SCOTTISH BALLET PRESENTS GEOMETRY AND GRACE

Adam Blyde, Claire Robertson and Company in Frederick Ashton’s Scènes de Ballet

Photograph by Andrew Ross.

_____________________________________________________________
PRESS INFORMATION
From Scottish Ballet Monday 2 August 2010
______________________________________________________________

SCOTTISH BALLET PRESENTS GEOMETRY AND GRACE
Sponsored by Adam & Company

THEATRE ROYAL, GLASGOW, Thursday 16 to Saturday 18 September 2010
Tickets from £12 - £20*
Box office: 0844 871 7647

EDINBURGH FESTIVAL THEATRE
Thursday 23 to Saturday 25 September 2010
Tickets from £10 - £20*
Box office: 0131 529 6000

HIS MAJESTY’S THEATRE, ABERDEEN
Friday 1 to Saturday 2 October
Tickets from £12.50 - £22.50*
Box office: 01224 641122

EDEN COURT THEATRE, INVERNESS
Friday 8 to Saturday 9 October
Tickets from £10 - £19.50*
Box office: 01463 234 234

*Discounts available at each of the above locations – please contact the box office at the relevant theatre.
Booking fees apply when booking over the phone.

Eve Mutso and Erik Cavallari in Ashley Page’s Fearful Symmetries

Photograph by Andrew Ross

SCENES DE BALLET: Choreography Frederick Ashton / Music Igor Stravinsky
NEW WORK Choreography Val Caniparoli / Music by Elena Kats-Chernin
FEARFUL SYMMETRIES Choreography Ashley Page / Music John Adams

geometry: (noun) the branch of mathematics concerned with points, lines, curves and surfaces
grace: (noun) elegance and beauty of movement, form or expression
Collins English Language Dictionary
　
This autumn Scottish Ballet presents Geometry and Grace - the perfect formula of pure dance inspired by symmetry, space and geometric shapes, performed with power and precision by the dancers of Scotland’s award winning national dance Company. Sponsored by private bank Adam & Company and featuring the world premiere of a brand new work, the programme will tour to Glasgow, Edinburgh, Inverness and Aberdeen throughout September and October.

Claire Robertson and Adam Blyde in Frederick Ashton’s Scènes de Ballet

Photograph by Merlin Hendy. (Autumn Season)

From revered choreographer Frederick Ashton comes Scènes de Ballet. Created in 1947, post World War II and a time considered by the choreographer as one of new confidence and ambition, Ashton broke free from the favoured story-telling ballets of his contemporaries and instead chose geometry as his inspiration.  Whilst choreographing, he famously brought volumes of Euclid to rehearsals, moving his dancers in intricate patterns while responding to the tricky rhythms and changing tempos of the Stravinsky score of the same name.

“I, who at school could never get on with algebra or geometry, suddenly became fascinated with geometrical figures, and I used a lot of theorems as ground patterns for Scènes de Ballet”, he told the dance historian David Vaughan. “I used to drive the girls mad trying to solve these theorems, moving them from one position to another. I also wanted to do a ballet that could be seen from any angle - anywhere could be front, so to speak. So I did these geometric figures that are now always facing front - if you saw Scènes de Ballet from the wings you would get a very different but equally good picture.”

This purely classical ballet of perfect patterns is as elegant and chic as it is astute, and was originally designed by André Beaurepaire, a Frenchman who was heavily influenced by Picasso.  Ashton adapted the original designs to include a twist of the baroque and the final work sees the ballerinas in bodices laced with geometric patterns and tutus of lemon and blue, with double-strand pearls and sharp black berets to chic yet dramatic visual effect.
　
In a world premiere, San Francisco Ballet choreographer Val Caniparoli unveils his brand new work created exclusively on Scottish Ballet. Featuring fluid, lustrous fabrics and designs from Sandra Woodall, Caniparoli sets the dancers in glorious soaring patterns of flight to two chamber scores by Uzbekistani composer Elena Kats-Chernin.

Sophie Martin and Erik Cavallari in Ashley Page’s Fearful Symmetries

Photograph by Andrew Ross

Completing the programme in a pattern of evolving symmetries and pulsating groups is Artistic Director Ashley Page’s Olivier Award-winning Fearful Symmetries. A visually striking piece with designs taking cues from the geometrical designs of Mark Rothko and the New York abstract expressionists, Fearful Symmetries features a moving block of coloured light and a hanging curved wall peppered with pinpricks created by long term collaborator and designer Antony McDonald to bathe the stage in starlight.

“I first created this piece on the Royal Ballet in 1994 and it really does make tough demands on the dancers with its spirit and speed,” explains Page. “I chose to set it to the John Adams score of the same name as to me it evokes a range of diverse and dynamic interpretation - at once the frenzy of a bustling American city as well as the journey along those big open landscapes of the Arizona deserts.”

Geometry and Grace is sponsored by Adam & Company. Scottish Ballet Chief Executive / Executive Producer Cindy Sughrue said: “As Scotland’s national dance company, we are continually looking for ways to present our artform in as an engaging and inspirational way as possible - through the work of our Education programme as well as the performances themselves. While Geometry and Grace brings together work of international standard and technique, it also allows us to look at ballet from a new angle (so to speak!). We are grateful for the continued support of tour sponsor Adam & Company and look forward to working with them to further develop our relationship.”

David Cathie, Managing Director of Adam & Company, commented: “Adam is thrilled to be supporting Scottish Ballet's autumn tour of Geometry and Grace. As with all of our sponsorships that have charitable status, we feel that it is important to continue our support through such challenging economic times so that we can help preserve this wonderful art for future generations."