New Perspectives

I am beginning to realise that the odds are quite heavily stacked against me getting into a ballet company. And although that will not deter me from striving for my dream (as anyone who knows me knows: I am about as stubborn as it is possible to be when I am determined to achieve something, and do not give up, ever!!), I am beginning to discover a slightly different dream, which has easily fallen into my hands- if I cannot dance, I shall teach ballet.

I realised, three years ago, that I would never get a place at The Royal Ballet School. Wrong physique, wrong feet, not enough musicality/artistry/co-ordination/poise- perhaps I did not meet one of their criteria, or perhaps I met all but one; I shall never know.

Nonetheless, I recently realised that even if I am of no value to the Royal as a dancer, looking from the slightly different perspective of a teacher in training, I am welcomed. I attended, in October, the first of six "Inspire" seminars, in Edinburgh. It was an excellent day, with a myriad of information, I learnt so much; valuable exercises to refine the basics of posture and alignment, but was also encouraged to consider a variety of factors such as "What makes a good teacher?" "Why does a child come to ballet classes?"

Recently, the Royal Ballet School advertised "Discover Dance", a day aimed at primary school children with no prior experience of ballet, with the option for dance teachers to observe the day, and participate in a creative masterclass.

The day began with a workshop for the children, which was fascinating to observe. Firstly, the sense of focus and concentration was phenomenal; I was in awe of the teacher, for keeping the attention span of such young children captivated for so long!! Also, it was wonderful to see the sense of joyful expression that each child exuded- despite having little to no ballet experience, they were all eager to learn, and incredibly enthusiastic!

I was curious as to how The Royal Ballet School would go about introducing ballet to young children- having fruitlessly tried to help a grade 1 class capture the positions of the arms accurately, I was fascinated by how simply yet effectively the teacher taught the positions; "stretch your arms out straight in front of you! Now curve your elbows so your hands are facing inwards towards your tummy!" First position, simple as that!!!

After lunch, we had a tour of the School- the facilities are second to none, with five gorgeous studios, adorned with photographs from ballets. Also, we got to walk across the iconic Bridge of Aspiration- which is certainly something I've wanted to do for a very long time!!!

The afternoon commenced with a demonstration class, from 4 Junior Associate students, and 2 Upper School students. They danced a set class appropriate to their own ability levels side by side, which was truly captivating to watch; a snapshot of the Royal Ballet School's training system, from the young yet impeccably poised 9 year olds, to the 18 year olds' pristine technique and refined artistry. 

The final part of the day consisted of a creative workshop for dance teachers, led by the 'PrimarySteps' co-ordinator, Pippa Cobbing. The workshop- designed for primary school age students- focused upon the concept of stretching, the use of the kinosphere, and mirroring techniques with a partner. It was certainly useful to think from the perspective of a young child, which also aided our development as teachers- the fabulous resources gave a clear idea of how to replicate and adapt the workshop for our own students.

The day certainly helped me to learn a lot, both as a teacher but also as a dancer- the highlight for me was definitely watching the demonstration class, as I was able to compare my own technique to that of the upper school students, but also, observing the Junior Associates was a brilliant way for me to gain inspiration for when I am teaching!

Romeo and Juliet- BRB

Having been told at school to 'immerse yourselves in the ballet world!! See as many ballets as you possibly can!", I thought it would be interesting to make a list of the ballets I have seen live (a total of 23), to then consider which ones I haven't seen, and what to see next.

Romeo and Juliet- which is part of Ballet West's repertoire- is one of the ballets I hadn't seen.... So, of course, when Birmingham Royal Ballet toured it to Nottingham, I couldn't resist buying a ticket. And the opportunity to watch company class too?!

I had already seen company class- taught by Marion Tait in 2014- however I was particularly keen to see one of my idols, the beautiful Miko Fogarty, who joined the company as an Artist in 2015.

The class was, as I had expected, fascinating. The dancers, despite being exhausted from the previous night's show, demonstrated clear focus and determination in every exercise, something I definitely need to learn to replicate!! However, I was interested to notice that most of the women did class on demi pointe, not pointe.... And even the professionals have a bad pirouette day sometimes!!! The teacher didn't give much detail on the exercises, however did give technical corrections to individual dancers.

