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Scottish BalletApril 1999 Glasgow, Theatre Royal by Carly Gillies |
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Last night was the first night of three very different ballets new to Scottish Ballet. Kenneth MacMillan's Diversions was first. Apparently made in some haste in 1961 at the request of Ninette de Valois to complete a triple bill for the RB, it's an abstract classical piece for six pairs of dancers to music by Arthur Bliss. The set and costumes are geometric designs in blue black and crimson and the choreography makes much use of line and pattern. Vlad Bubnov, Ari Takahashi and guest Sabine Chaland all looked good, but the whole piece looked under rehearsed and all failed at times to make the undoubtedly testing choreography, and particularly some of the lifts, look less than difficult. I enjoyed nIgHt LiFe, Tim Rushton's new ballet to music by Bach, more - despite the irritating name. Six gauche adolescents form transient relationships, and at times evidently struggle to discover and control the awkward movements of their own bodies. The design is by the ubiquitous Lez Brotherston. A deep perspective set and clever lighting creates a series of stark and interesting sillouettes and a number of different entrances at each side of the set for the various characters to slide on and off. Apparently it is supposed to represent Scottish club life. Well, maybe I just don't get out enough... Lila York's Rapture was undoubtedly the evening's highlight. A half hour ballet in three acts set to wonderful music from Prokofiev 3rd and 5th piano concertos. Acts one and three use 20 dancers in constant exuberant movement. Lots of joyous swirling and leaping, on a blue lit bare stage with star splashed back drop. Act 2 by contrast has a group of introverted and isolated beings all seemingly damaged or in shock or confusion. The ballet is apparently about death and heaven but I suspect different people will take different things from it. At one point in the first act a girl is carried on curled tightly in a foetal position and slowly uncurles - still carried - to a fully extended arc in which she slowly and beautifully circles amidst the swirling and circling of the other dancers. Nightlife tours to Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Sadler's Wells. I think with a little more rehearsal Diversions will start to look as good as the other two, but Rapture alone would have been worth it.
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