As the Mayerling run starts its final leg, we had the opportunity of catching yet another cast, lead by Carlos Acosta as Crown Prince Rudolf and Tamara Rojo as her partner in crime, Mary Vetsera. I was interested on seeing Acosta's Rudolf given that I wanted to contrast his performance to what he presented on the last revival and curiously enough, even though Acosta knows very well how to build this role to suit his strengths, I was surprised to find that he had softened his character and that somehow this served better the story.

Acosta's Rudolf develops from a person who has two distinct coexisting personalities (the strong and dashing heir to the thrown vs. the violent psychopath) into a drug addict whose only purpose is to be numb, as he can't cope with the amount of resentment he carries and ultimately gives everything up (this is no crazy fuelled death but more an escape of it all). Three years ago, his Rudolf stayed in the psycopath mode even at the end, so his suicide was more a result of anger, taking revenge of everyone [I hate the world hence I am going somewhere else--->he cared too much] rather than of despair [there is nothing left for me so goodbye!]. This in some ways, speaks of how a dancer develops a character through the years, whether by thinking about the role and discovering new things, or maybe motivated by life experiences. But at the end, this is Carlos Acosta and his strong physique and stage command make violent Rudolf a better fit for him. Needless to say, his best moment came in the pas de deux with Princess Stephanie (danced by the musical Iohna Loots), who became a rag doll under Rudolf's handling (I actually heard gasps from the audience), terrified of him and appearing like a frightened, vulnerable girl. His other big moment came in the Act II ballroom solo, in which he diligently executed every step with technical brilliance (after a rusty start in Act I, but in any case it was his first performance after the big break) and clearly conveyed how the double standards maintained by his mother, Empress Elizabeth, who he had placed in an altar, ends up destroying the only true link to this world.

Tamara Rojo's Mary Vetsera is probably the most realistic portrayal of the run, aside of her outstanding dancing technique and the creaminess of her phrasing. Her Mary is far from an innocent girl, and in her scenes with Rudolf, she is the one dictating the rules. In Act II she is the temptress who seduces Rudolf and with this Mary, violent Rudolf is nowhere to be seen [it reminded me of Thiago and Marianela in Swan Lake<----this is a comment for you Em]. In fact, in Act III it almost looked like Acosta's Rudolf was about to void the suicidal pact, but Rojo's Mary induces him to do it (plus a heavy dosage of drugs). However, I think that even though Rudolf and Mary are based on real historical figures, sometimes it works better if some details are enhanced for dramatic effect and part of what makes the last pas de deux so emotional, is the fact that it is boiling with all kind of emotions coming from both characters and somehow the combination of both portrayals didn't work for me.

The most outstanding performance of the night, in my opinion, was that of Mara Galeazzi as Countess Larisch. Besides giving props to Mara for having danced Mary Vetsera on the earlier half of the run, it seems to me that Larisch is a role tailored for her, with her long limbs and her clever use of the music in her various scenes (it was really a pleasure to see her Act I entrance with the young Mary Vetsera and Princess Valerie (?). With Galeazzi, Larisch almost reaches the realm of tragic figure, a woman of certain age who is by all means trying to rekindle her romance with her young lover (Rudolf), or at least, to grab his attention (for which he teases him with Mary). Other highlights came from Ricardo Cervera, who made for a very comical and technical assured Bratfisch and Laura Morera who once again showed how good an allegro dancer she is, since even when conductor Martin Yates was speediing the tempo of the music, Morera managed to deliver her role as Mitzi.

Mayerling is really a rich and powerful ballet and it is fitting that the company who saw MacMillan grow as a choreographer has given us such a variety of performances, which speak of the variety of ways humans can feel and communicate. I hope we don't have to way long before another run is scheduled, but judging from last and previous nights, it is fair to say that the audience will demand a come back very soon.

Here you will find a variety of ballet reviews and articles, in particular Royal Ballet related (after all, they are our favourite!). Our aim is to have a voice as members of a young audience and to try to prove that ballet is not “stuffy”, “old fashioned” or “inaccessible” as some may say.

Stick here for a while and fill your bags with all-things-ballet. One thing is for sure: ours are always filled with ballet tickets!

Contributors

Emilia:

When she is not watching, reading, writing or thinking about ballet this obsessive thirty-something devotes her spare time to a whole new bag of interests: from literature to theatre, from classical music to punk rock, from Victorian art to Surrealism and from gourmet cuisine to street food.

Linda:

Smiley twenty-something who is even younger at heart and loves spending time in her multiple interests, from which ballet certainly takes out a big chunk. Besides watching or doing ballet, she is often found with her head inside a book and/or listening to her ipod (which contains a wide spread selection of music and podcasts on books). She also has a mad love for science and maths.

Here you will find a variety of ballet reviews and articles, in particular Royal Ballet related (after all, they are our favorite!). Our aim is to have a voice as members of a young audience and to try to prove that ballet is not “stuffy”, “old fashioned” or “inaccessible” as some may say.

Stick here for a while and fill your bags with all-things-ballet. One thing is for sure: ours are always filled with ballet tickets!

Emilia says:

While, for the above reasons, there were slight changes & toning down to the choreography, Alina portrayed through her pure dancing the most unfussy-but-eloquent of Giselles. Free from any artifice or pyrotechnics, her actions and expressive dancing spoke volumes and touched the heart. All innocence in Act 1, all purity and spirituality in Act 2. And with the very best of Albrechts to match in Johan Kobborg. He showed us, earlier than usual for this ballet, a sincere regret, a realisation of his wrongdoing to Giselle coupled with a sense that the deceitful Albrecht was really falling for this girl, that to see her go mad and suicidal (a heart wrenching mad scene it was!) is deeply distressing to him. Johan's Albrecht clutches the lifeless Giselle in his arms for much longer than any other Albrechts I have seen in this Royal Ballet run (more on them and their respective Giselles later), he is clearly desperate. Because he understands that letting go is losing all that is goodness and innocence, thankfully for him then (and for us the audience) that he has a chance of redemption in Act 2.

One very minor quibble of mine is that Laura Morera's Myrtha, the revengeful Queen of the Wilis, was somewhat lacking in "revengefullness". Laura did not seem as comfortable here as she did playing the Bayadere's rival Gamzatti a few months ago, and I thought the earlier Myrthas in the production danced with more authority. But overall the performance as a whole and, in particular, Alina and Johan's partnership felt like a journey back to a different time line in ballet history, one that simply honored romanticism and substance vs. form. A vintage Giselle.

Linda says:

It is something rare to find a ballerina that can actually perform and realise Giselle in both acts. The first act presents a sunny Giselle, a naive girl that dreams of love, while the second act brings us an ethereal creature that becomes broken and is not whole, but whose love manages to redeem Albrecht. Many dancers today usually excel in any of both acts and bring a variety of interpretations through the phrasing and musicality, but Alina Cojocaru truly becomes Giselle.