Celine Gittens particularly shone, dancing virtuosic pirouettes and althletic, dazzling allegro. 

The performance began with a marketplace scene, with the corps de ballet demonstrating excellent accuracy and timing in a spectacular sword fight! 

Yaoquian Shang portrayed a delightfully youthful Juliet, who played with her Nurse, Ruth Brill, in such a joyful manner, that anyone would question why her parents expected her to marry Paris at such a jejune age. 

The set and costumes were sublime, effortlessly transforming from the bustling marketplace, to Juliet's room, with an impressive staircase adding to the luxurious interior of the Capulet mansion. 

Surprisingly, Prokofiev's iconic "Dance of the Knights" did not accompany a fight scene, but instead, the ballroom scene, where, again, the corps de ballet displayed their excellent unity and artistry, adorned in spellbinding costumes.

The dramatic highlight, however, was in Act 3; Juliet, having secretly been married by Friar Lawrence to her beloved Romeo, refused to marry her parents' choice of husband, Paris. A defiant pas de deux ensued, in which Juliet refused to comply with Paris, making for some captivatingly unusual choreography. Juliet, upon refusing to marry Paris, rushed to Friar Lawrence, who gave her a potion to make her fall into a deep sleep, deceiving her parents into thinking she was dead. Alone in her room with her vial of potion, Juliet's anguish, agitation, confusion and torment radiated throughout thr theatre, giving the scene a breathtaking intensity, and showcasing Yaoquian Shang's phenomenal talent not only as a dancer, but also as an actress. The spellbinding acting, from not only Juliet, but also Romeo, Lady Capulet and the Nurse, easily kept the audience entranced throughout- and the standing ovation during the curtain calls was so definitely deserved!!

After the performance, I dashed to the stage door, eagerly brandishing a pair of pointe shoes and a pen, delighted to have my shoes signed by such talented dancers. It was a pleasure to meet and talk to Brandon Lawrence, Brooke Ray, Yaoquian Shang, Lewis Turner, Cesar Morales, Max Maslen, and one of my ex-teachers, Ruth Brill, who recognised me and greeted me with a delightful enthusiasm!! 

I quickly realised, though, that Miko, having danced Lady Montague, had left during the 2nd interval. However, after an hour and a half stood by the stage door, Miko returned to the theatre! She was so lovely, with a genuine, sweet sense of appreciation- evidently not realising her own fame, she said "Thankyou so much for waiting, I've never had a fan wait to meet me before!!" She eagerly signed my pointe shoes and posed for photographs, which I will cherish forever!!!

Vienna Festival Ballet- Swan Lake

Although I have seen most UK companies, one I had not yet seen, was Vienna Festival Ballet. Founded in 1980 by Peter Mallek, the company tours classical ballets around the UK for 8 months per year.

Swan Lake was presented at Bedworth Civic Hall, on March 31st. The curtain opened- confused, i muttered 'why no overture?!' as a middle-aged man awkwardly stepped up onto the stage. Grabbing a microphone, he gave a short speech, culminating in 'Kerry... I love you... Will you marry me?'

Impromptu proposal over, the curtain closed again and the overture began. The curtain reopened on the Jester- whose unfortunate brown tights reminded me somewhat of a Christmas turkey- doing turns a la seconde. His joyful, bouncy personality akin to that of a children's television character remained dominant throughout the ballet, at times seeming slightly too hyperbolic and out-of-place in the more solemn court scenes.

All of the dancers demonstrated pleasing stage presence and facial expression; their acting gave a vibrant sense of personality. In the pas de trois, Sandra Serey Sampedro danced the female variation with elegance- however, the temps de flèche in the allegro diagonale had been omitted, substituted with a small gargouillade, which seemed to stifle the flow of movement somewhat. 

At the end of Act 1, the curtain fell and the overture played- although Vienna Festival is a small company, the curtain and overture between each act seemed unnecessary, even awkward, leaving the audience in limbo, trying to stay engaged with the storyline.

Act 3 was equally awkward- although the dancers were all excellent, the modifications to the choreography seemed to fall slightly flat; why did Von Rothbart dance the Spanish dance? And why did the Princesses of each nationality sit demurely next to Seigfried, whilst their attendants danced for his approval?! 

