The Prince of
Arroganza). She eventually spurns the likely trio for a
shabby clown, Moondog (Iain Mackay) who had been invited with his pal,
Bootface (Cesar Morales) to entertain guests at a ball. The dancing to
Verdi's music was a delight. The programme had opened with the impressive
Concerto, music by Shostakovich, in which Kenneth MacMillan's
choreography was stunning and the dancing of Tyrone Singleton and Jenna
Roberts, in particular, outstanding. The excellent Royal Ballet Sinfonia played
for the first two pieces, with rather repetitive recorded music taking
over for the final contribution, In the Upper Room, which was certainly
full of action and clearly suited the taste of some sections of the
audience, although I found it hard going. Pointes of View closed on Saturday night (Sep
25), and next week the BRB return to the Hippodrome with the classic
story, Romeo and Juliet (Sep 28 - October 2). Paul Marston
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