When she is betrayed by Albrecht, not only does she lose herself and all she holds dearly to her heart, but the audience gasps and stops breathing while the atmosphere becomes filled with her sadness and despair. Her second act is just a thing of wonder: every step, flick of her arms and expression on her face are used to bring the audience into this supernatural world.

We, as Albrecht, are almost in denial of what is happening, entranced by the spell of the Wilis. The only opportunities for us to regain our senses were on Albrecht's variations. Johan Kobborg was on fire and his jumps and lines were clean, sharp and reaching wonderful heights, but what really struck a chord was that never did he leave Albrecht behind to become Johan, he was always in character, showing pain and accepting his penance after he realised that he became a victim of his own game: he fell for Giselle and now she was lost to him forever.

In this way, when dawn approaches and reality befalls, Albrecht's pain becomes our pain, since Giselle is gone and at least in this performance, it was clear something magical had happened, something for the ages. A shower of flowers during the curtain calls, and stomping and cheering that celebrated not only the return of Covent Garden's favourite ballerina, but the appreciation and gratefulness towards Alina and Johan for their dancing and the miracle they had just materialised.

Giselle is the ultimate romantic ballet and a classic. The first act is full of pretty colours and sunny characters (almost Disney-like); plenty of mime and charming details. However, there is the dramatic twist at the end which leads to the famous "mad scene" which serves as catalyst for the forthcoming events. Gloom and darkness are the ingredients on the second act, in which a completely different world materialises. All the colour is gone, replaced by a ghostly white sheen. Human emotions are set against a supernatural background: Giselle's love and Albrecht's repentance against the terrible but beautiful Wilis gliding on unison.

Leanne Benjamin, made use of her experience to show us a mature Giselle, which has overgrown any naiveté, so that when Albrecht's deceit is revealed, Giselle develops madness fuelled by rage, rather than pure heartbreak. Johan Kobborg's Albrecht is clearly charmed by Giselle and is, without knowing, falling for her. This is more evident when Giselle dies, as he realises what he has lost.

In the second act, Leanne brings us a Giselle which is a shadow of her former self, very dark and eery. This was the first time I've seen such a portrayal, as it is clearly different to the sad and forgiving Giselle one expects. I found her acting to be without fault, but some of the balances were not held long enough (in particular, the famous penché) and her phrasing with the music was a bit off. However, her bourées were lovely and the overall feeling of weightlessness was definitely there.

Johan's dancing on the second act was spot on (some lovely cabriolés and amazing footwork). The chemistry with Leanne is something of an on/off thing, as their complicity varies depending on the piece (their Manon, earlier this season was amazing). Giselle is certainly not one for them, and somehow the portrayals of their characters do not add up (somehow I can see Leanne doing Giselle with Ed Watson).

The pas-de-six had standout performances from Yuhui Choe and Steven McRae (they should be paired every time!). Another highlight for me was Samantha Raine as one of Myrtha's attendants and Thomas Whitehead as Hilarion. I find her dancing to be quite ethereal, with beautiful arms, while Whitehead commands the stage as soon as he steps into the spotlight. Myrtha was danced by Laura Morera, in a role that does not play to her strengths (I prefer her allegro work).

All in all, Peter Wright's production for the Royal Ballet is as beautiful as ever. Definitely worth a trip to Covent Garden.

The other day I got an email from a friend inviting me to see the Royal Ballet's current production of Giselle. He had been sent a promotional offer to one of the performances and knew that I am a major ballet buff. "Interested?", he asked. Thanks, I replied, but I am already booked for 6 other performances of this ballet so will probably give this one a miss. He was shocked: "You are going 6 times?! Wow, you must really, REALLY like this ballet!"

Certainly the fact that I do helps (believe me, I wouldn't sit through Spartacus more than once, yawn!) but the thing that drives me back to the same production more than once is the opportunity to see different dancers and different interpretations of the same role. Great dancers bring their unique gifts to the stage and can make us feel as if we were watching any classic, no matter how overstaged, for the first time.

It is a fact that "the more [ballet]  is seen, the more will be wanted" (How to Enjoy Ballet, by Clement Crisp and Mary Clarke). Once I caught the dance-watching bug I quicky realised that just one taste of each performance wasn't going to be enough: you book months in advance and then spend weeks looking forward to something that vanishes so quickly before your eyes. Or, as New York City Ballet says (rather more eloquently) somewhere in their website:

"Ballet is as fragile and as magical as a snowflake. It exists only when dancers are dancing and no two performances are ever alike. Blink and the moment melts away. Critics and dance writers extend the window of opportunity to catch these on-stage “miracles of nature”..."

But there are more reasons why you should be spreading your bets: That one cast you picked so carefully gets changed. Some dance  critic whose opinion you trust swears by that other pairing you have never seen and steers you towards a whole new world of possibilities. You hear there's a new whizkid on the block tackling that fierce role for the first time. The solution? Downgrade your seats (we certainly wouldn't advise breaking the bank to support your ballet habit) and upgrade the amount of bookings. And always keep an eye out for the castings lottery!

Given that we are all for knowing more about our favourite hobby, we will  be posting a series of entries on the different schools/methods of ballet. Of course we are not planning to be exhaustive and we should mention that there is more information available from the internet or in educational books.

In this post we will focus on the famous Vaganova method, which serves as the main system of instruction in Russia and is widely used in much of Europe and America. It has generated some of the best dancers in the world, admired for their clean lines and the softness of their movements.

Vaganova (pronounced va-GA-nova) training was originally developed by Agrippina Vaganova through her period of teaching in the 1920's and 30's in the Leningrad Choreographic School (which is now the Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg).

This method originated from Vaganova's knowledge of the basic curriculum used by the Imperial Ballet School where she trained, fused with the athleticism characteristic of the Italian school and a dash of romanticism borrowed from French ballet.

The training focuses on the upper body and starts from the basic assumption that movement comes from the core. This emphasis on core stability and strength in the back and arm plasticity enables perfect coordination with fluid arms and precision in allegro work.

Vaganova also focuses on the placement of arms (port-de-bras) whilst in motion, as they can assist the dancer while jumping and turning and enhance the beauty of the movement overall. This is why ballerinas from the big Russian companies like the Bolshoi and the Mariinsky, will generally have beautiful lines and port-de-bras, while also displaying tremendous ability for bravura dancing (ie. multiple sky high jumps and dizzying spins).

Vaganova's teaching method can be found in her book "Basic Principles of Classical Ballet". Its application depends entirely on individual schools/teachers, as there is no parent organisation in charge to regulate the system. It should be mentioned, however, that the method assumes pupils "tick all the boxes" in terms of physical attributes for a career in ballet (given that in St. Petersburg, students were hand-picked for success, with perfect limbs and turnout). In other words, it might not be the most forgiving method for the non-professional aspirant student.