Perdita-Jayne Lancaster continued to demonstrate strong technique in the Black Swan pas de deux, with flashy dynamics and dazzling characterisation. The sissonne fermées in her variation, however, were replaced with a series of echappés- which portrayed Odile's teasing nature, but nonetheless didn't quite satiate the audience. 

She seemed to couru for slightly too long in preparation for her fouettés, therefore managing 27 turns, although would easily be capable of more. Dean Rushton's Seigfried matched Lancaster's technical bravura in his coda, with lovely ballon in his jumps. 

The final act showcased the corps de ballet's sychronisation, co-ordination and focus, whilst Lancaster and Rushton's anguish radiated to the back of the stalls- however, Von Rothbart's death felt unconvincing, lacking dramatic quality.

Perhaps it would be worth seeing Vienna Festival's other repertoire, such as Coppelia or Giselle, as there are some definite potential stars awaiting their breakthrough in the company- who would maybe shine more in the traditional Petipa/Ivanov Swan Lake, rather than the remastered version. 

RB's Giselle

One of the best things about being at home, is being so close to London, and having the freedom to decide 'I want to do class at Pineapple tomorrow!' So, not only did I do class, but also managed to get a ticket for a sold-out matinee of the Royal Ballet's 'Giselle'!!

Giselle was the first Royal Ballet performance I saw, back in 2011, with my beloved Great Grandma- who I promised would see me dance on that stage one day...... Just give me a couple more years Grandma!!

After a relatively short overture, the curtain rose, on a spectacularly built set, depicting a higgledy thatched cottage, and market place, in soft autumnal colours.

Akane Takada's entrance as Giselle was delightfully playful, with a lovely springy ballonné simple and ballotté sauté motif, showing easy elevation, precise footwork, and pleasing use of epaulement. Her costume, a simple, corseted calf-length dress, in modest cream and brown, complimented her innocent persona and joyful expression.

Kristen McNally's strong stage presence and acting skill was evident in her intense mime scene in which she warned Giselle of the Wilis, young girls who died before their wedding day, and would dance to death any man who crossed their path. Her anguish was undeniable, even somewhat harrowing, it seemed to radiate throughout her whole body as she pleaded with Giselle to rest her weak heart.

The Peasant Pas de Deux was danced with a graceful ease by Marcellino Sambé and Yasmine Naghdi; Sambé demonstrated superb ballon and travelled effortlessly in his sissones doublés. It was lovely to see familiar steps from class, such as a fish dive or shoulder sit, presented with the sense of confidence and performance quality that we all endeavour to emulate. 

In Giselle's Act 1 solo, Takada showed exquisite musicality, and continued excellent characterisation, particularly in her playful diagonale of ballonnés sur pointe. However, she clearly felt more comfortable dancing naïve, innocent Giselle, as her iconic 'mad scene', when she discovered the true identity of 'Loys' seemed to lack a depth of emotion. Her Giselle, rightly so, was in denial and shock at the realisation, with a heart-rending motif development, of playing 'He loves me... He loves me not' with a daisy earlier in the first act. The entire audience felt poised, on a knife-edge waiting for the reality to set in, upon which Giselle would lose her mind- alas, she never seemed to go truly insane- lacking a subtle emotional depth needed to truly spellbind her audience. Kirsten McNally conveyed Berthe's grief and anguish convincingly, however on the whole, the 'Mad Scene' felt somewhat underwhelming.

In Act 2, the corps de ballet demonstrated excellent unison- however, the small gossamer wings on their backs looked slightly childish and unnecessary. Helen Crawford showed excellent elevation and stylisation as Myrthe, with a beautiful sense of suspension en pointe. Takada's clean technique was evident in Giselle's Act 2 solo, with spectacular developpes a la seconde and a neat arabesque- nonetheless, her penché seemed marginally limited, compared to that of other dancers. Her entrechats and sissones ordinares had a lovely elevation, complementing the virtuosity of Thiago Soares' dazzling allegro as Albrecht.

On the whole, the performance showed stunning technical quality- in particular, Thiago Soares' clean pirouettes and confident tours en l'airs showcased his strength, and Takada's delightful personality shone in the village scenes, portraying a childlike, playful young Giselle.