It's starting to sound like a broken record. All this talk about ballet's uncertain future is becoming the verbal equivalent of too many Cinderella's. We pose the questions, but the answers to how ballet might — or is evolving — are rare and wooly. While Alice proved to succeed on the technological front, many saw the new story ballet to be as traditional as its classic ancestors. And when the Royal took on Manon after its heavy stint of Ashton restagings, we hoped MacMillan's interpretation would shed light on where ballet is headed. But we are all still looking. The reviews are mixed, and we don't have the wordcount for future-forecasting. But the search for a light-filled interlude in this uncertain time might still exist within the Royal Opera House.
On Wednesday evening, the small but ample Linbury Studio was filled to capacity with an audience eager to see Draft Works, an hour-long performance of new work by Royal Ballet dancers. Wayne McGreggor, resident choreographer, hosted the evening and was quick to explain that these original performances were exactly what the event name implied: choreographic "sketches" that the dancers have worked on in their spare time outside of regular rehearsal hours. "No lighting. No costumes. No makeup," he said.
Despite the evening's lo-fi quality, the eight, original performances were polished explorations of traditional choreography and new movement. All showed a deep understanding for the music. Ludovic Ondiviela’s ensemble piece to God Speed You Black Emperor exemplified a choreographer’s ability to not only react to music, but manipulate and own it. His use of space and pacing gave the piece urgency, and the intricate choreography over the music’s gradual build added a new melodic layer. It was as if Ondiviela had artfully dragged his toe through musical syrup, coaxing out sounds through movement that we would not have otherwise heard.
If the dancers-cum-choreographers were nervous to introduce their pieces, the performances suggested otherwise. The choreographers, who ranged in experience, presented work that was undeniably confident and varied.
Sian Murphy opened the evening with a pas de deux to music by Dead Prez and WTF?! “I know that most of you probably don’t listen to this kind of music,” warned Murphy, just as tall in her 3-inch heels as she is in her pointe shoes. “But it’s the music I love. And it’s what I dance to when I’m home from rehearsal.”
The thunderous dubstep was a powerful backdrop to Murphy’s hip-hop and tango influenced choreography. And in this case, the stripped down look of the studio and rehearsal clothes enhanced Murphy’s work.
“I wanted to create roles that dancers would see and say, ‘I want to dance that part. That looks fun,’” said Murphy after the performance.
Thomas Whitehead and Lara Turk convincingly transported the audience from the Linbury to a sweaty basement nightclub. Despite the precise footwork (which they learned in about four rehearsals), the pair danced with controlled but inebriated abandon. Turk was a powerful heroine, and both were comfortable to not only dance to the music, but also let it move them.
Samantha Raine worked within the constructs of her classical ballet background to choreograph a lovely but traditional pas de deux for Leanne Cope and Liam Scarlett. After watching Murphy’s forceful female role, Cope’s interpretation of the female part was robotic and graceless, leaving me wondering how much time she had to learn the part.
Natalie Harrison began work on a pas de deux but changed the choreography to feature two men. “It was supposed to be a sketch,” she explained. “But it’s a bit more of a doodle.” Although the performance was unfinished, Harrison’s choice to work with two male dancers introduced a theme to the evening. Despite the amount of female parts in the performances — and the doodling, the choreography was about the guys. Perhaps, because of the small stage, the boys took up more room. But in pointe shoes, Turk is taller than Whitehead, and he still drew the gaze.
In general, Scarlett and Whitehead were the forces of the overall Draft Works performance. Both are well known as dancers and choreographers (most recently Scarlett choreographed works for young dancers at the Genee competition) and performed in several of the pieces. Even as the typical male backdrop in Raine’s pas de deux, Scarlett was the undeniable lead.
Valentino Zuchetti closed the evening with Trio Sonata, a dance for two men and one female dancer. His work was one of the most traditionally-influenced performances, but Zuchetti artfully embedded contemporary ideas within the classical structure, including subtle, surprising twists, and an en pointe slide from across the stage.
While Yasmine Naghdi was dazzling (she was the only dancer to wear diamond earrings), it was Sander Blommaert and Zucchetti himself who sparkled. Granted, dancing is a partnership. You must know when to hold back. But Draft Works proved that the dancers of the Royal Ballet are radiating with enthusiasm for new choreography. It’s a refreshing sight, even if it means the boys are stealing a scene or two.