Ballotté means tossed and it is a jump . One starts from fifth position and jumps so the front leg develops from coupé dessous (cutting under the heel of the supporting foot and springing into the air, landing with that foot) into a straight leg position to the front, while landing on the back leg (with knees bent) and repeating by jumping back into a coupé dessus (cutting over the supporting foot) and extending the leg backward. All the series is repeated simulating a swinging movement. The body is positioned effacé (45 degrees so the legs are open and not crossed) and it is inclined backwards or forwards with each change of weight. The jump can be performed travelling forward and backward or on the spot.

The beauty of internet is that nowadays one can find essentially everything  about a particular ballet (notes on choreography, music, history, performers, etc) and even bits of video, all just by searching on Google. We would like to build our own set of fact cards on this site and make life easier for people who are just approaching ballet, so taking a cue from the Royal Ballet's current triple bill commemorating Diaghilev and the 100th anniversary of Ballets Russes's first Parisian season, we will start with an abstract ballet by Mikhail Fokine:

Is this ballet for you?

Go if: You are fond of white romantic vaporous tutus waltzing on the stage. Adagio (ie. slow) dancing makes you happy.

Skip if: You prefer your ballets full-length and plot driven, with loads of pyrotechnics on the side.

Themes:

Les Sylphides is a short (one act) plotless Romantic ballet, or as some would describe it, a ballet of mood, originally choreographed by Mikhail Fokine to music by Chopin. Although it is framed rather like the "divertissements in the forest" that take place in Act 2 of the full length Romantic ballet "La Sylphide", Les Sylphides has nothing to do with and should not be confused with  the former (different music, choreographer, motifs and themes).

Perhaps because of the potential for confusion with La Sylphide some ballet companies still refer to Fokine's work by its original title: Chopiniana or Reverie Romantique: Ballet sur la musique de Chopin, as performed at the Mariinsky Theatre in 1908. However named, the version danced nowadays is the one staged for Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, premiered in Paris at the Theatre du Chatelet, the 2nd of June of 1909, with an original cast led by Anna Pavlova, Tamara Karsavina, Vaslav Nijinsky and Alexandra Baldina.

The ballet's theme is that of a young man walking at night and encountering a group of white sylphs (slender young women that are spirits of the air. The name Sylph is combined from the latin sylvestris=of the woods and nympha=nymph) dancing in the moonlight. The man joins in and dances with the sylphs. Some productions characterized this man as "a poet dreaming about his inspirations" (in many programmes the male role would be called poet) but this is really a ballet about the music rather than its characters and as the Royal Ballet 's programme notes, each of the female dancers is named after their own movements (Valse, Mazurka, Prelude). Given the romantic atmosphere of this piece, the ballet is very approachable and a staple in the repertory of nearly every major company in the world. Women in white romantic tutus (ie. the long ones) are always evocative and who doesn't like to spend half an hour looking at dreamy apparitions on stage?

Music:

To make an Ipod or Spotify playlist for Les Sylphides (always a good idea to try the music on before you go!) you should look for the following Chopin tracks - but note that in live performance they will have been orchestrated (see mini biography below):

Les Sylphides is part of the Royal Ballet's triple bill dedicated to Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, which runs from 4 May - 30 May. With Yuhui Choe, Lauren Cuthberson, Laura Morera, Tamara Rojo, Johan Kobborg and David Makhateli.

Sources and Further Information

1. Wikipedia entry for Les Sylphides. 
2. ABT's notes on Les Sylphides.
3. Australia Dancing's entry and research materials.
4. Monica Mason and artists of the Royal Ballet talking about the triple bill dedicated to the Ballets Russes, including Les Sylphides [Link]

In other words, you must hurry if you still want to catch the Royal Ballet in action before they leave to tour the USA and Cuba. And here are some of the productions we are counting down to:

New Work in the Linbury

An opportunity to catch the Royal Ballet dancers performing new choreography in the Linbury Studio's intimate stage. Johan Kobborg is making a piece for Alina Cojocaru, Steven McRae and Sergei Polunin - need we say more? Hurry while stocks last!

Jewels

Balanchine & Bling!! We LOVE the star-studded first cast with Edward Watson & Tamara Rojo in Emeralds, Carlos Acosta, Alexandra Ansanelli & Zenaida Yanowsky in Rubies, Alina Cojocaru & Rupert Pennefather in Diamonds, but the prospect of seeing Yuhui Choe & Ricardo Cervera (Rubies) as well as Marianela Nunez & Thiago Soares (Diamonds) in the second cast is tempting. We say, book for both!

Carlos Acosta & Guest Artists

We found the programme details thanks to Elise on The Royal Ballet and guess what? Steven McRae (with Roberta Marquez) will be  tackling a role originally created for Mikhail Baryshnikov in Ashton's fiendish Rhapsody, wow! Acosta will be reprising the Spartacus pas de deux with Bolshoi's Nina Kaptsova, so expect loads of bravura dancing.

Mariinsky

Our favorite troupe may be away during August/September but we will stay put at Covent Garden: the Mariinsky/Kirov are coming to town and we love them, even though they are bringing a "credit crunch safe" repertoire with Swan Lake, The  Sleeping Beauty, etc. at crazy prices (£30 for restricted view amphiteatre, ouch!). We shall be picking our casts carefully: we like Evgenia Obraztsova and Vladimir Shklyarov and dancers who display beautiful classical line in general. We don't like extreme extensions being flashed at us every five seconds, which means we will probably skip Alina Somova.

If you like ballet and love books:

Ballet 101: A Complete Guide to Learning and Loving the Ballet (Robert Greskovic) - does what it says on the can!

Balletomania: The Story of an Obsession (Arnold Haskell) - a journey back to the dancing days of Karsavina, Markova, Toumanova & other deities.

The Ballet Companion: A Dancer's Guide to the Technique, Traditions and Joys of Ballet (Eliza Gaynor Minden) - the ballet student's bible. Linda loves it!

How to Enjoy Ballet (Clement Crisp and Mary Clarke) - a short & sweet reference guide, highly recommended for those encountering ballet for the first time.

Pas de Deux, the Royal Ballet in Pictures (Oberon Books) - a feast for the eyes!

The Pointe Book: Shoes, Training and Technique (Janice Barringer and Sarah Schlesinger) - Everything you need to know about the ballerina's basic tool. Great not only for students but for those interested in the history of these shoes.

Rethinking the Sylph (Lynn Garafola & others) - a collection of fascinating essays on symbolism and motifs in Romantic ballets. For those terminally obsessed with Giselle and La Sylphide.

The Royal Ballet: 75 years (Zoe Anderson) - From their South Bank theatrical origins to the "World Stage", a look at what the Royal Ballet is made of.

Sylfiden Findes (Anne Middelboe Christensen) - a picture book of "everything La Sylphide". Emilia's consumer dream, shame that the text is in Danish.

