NBT reviews Other Giannetti interviews?

Stefano Giannetti has only been in the job a couple of days when we meet during an interval at the Wycombe Swan where Carmen is playing. Naturally enough he is all eagerness as he finally unpacks his inheritance - a rich one from a distant aunt perhaps? - and sees exactly what he has really got. Dancers are immediately on his mind, having just seen a cast for the first time, and he is full of glee at the difference in interpretation:

“They are brilliant and you know it's just amazing, a couple of people change, and it is all so different”. He obviously seemed to be enjoying it all.

Giannetti is compact, well dressed (smart, corporate suit even), smiles much and has a caricature of an Italian accent - everything rolls! He talks a lot about "quality", in fact it crops up in many responses. He speaks quite confidently, though he is naturally a little guarded as he feels his way into both a new role and a new company.

His appointment was something of a surprise. If there had been betting, the odds would have been long, though perhaps this is more a reflection on the lack of knowledge of most of us about prospective Artistic Directors. There have been various rumours around about what Christopher Gable wanted to happen being ignored and subsequently dark mumblings about who has the rights to ballets. Michael Pink, Gable's long term collaborator and Associate Artistic Director, has left the company and one wonders what Jayne Regan (Pink's partner) might do. Whatever the background, Giannetti applied for the job, got it, and naturally looks to the future:

“I'm a positive person and I like to see the positive side of things. I'm not here to destroy anything, I'm here to bring good work and that is what I feel is going to be for the future.”

Giannetti clearly impressed the NBT Board. The Chairman is quoted in the press release announcing the appointment ‘Giannetti has an outstanding record as a performer, choreographer and teacher and subscribes fully to the Gable vision of dance theatre.’

He has certainly moved much between European companies, including separate stints with London Festival Ballet and English National Ballet before finishing his dancing career at the Deutsche Oper in Berlin.

Giannetti also started choreographing while still at school and has created works for companies in Japan, Norway and Germany, but few are in a position to evaluate his work. The press release talks of a ‘distinct choreographic language’ but Giannetti would not be drawn as to what his work is like in practice, though he underlined his commitment to quality in all things and suggested that we need to make our minds up when we see his it.

What about choreographic influences then?

“I was lucky to dance ballets from ... Petipa to Bejart to Kylian to Forsythe. And Roland Petit - really, I was very lucky.”

‘And you've enjoyed them all?’ I ask, looking for a glimmer of favouritism..

“I've enjoyed them all and I was very lucky to be working with these people.”

How balanced. Can anybody really be this rounded, light, urbane and nice I thought?!

Perhaps this is one of the keys to his appointment - a perceived wider span of dance experience to broaden NBT a little. He is, though, absolutely committed to dramatic and narrative dance and anybody looking to see the company abandon its roots and an audience wedded to theatre will be disappointed.

To emphasise the commitment and his choreographic credentials Giannetti is creating a new ballet for the company - Great Expectations:

“I'm fascinated by the Dickens story, and I think it's got a lot of beautiful values in it. A wonderful human side to it. I mean it is a very intriguing story - there are so many different levels. It can be funny, it can be dramatic, it can be tragic, that is what is beautiful about the story.”

The music he is using is by Elgar and the designs will be “period... simple... evocative, without being too holographic..”. The premiere will be next February.

Before then, in October, NBT is doing a Triple Bill. Yes, you heard - a Triple Bill. When he said it I nearly fell off my perch too! I'm really pleased - it's certainly something I have long thought would be good for the company and also stretch and cajole their trusting audience into slightly wider dance experiences. The idea was initiated by earlier management but Giannetti is very keen on it:

“I think it's good to have full-length as it is also good, from time-to-time, to have some shorter pieces. I mean it does bring some (more) life to the company and there is also the chance to have more different works.”

One of the pieces will also be by Natcho Duato - the Director of the National Ballet of Spain, and Giannetti is looking forward to seeing it all come together.

Besides the Triple Bill and Great Expectations the company will also be dancing some old and not so old favourites next season, including Gable's Swan Lake and Christmas Carol. Carmen will also be in the repertoire and is coming to London - there is a another season in the offing at Sadler's Wells.

Before we know it the bells are buzzing to bring us back to that night's performance of Carmen and I wind up by asking what NBT will be like in four years' time...

“Well I think it is very important to keep this identity the company has had, as a dance drama company. But I should say that drama is in dance and sometimes it can also be in abstract pieces of dance. ... That's what I definitely believe in and so", he claps his hands - he does this a few times in the interview to emphasise points, "let's see how it goes!”

It will indeed be interesting to see how it goes as a much loved company is taken forward by Giannetti's evolving brand of new young management.