Scottish Ballet 40th Anniversary tour - London dates review

Rubies/Workwithinwork/In Light and Shadow

Sadlers Wells, London

Saturday 3rd October 2009

Company in George Balanchine’s Rubies. Photograph by Andrew Ross

Rubies is a handy ballet to have in the repertoire as your 40th Anniversary comes around. It’s fiendishly tricky, the jazzy music (Stravinsky) pushing the dancers to take risks if they dare. It’s not that long ago that the Royal Ballet’s (now retired) Alexandra Ansanelli took extreme risks with balance, strength and speed to electrifying effect, and before her Sarah Lamb who looked positively at home with the choreography. As indeed they both should be, given their American backgrounds, perhaps more so that the Royal themselves. Balanchine is demanding – there can be no “going through the motions”, and overall Scottish Ballet danced a very accomplished, musical Rubies.

Sophie Martin and Adam Blyde in George Balanchine’s Rubies. Photograph by Andrew Ross

Sophie Martin and Adam Blyde are slightly mis-matched; she has a strong technique with great hands, but her feet were too soft and her partner could have been more attentive. Sharper was Vassilissa Levtonova who was infectiously enjoying herself throughout. The corp showed how witty & glamorous they are, while the men were strong, timing very good – it’s not always the case that they are as synchronised as this which shows good rehearsals and preparation.

Luke Ahmet and William Smith in William Forsythe’s Workwithinwork. Photograph by Andrew Ross

Workwithinwork, choreographed by William Forsythe & new to the Company, takes a little more getting used to. The music is hard to listen to, a lot less tuneful, but the dancers seemed more at home with the shapes and turns in this piece.

Ingenious use of the minimal sets too – so often in modern works you find yourself watching a series of slow entrances and exits; not so here, where the dancers use the stage and the set to come and go unobtrusively - and that’s partly what the work is about.

The patterns shifted all the time so that a patch of the stage was filled with people while another corner gradually emptied, and by the time your attention was drawn to a different area of the stage, the dancers were already there.

Brenda Lee Grech and Paul Liburd in William Forsythe’s Workwithinwork. Photograph by Andrew Ross

The costumes were flattering and in good colours – always nice to see a bit of sparkle, and purple seems to work well every time. It’s a moody piece, to Luciano Berio’s Duetti for two violins.

Tama Barry and Tomomi Sato in William Forsythe’s Workwithinwork. Photograph by Andrew Ross

They saved the best till last. The beginning of In Light and Shadow, to Bach’s Goldberg Variations, had me thinking I was stuck in a Groundhog Day - it was only last week that this music was used in Kim Brandstrup’s new work for Tamara Rojo.

Sophie Martin and Adam Blyde in Krzysztof Pastor’s In Light and Shadow. Photograph by Andrew Ross

But Aria, danced perfectly by Claire Robertson and William Smith, used the music to greater effect - atmospheric but peaceful, slow and fluid and more classical in style.

Sophie Martin and Adam Blyde in Krzysztof Pastor’s In Light and Shadow. Photograph by Andrew Ross

It’s a ballet of two contrasts, and moves into the lighter Suite No 3 in D from Bach’s Orchestral Suites, where there is colour contrast in the costumes and a vibrant buzz from the dancers.

Soon Ja Lee in Pastor’s In Light and Shadow. Photograph by Andrew Ross

I particularly liked the Gavotte, danced by Martina Forioso and Luke Ahmet, and in the Company sections, you couldn’t fail to notice Paul Liburd, an exceptional mover, even more so given his costume – a peculiar part skirt/part hospital gown arrangement that wouldn’t have looked out of place on the catwalk.

Paul Liburd in Pastor’s In Light and Shadow. Photograph by Andrew Ross

Costumes with swags ? For men ? Actually, the costumes were very inventive and used to great effect, particularly a long ballgown, batted out of the way by her partner and used by both dancers throughout as additional points of reference, and very popular with the audience.

Eve Musto and Gregory Dean in Krzysztof Pastor's In Light and Shadow

Photograph : Merlin Hendy

(I very recently interviewed Eve Musto)

I absolutely loved Krzysztof Pastor’s choreography where the dancers are lit only from the knee down, showing off their brilliant, precise, synchronised footwork to perfection. If they’d burst into Scottish dancing I wouldn’t have been surprised; the music is swooping and joyful ! Many of the movements began in the difficult 5th position, showing supreme control and balance.

Company in Pastor’s In Light and Shadow. Photograph by Andrew Ross

It’s been a delight having the Company in town, albeit for just a few days. I hope it won’t be long before they are back to show us more innovative, bold and interesting work.

A Very Happy Anniversary to the Company.