Technical Manual and Dictionary of Classical Ballet (Gail Grant) - Very informative book about all the steps in ballet, in all the different systems. Only downside is the lack of pictures but the description of the execution of each step is outstanding.

Dancing on My Grave (Gelsey Kirkland and Greg Lawrence) - The ups and downs of a prima ballerina. Compelling.

Different Drummer: The Life of Kenneth MacMillan (Jann Parry) - A very detailed account of Kenneth MacMillan's life, with insights into his work methods and the underlying themes he explored through dance. An extremely interesting read and a page turner.

Is this ballet for you?

Go if: You are fond of stories featuring princes, enchanted creatures and magical lands, all wrapped in folkish colours. You love allegro (ie. fast) dancing and you're happy with the prospect of seeing a different ballerina-bird, at least it's a change from the usual swans.

Skip if: You're afraid of the Bogeyman and other nightmare creatures (the Immortal Kostcheï's domains are awash with them).

Dream Cast: Mara Galeazzi / Leanne Benjamin.

The Firebird is a one act  Neoclassical ballet created by Mikhail Fokine for Ballets Russes, to music specially commissioned from Stravinsky (who at the time, was just a twenty-eight year old unknown composer). This ballet is based on the lovely Russian folk tale of The Firebird, known to be a magical creature capable of bringing both fortune and misfortune to its captor.

Prince Ivan Tsarevich gets lost at nightfall while hunting and stumbles upon a magic garden filled with golden apples, part of the realm of an evil magician, the Immortal Kostcheï. Ivan encounters a Firebird whom he tries (and eventually manages) to capture. Annoyed and desperate to fly off,  the Firebird pleads and barters with Ivan: in exchange for her freedom she will give him a feather which Ivan can summon her with, should he ever need "urgent magical assistance". Ivan agrees and lets her go. NB: If you are used to Odette's  how-I-was-turned-into-a-swan mime in Lev Ivanov's Swan Lake, watch here how the Firebird's own pleading mime blends in with the dance and the music, making the  Swan Queen's miming sequence appear more incidental and detached from the dancing by comparison.

Ivan now finds himself at the gates of a castle where he sees 13 beautiful princesses emerge to play with golden apples. They tell him that the castle and its surroundings form part of the enchanted domains of the Kostcheï. Ivan falls for the most beautiful of the princesses, the Tsarevna, who warns him that every knight who has attempted to rescue them from the Kostcheï's domain has been turned into stone. She also shares with Ivan the secret to Kostcheï immortality: he has locked his soul in a secret place and so long as it remains there, so will his evil powers.

Ivan resolves to challenge the Kostcheï, but runs into a parade of exotic creatures and enchanted folk who surround him until the Kostcheï himself materializes. Sensing danger, Ivan waves the feather and summons the Firebird. She forces all those creatures to dance frantically (in what is called the "infernal dance"), until they eventually tire themselves into sleep.

The Firebird leads Ivan to the hiding spot for Kostcheï's immortality: a magic box containing an egg. The Kostcheï awakes just in time but cannot stop Ivan  who now drops the egg to the ground, forever destroying the Kostcheï. The captives are restored to human form and Ivan and the Tsarevna are married. Everyone joins in the celebrations.

Versions:

The Firebird has been staged by various ballet companies around the world  in all kinds of forms and shapes, the most recent being Graeme Murphy's version for the Australian Ballet with designs by Leon Krasenstein. Other renowned productions include:

George Balanchine's for NYCB (1949) with designs by Chagall;

John Cranko's for the Stuttgart Ballet (1964 );

John Neumeier's for the Frankfurt Ballet (1970);

Glen Tetley's for the Royal Danish Ballet (1981);

Christopher Wheeldon's for the Boston Ballet (1999)

The Royal Ballet's version has direct, unbroken links back to the Ballets Russes' original production both in Natalia Gontcharova, who staged the Ballet Russes 1926 Firebird and whose designs are used in the RB's production, and in Tamara Karsavina, the legendary ballerina who created the Firebird role and taught it to Margot Fonteyn.

The original score that Stravinsky composed for the ballet is one of his most popular works. There are further suites arranged to be played in an orchestral setting along with the original 50 minute score (the complete set is referred as the Symphonic Suite). For your Ipod/Spotify playlist we suggest the recording conducted by Stravinsky himself (with the Columbia Symphony Orchestra).

The Firebird is part of the Royal Ballet's triple bill dedicated to Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, which runs from 4 May - 30 May. With Roberta Marquez, Mara Galeazzi and Leanne Benjamin in the main role. 

Mini Biography: Choreography: Mikhail (Michel) Fokine Music: Igor Stravinsky Original Design: Alexandre Golovine, Léon Bakst Original Orchestration: Igor Stravinsky Original Cast: Tamara Karsavina, Mikhail Fokine Premiere: 25 June 1910   Sources and Further Information:

1. Wikipedia entry for The Firebird.
2. Belarus Bolshoi Theatre's notes for The Firebird.
3. Kennedy Center's notes for The Firebird.
4. Australia Dancing's entry for The Firebird and Research Materials.
5. The Firebird by Igor Stravinsky. Dover, 2000. ISBN 0486414035, 9780486414034.

Take for instance Royal Ballet artist Melissa Hamilton who was absolutely eye popping in last year’s Infra, a thrilling one act ballet by Wayne McGregor. Despite being a recent arrival in the Company, Melissa made a huge impact in a demanding work that displayed some of the Royal Ballet’s most amazing and experienced dancers (Edward Watson and Marianela Nuñez to name but a few). She is now due to appear in her first full length leading role next season (dancing with Rupert Pennefather in Mayerling). Having seen her in Infra and in Christopher Wheeldon's DGV - another short work - means we will be buying a ticket with confidence.

[caption id="attachment_362" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The Kostcheï and the Firebird. Copyright by its respective owner. (Source: Royal Opera House)"][/caption]

But back on the subject of triple bills, earlier this week I caught the latest Royal Ballet mixed programme which commemorates the 100 year anniversary of the Ballets Russes’ first season in Paris. On the bill are two indisputable classics: Les Sylphides and The Firebird (both by Mikhail Fokine), along with Sensorium, a new work by Alastair Marriott.

I was very much looking forward to Les Sylphides. I had never seen it before and Romantic ballets are just the thing for me. I simply adore the slow moving “tableaux” feel of Balanchine’s Emeralds, another “ballet of mood”. But despite a great cast (which included Yuhui Choe, Lauren Cuthbertson, Laura Morera and Johan Kobborg) and the poetic Chopin score, I could not feel the "mood”. Maybe the moonlit setting failed to shine or maybe the dancers need time to adjust to a work that has not been performed for quite some time. I also wondered whether slow was giving way to plain static in places, although the pace of conducting seemed to pick up in the Mazurka and the Pas de Deux. Perhaps I was also too distracted by the ballerinas’ headdresses which looked rather like helmets, but for me the magic that the Royal Ballet usually brings to the Romantic classics did not fully materialise here.

If Les Sylphides lacked mood, Sensorium had too much of it I thought. The choreography and indeed the dancers (Rupert Pennefather, Alexandra Ansanelli, Leanne Benjamin, Thomas Whitehead) are impeccable but the work was too neat and reverential. I longed for something faster, more innovative and colourful. This  thankfully is something that The Firebird provided. Despite being a 100 year old ballet it is one of the liveliest, most colourful pieces in the Royal Ballet’s repertory. Mara Galeazzi, not just a Firebird, but a “Fiery” bird, showed off her beautiful fluid arms, frantically expressing through them her fear and frustration whilst imprisoned by Thiago Soares’s Ivan. The scene at the Immortal Kostcheï’s domains where dozens of enchanted creatures come out to scare Ivan manages to be at same time as scary as a child’s nightmare and greatly amusing, thanks to the superb Gary Avis and his impeccable comic timing. The final tableau which depicts with more colour than dance the Tzarevich’s coronation speaks volumes of the Russian roots of this wonderful classic. Stravinsky’s music is thrilling. So 1 out of 3 for the evening overall, but sometimes that is all one needs.

Is this ballet for you?

Go if: You are an Ashton fan. You have a keen eye for demanding technique, quick steps and plenty of characterisation in dance. You like stories involving fantasy femmes fatales, mermaids and ill-fated romances, especially those with a Victorian edge.

Skip if: You can't put up with a difficult non-melodic score. Hans Werner Henze's modernist music, tailor made to resemble a continuous flow of water & spray of the sea throughout the ballet has been a hard sell with many, including Ashton himself.

Dream Cast: Tamara Rojo.

Ondine is a 3 act ballet originally created by Sir Frederick Ashton as a vehicle for Margot Fonteyn. The ballet, like the Opera "Rusalka", is loosely based on Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué's novella "Undine". Ondine is the only Ashton ballet choreographed to specially commissioned music and where Ashton worked in close proximity to the composer, Hans Werner Henze, providing him with plenty of notes and details on precise timings for steps. The costumes and designs by Lila de Nobili evoke the 19th century romantic classics such as Giselle against a maritime backdrop, think "La Sylphide under the sea".

When it premiered, the critics hailed Fonteyn but expressed reservations against the music. The audience's difficulty in connecting with the work also had to do with the fact that Ondine is more concerned with generating a mood and trying to replicate the feeling of water in dance, than with telling a straightforward story (although there is plenty of symbolism for the smart ballet goer to reflect on). It has little pyrotechnics to generate thunderous applause and plays to the lyrical strengths of the main ballerina in its fluid choreography and aqueous motifs. Ondine is a substance vs. form ballet, its subtlety might not appeal to everyone's tastes but it's a work which shows Ashton at his most avant-garde: its continuous undertow of dance was probably a major influence for Kenneth MacMillan's own seamless (& mime-less) choreography later on.

See below a short video where ballerina Tamara Rojo and veteran ballet critic Mr. Clement Crisp talk about the story, the music and motifs in Ondine:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fE5BfqnEXr4&feature=channel_page]

The Story:

Ondine is a water sprite (or nymph) who emerges out of a waterfall onto land fascinated with her own shadow, something she had never seen before. She is observed by Palemon, a mortal man, who is completely entranced by her innocence and gentle manner of playing and marvelling at the sight of this shadow. Realising she is being observed, Ondine is at the same time drawn to and repelled by the human figure of Palemon, especially when she feels his heart beat (as water sprites have no hearts or souls). Dancing a beautiful "watery" pas de deux where Palemon tries to grab and hold slippery Ondine, they fall in love and decide to marry.

Before her marriage Ondine is warned by her uncle Tirrenio, Lord of the Mediterranean sea, that marrying a mortal and thus acquiring a human soul is against a water nymph's nature and potentially fatal, should Palemon ever betray her. Ondine decides to ignore Tirrenio's warning as she loves and trusts Palemon to be faithful. Little does she know that Palemon has broken a previous engagement to mortal Berta in deciding to marry her.

Palemon and Ondine get married and set out on a boat trip. A terrible storm unfolds caused by Tirrenio to force Ondine to return to the sea. She is lost overboard and Palemon, having survived the shipwreck and believing Ondine to be forever lost to him, ends up marrying Berta.

On the day of their wedding heartbroken Ondine reappears before a perplexed Palemon. Meanwhile, Tirrenio exerts revenge against the new couple by bringing destruction to the palace and to all of Palemon and Berta's guests. It is then that Palemon realises his betrayal and the price he has to pay: he longs to be reunited with Ondine and tries to kiss her but when their lips finally meet, he dies. The ballet's final Victorian looking tableau shows a grief stricken Ondine watching over Palemon's lifeless body which she has dragged under the sea as an eternal keepsake.

Ondine is part of The Royal Ballet's Summer Season from the 27 of May - 6 of June, with Alexandra Ansanelli, Miyako Yoshida and Roberta Marquez in the principal role.

Mini Biography:

Choreography: Sir Frederick Ashton Music: Hans Werner Henze Original Design: Lila de Nobili Original Cast: Margot Fonteyn, Michael Somes and Alexander Grant. Premiere: 27 October 1958, Covent Garden, London. Sources and Further Information:

1. Dance Review by Roslyn Sulcas at the New York Times. Dec. 5 2008 [link]
2. Wikipedia entry for Ondine (Ashton).
3. Water Magic by John Percival. Danceviewtimes, 2005.
4. Ballet.contexts. Facts about Ondine at ballet.co. Written by Jane Simpson, 2005.
5. An excellent article by Alastair Macaulay about the symbolism of water creatures in ballet and opera.

In order to describe this training method, we need to talk about the man behind it, George Balanchine, Russian dancer and choreographer who settled in New York in the 1930's to establish and pioneer ballet in North America, and mastermind of a new stylistic movement within classical dance. Balanchine trained at the Imperial Theatre School in St. Petersburg and started his career as a choreographer for Diaghilev's Ballets Russes where he created  successes such as   Apollo and The Prodigal Son.

During his term at Ballets Russes he started to develop his own neoclassical ideas in dance. Unlike many of the other dance movements in vogue at the time which sought a  breakup from classical ballet structures, Balanchine borrowed from advanced classical ballet technique and heavy pointe work. In fact, Balanchine often cited pointe work as one of his main career motivations. He also believed that dancers should be able to be communicate without the need of mime or any other narrative aids, so he set about creating abstract, or rather, plotless pieces in which dancing was the focus. In other words, his ballets are not usually based on a narrative (a characteristic of the 19th century ballets, think Sleeping Beauty or Swan Lake), although he was still concerned with the integration of dance and music.

When invited by impresario Lincoln Kirstein to settle in America, Balanchine was given full creative freedom for his balletic enterprise, so he was able to create and train a company of dancers "purpose built" to meet the demands of his unique style. In 1934 he founded the School of American Ballet and in 1948 he established (together with Kirstein) New York City Ballet. He was also involved in the design of NYCB's headquarters - the  Lincoln's Center New York State Theatre - designed by Phillip Johnson.

Balanchine was a classicist at heart and his fondness for clarity of movement and physical stature goes back to his roots in the Russian Imperial ballet schooling. He looked at ballet as an art for elegant, tall and articulate individuals. Therefore, his concept of an ideal stage was bringing the dancer to the forefront, like a "2D" canvas in which his ballerinas could move, rather than the standard deep opera house stages in which the dancers became miniaturised.

For Balanchine, movement had to be open (arms wider, everything stretching) as to maximise the space and he was fond of deep lines, sharp positions and strong technique in the petit allegro (combinations of small jumps and quick steps). This is why he favoured dancers with long limbs, slim bodies, great flexibility, turnout and (hyper)-extended legs, all this at a time when these aesthetical/physical values had not yet reached the mainstream in classical dance.

At the level of basic technique, the arm positions tend to be more open, less curved and dramatic, often "broken" at the wrist (e.g."Balanchine arms"), there are deep pliés to accentuate the jumps and preparation and arabesque positions tend to be uneven. For example in other systems, pirouettes are done starting from a fourth position in a deep plié, with weight distributed in both legs. Here, all the weight goes into the supporting leg, with the working leg stretched out as in a lunge. In the arabesque, an open hip towards the audience is preferred, with very dramatic arms:

The position of the body and arms is then used to give the illusion of having a longer arabesque line. It is said that Balanchine took all this ideas from Jazz and that this kind of movements naturally suited those with long limbs. He also had specific ideas as to partnering, favouring a more dynamical role to the male dancer in pas de deux.

In short, Balanchine taught his dancers to make use of more space on stage through length and speed, and this tradition has continued not only in NYCB but in other companies with direct links to Balanchine such as Miami City Ballet and Pacific Northwest Ballet.

To better understand his stylistic approach, let's compare the following photographs of NYCB and the Royal Ballet in Jerome Robbins' Dances at a Gathering.

First we have NYCB (from left, Yvonne Borree, Rachel Rutherford, and Abi Stafford). Notice how the arms and the torsos are held.

And a photo of three Royal Ballet principals in the same pose (from left, Alina Cojocaru, Tamara Rojo and Sarah Lamb). See how Tamara's and Sarah's torsos are inclined to soften the position, and of course, the arms.

There is clear difference in how the dancers hold their arms and their upper bodies. The look feels more contemporary in the first picture, while it is much softer in the second. The overall effect can be better understood when looking at live performances, but we think these examples give the general idea.

Inversely, there is an ongoing debate amongst critics as to how Balanchine dancers fare when performing the classical repertoire given that the natural lines of their bodies are dramatically different as demonstrated in the above pictures. What is undeniable is that Balanchine was a dance revolutionary and innovator, with a heightened sense of aesthetics and that he brought a bag of new ideas into ballet.

Famous Balanchine Ballets we Love:

Serenade, Symphony in C, Jewels, Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, The Four Temperaments, Apollo, The Prodigal Son, Theme and Variations.

1. International Dictionary of Ballet. St. James Press, 1993.
2. Wikipedia entry on Balanchine Method.
3. The George Balanchine Foundation [link]
4. George Balanchine: The Ballet Maker by Robert Gottlieb (2004). Harper Collins. ISBN 0060750707.
5. Keeping the Balanchine Legacy. Interview with Edward Villella by Elinor Rogosin for Dance Universe. [link]
6. On Balanchine Technique by Suki Schorer (1999). Knop. ISBN 0679450602.

Just over a year ago I was sitting at the Alina Cojocaru gala at the QEH with my jaw wide open: there were four Basilios (Johan Kobborg, Marian Walter, Daniel Ulbricht and Sergei Polunin) plus 2 Kitris (Alina Cojocaru and Roberta Marquez) taking turns in the Don Quixote variations. Whilst the four men spun simultaneous tours a la seconde (turns with one of the legs open and stretched on the side) I thought: how could this ever be topped as a gala party piece?

Cue "Les Lutins", a new choreography by Johan Kobborg for the "Royal Ballet at the Linbury Studio" series. it matches virtuoso dancers to virtuosic violin pieces (including "La Ronde des Lutins") and the result is a burst of dance that I haven't seen since Ethan Stiefel danced off Sascha Radetsky in Center Stage. It starts with Steven McRae putting his tap dancing skills to good use and as the violin plays faster his Vaudevillian dance turns into a crescendo of dizzying pirouettes, leaps, grand battements, think every bravura step and then some. Brief pause. Now Polunin arrives also dressed in Vaudeville style suspenders and tie (minus cane) to raise the stakes, he shows Steven some of his own tricks, double tours en l'air (or were those triples?) but he is matched and more is thrown into the mix, both trying to impress cute girl Cojocaru who obviously chooses... the violinist! Delicious!

This piece is reason enough to book a ticket for the Linbury (you should hurry, there are only 2 more performances) but the whole evening is great fun. There are quirky pieces such as the one created by Kristen McNally ("Yes we did...") about Obama fever pitch where the dancers move firmly and anxiously, as if fueled by coffee, "trying to change the course of history". I loved Thomas Whitehead's techie geek, typing away at an invisible computer (I can't recall ever having seen "computer mime" in ballet before) and I think I might even have preferred this piece to brand new "Sensorium" over the main stage. It was daringly different, it was fun and as the programme notes "If you don't try you'll never know".

Many of the other works seem influenced by resident choreographer Wayne McGregor and all the better for it because this hints at a validation of his own style within the company (I can't be neutral on this topic, I love McGregor's work). The evening closes with the most eloquent choreography, "Consolations and Liebestraum" by Liam Scarlett, set to Franz Liszt's namesake piano pieces it shows strained relationships between men and women, some of which are fixable and some of which are doomed. The work is very stylish, the cast is fabulous (Laura Morera, Ricardo Cervera...), especially Tamara Rojo and Bennet Gartside who dance a passionate and moving Pas de Deux. We can't wait to see Liam Scarlett's piece for the main stage next season. Ah, and "Les Lutins" at the next Alina/Johan gala of course!

Here are some of the treats we will be bagging:

October

Mayerling (Royal Ballet)

MacMillan's gritty and sleazy classic will be back with solid casts - Ed Watson & Mara Galeazzi, Johan Kobborg & ? (since Alina's online diary indicates she might not be dancing this, we'd love to see Leanne Benjamin) as well as some interesting debuts for Rupert Pennefather & Melissa Hamilton, Thiago Soares & Lauren Cuthbertson.

In the Spirit of Diaghilev (Sadler's Wells)

Choreographers Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui / Javier De Frutos / Russell Maliphant & Wayne McGregor set about breaking new choreographic ground whilst paying homage to 100 year old Ballets Russes.

Morphoses (Sadler's Wells)

Christopher Wheeldon joins in the Diaghilev fun with a special Ballets Russes selection of his own. We are thrilled to see Ed Watson (officially the busiest Royal Ballet dancer in the 2008/2009 season and going for another record, lucky we!), Wendy Whelan and young Beatriz Stix-Brunell still with Morphoses for this new season.

November

Agon/Sphinx/New McGregor (Royal Ballet)

The first - and very edgy looking - triple bill of the season provides the opportunity to see the dream team of Cojocaru, McRae and Polunin again in a new production of Glen Tetley's Sphinx. Along with a new McGregor. We can't wait.

December

Carlos Acosta (Sadler's Wells)

The bravura boss will be back at the Wells to perform Balanchine’s Apollo plus Jerome Robbins’ A Suite of Dances and Afternoon of a Faun. We think Sadler's has gone a little "Ballets Russes PR happy" in comparing the man (albeit indirectly) to Nijinsky, but we forgive them: seeing Apollo in the programme is more than enough to lure us in.

The Nutcracker (Royal Ballet)

These days The Nutcracker is the most regular staple in the RB's repertoire (I guess it's trying to play catch with those 940+ Swan Lakes) but who can resist when high flyer Sergei Polunin is one of the princes? Plus, given that I can't be bothered with yuletide decorations this is my only chance of seeing a proper Christmas tree.

For more information, refer to the official press releases by The Royal Ballet and Sadler's Wells:

The Royal Ballet 2009/2010 Season

1. Croisé Devant
2. Quatrième Devant
3. Effacé Devant
4. à la Seconde
5. Croisé Derriere
6. Ecarté
7. Epaulé
8. Quatrième Derrière

Devant: To the front Derrière: To the back (close to the rear) Croisé: Crossed alignment Seconde: To the second position (lateral) Ècarté: Separated or thrown wide apart Effacé: Shaded Epaulé: Shouldered (so when people talk about épaulement, they really are referring to the position of the upper body starting from the shoulders and the upper back)

Now one creates positions mixing the different components. Let us explain them carefully

Standing at an oblique angle to the audience (facing a corner), the leg nearer to the audience is the working leg and is extended in fourth position, pointing on tendú (=stretched) to the front. The arms are placed in (open) fourth position, such that the lower arm is on the same side as the extended leg.

Facing the audience, the working leg is extended to fourth position, pointing on tendú to the front, with the arms in second position (open) and the head facing the audience.

Standing at an oblique angle to the audience (facing a corner), such as that part of the body is hidden. The leg further from the audience becomes the working leg and is extended in fourth position, pointing on tendú to the front. The arms are placed in (open) fourth position such that the lower arm is on the same side as the extended leg.

Facing the audience, the working leg is extended to second position, pointing on tendú to the side, with the arms in second position (open) and the head facing the audience. It is also referred as à la seconde en face.

Standing at an oblique angle to the audience (facing a corner). The leg further from the audience becomes the working leg and is extended in fourth position, pointing on tendú to the back. The arms are placed in (open) fourth position such that the lower arm is on the same side as the extended leg.

Facing any corner, the leg nearer to the audience becomes the working leg and is extended in second position, pointing on tendú to the side. The arms are in (open) fourth position so the highest arm is on the same side as the extended leg. The head is raised slighlty and turned toward the raised arm, so the eyes look into the hand.

Standing at an oblique angle to the audience, the dancer stands in arabesque facing one of the corners (the working leg is the one closest to the audience and is extended to the back in fourth position). The arm closest to the audience is extended forward, and the head is inclined and turned towards the audience.

Facing the audience, the working leg is extended to fourth position, pointing on tendú to the back, with the arms in second position (open) and the head facing the audience.

All these positions can also be done with the working leg en l'air (extended without touching the floor). And since these explanations might seem a bit confusing for the inexperienced, here are some drawings exemplifying the above descriptions:

Further Information: Technical Manual and Dictionary of Classical Ballet by Gail Grant. BN Publishing. ISBN 1607960311.

Kenneth MacMillan's Manon is a modern classic, loved by the audience and regularly performed by every major ballet company in the world. The success of this piece is a testament to full-length narrative ballet's capacity to survive in a prominently abstract dance age and to attract new audiences, because let's face it, love stories are always appealing.

As in every MacMillan ballet, acting is a key element in Manon and it is not only through the choreographic phrases  (ie. the blend of steps) that the audience is drawn into the story but also via the dramatic input of its interpreters, the gestures, the costumes and the interactions with the members of the corps.

Despite availability on DVD of an older version (with Jennifer Penney and Anthony Dowell as Manon and Des Grieux) The Royal Ballet chose to record and broadcast a couple of weeks ago a more recent performance of Manon with Tamara Rojo and Carlos Acosta in the main roles. It's been quite a good run for both of them, since they have featured on almost every publicity spread this season. Furthermore, thanks in part to his own contract with Decca, Carlos has been captured on various DVD's and TV broadcasts since last year. With both dancers at the pinnacle of their careers, one can expect great performances.

I've seen Manon played in different ways. Manon as a naive girl, easily manipulated by her brother Lescaut and lured by the promise of a better life, so that when she falls in love, she is in constant struggle with her feelings. Or Manon completely assured and conscious of her power, which she uses to its full extent in order to survive, teasing Des Grieux and playing with him as if he were an object, only later realising she has fallen in love with him. Tamara Rojo's Manon seems to blend parts of both archetypes in her interpretation but the whole is, in my opinion, slightly confusing.

In terms of technique, Tamara brings her A-game into the role. Her dancing is lush and her musicality is overpowering. There are very few dancers who possess the ability of doting with intention every single note in the music. The position of her body, hands and head ever changing with the music, the steps linking in the choreography. Tamara also knows when to place extra physical stretches to end a choreographic phrase and her use of extensions is well judged, which is a real gift in these days of extreme extension abuse. However, the only part where I find fault (even when if small) is on the acting.

Somehow I don't fully understand this Manon's character. It seems that she enjoys the luxury and the life Monsieur GM can provide. So it is not only due to Lescaut's will that she decides to trade Des Grieux for the wealthy Monsieur (I really don't sense any manipulation from Lescaut here and there is no hesitation on her part either). Which means she can't possibly love Des Grieux at this point, whilst the various pas de deux with him, mainly the first one, suggest otherwise: we see Manon completely besotted.

Is it really that Manon enjoys the attention she gets from these men thus everything becomes complicated by the fact that she develops feelings for Des Grieux? Are we looking at a girl who is trying to survive, completely dependent on her own charms or are we looking at a girl who is just passed around without any will of her own, whose only truth is her love for Des Grieux? I don't think Tamara is playing the naive girl card, but in her portrayal, Manon's intentions are only clear to me in the last act where she is the impotent woman trying to cling to the only thing left (Des Grieux), having lost everything else. It is here where Tamara is at her best. The interpretation and execution are flawless and one can really connect to the pain, sadness and regret that Manon is feeling.

Carlos Acosta gives us a fine Des Grieux, even if there are plenty other roles that suit him better. There are some flashes of super-Acosta, particularly in those pirouettes and he is definitely a good partner for Tamara. While I was convinced by his straightforward Des Grieux - very much a man in love - let's just say drama is not Acosta's forte. I've seen and enjoyed more complex portrayals and here I particularly recall the Kobborg/Benjamin Manon from the same run last autumn. Not only did Kobborg give a flawless execution, he also showed why he is currently the best dancer/actor in the company.

This production also features a strong supporting cast: Laura Morera is fantastic as Lescaut's mistress, in a role that suits her perfectly and Jose Martín an efficient Lescaut, both showing good comic timing in the "drunken pas de deux". Paul Kay brings his showmanship skills as the beggar chief.

This review is based on the BBC4 broadcast of The Royal Ballet's Manon, recorded during its 2008-2009 season.

Giselle belongs to the team of ballets we could watch over and over again: short & sweet (2 acts), few character dances  (as compared to Sleeping Beauty or Swan Lake), an engaging Romantic story blended with wonderful  vintage choreography.

And it's a real treat to be able to cherry pick so many great pairings in this current run at The Royal Ballet. In fact it was so difficult to narrow down choices that we ended up seeing a whopping 6 out of 8 pairings. We don't do that very often.

But which did we like best? As it turned out, each of these couples offered something interesting in terms of chemistry or interpretive choice, allowing us to see this classic again and again with fresh eyes.  So even though we cannot love all performances in equal measure (no prizes for singling out our favorites below!), we found lots to notice and to enjoy in each pair:

Happy and Bleeding*

Marianela Nuñez & Carlos Acosta

Marianela's first ever Giselle was just the thing for those who need a multi-tasking ballerina: equally perfect turns, jumps and balances. Marianela’s supernatural technical abilities jump out from the first long held attitude, spanning from incredibly musical hops on pointe in Act 1 (during Giselle's trademark variation) to perfectly still balances and monster jetés in Act 2. All this without a hint of strain, it was hard to believe she had not danced the role before. Carlos offers an assured yet subtle Albrecht, whilst we tend to prefer them more passionate. But the issue for us was Marianela’s portrayal of Giselle as a happy girl with a kilometric smile. We wondered: why would such a contented, sunny creature go mad or want to stab herself?

The Desperate Kingdom of Love*

Tamara Rojo & Rupert Pennefather

Tamara Rojo’s dramatic intelligence is evident from the way she frames her believable Giselle: a shy, frail girl discovering the lure and danger of love. It seems as if this Giselle suspects Albrecht might be “too good to be true” and when her instincts prove her right, her emotional fragility takes over. We thought Pennefather, debuting as Albrecht, was a very good match for Rojo, he belongs to the team of "dreamer Albrechts" who love Giselle and are torn between desire and the need to observe social boundaries. His solid technique  elegantly got him through act 2. Rojo’s own dancing was magical, particularly in Giselle’s variation where she substituted the usual piqué turns with a fiendish sequence of pirouettes en dedans & en dehors (watch Tamara do this at 2:02 in this amateur video). Oh and those lush balances were - literally - to die for.

The Darker Days of Me and Him*

Leanne Benjamin & Edward Watson

Leanne and Ed's Giselle was always going to be the most markedly different. Both draw on their strong dramatic skills rather than technical feats to portray an almost Victorian-Gothic tale, think meek Jane Eyre spellbound by domineering Mr. Rochester. Watson is a seductive Albrecht, very aware of the powerful grasp he has on Giselle, who on the other hand knows her place and is self-conscious of her humble background (especially in the scenes with Bathilde, watch how Benjamin argues the case  for dancing over a taste for fine clothes). Giselle's mad scene is anger with hints of hurt pride.

Sharp contrasts between the two acts are used to bring their characterizations full circle - if in the first an imperious, proud Albrecht is calling the shots, in the second he learns a lesson in humility, with no choice but submit to Myrtha's command and to the redeeming powers of ghost-like Giselle. Personal imprints are also woven into the drama - Albrecht, arriving at Giselle’s grave, is instantly aware of the “supernatural”. Watson lowers his working leg to the ground, shaping a long yearning line (his forte) which he slowly draws up, as if willing Giselle to rise out of her grave - There is a continuous flow of dancing from Benjamin in Act 2, she hovers musically throughout and seems to dissolve to Albrecht's touch like the dried ice onstage. Like Cojocaru & Kobborg’s, here's another Giselle crafted with alchemy. Fascinating.

We Float*

Lauren Cuthbertson & Rupert Pennefather

Our last Giselle was the lovely Lauren Cuthbertson, another debutante. She created a Romantic, innocent Giselle, showing the full dimension of her heartbreak in the mad scene. Rupert seemed on even better physical form in this fourth performance (2 with Rojo & 2 with Cuthbertson), with more elevation, adding more entrechats and extra finishing touches to his solos. Albrecht is a role which seems to showcase his full potential as an elegant danseur. Lauren's best dancing, after a more technically restrained Act 1, came when she is initiated as a Wili: spinning beautiful attitude turns on Myrtha's (Laura McCulloch, our favourite Queen Wili of the run) command to "fly" and floating on a cloud of dance with her light jetés, just like she does when she dances in Balanchine's Serenade. Albrecht was swooning, love was in the air.

See also our 2 previous reviews:

Leanne Benjamin & Johan Kobborg reviewed here

Alina Cojocaru & Johan Kobborg reviewed here

*One singer fits all: In keeping with our editorial choice of using rock songs to illustrate ballet and its many moods, indie music lovers will note we have assigned to each of these Giselle pairings a different song by Brooding-queen PJ Harvey.

Skip if: You do not fancy abstract, plotless ballets. Though that would be your loss, between Emeralds, Rubies & Diamonds there might be at least one rock that is right for you!

Jewels is said to be the first full-length abstract ballet, although in reality its three acts, while sharing a common theme of gemstones (as represented in the costumes), are independent from each other, with music by different composers and choreographed in various styles. There are also several versions of the story as to how Balanchine came up with the inspiration for Jewels: according to one, jeweler Claude Arpels would have suggested it after inviting Balanchine to his showroom. In another, the idea came when Balanchine was trying to buy a ring for his muse & beloved Suzanne Farrell.

Despite having claimed that the ballet had nothing to do with actual jewels, Balanchine did evoke the colour and glitter of jewels in dancing - watch for the elaborate floor patterns and shaping of groups, reminiscent of necklaces and chains - and on the dancers themselves. For this, Barbara Karinska, his long time collaborator, created distinct, matching looks for each section of the ballet. The costumes were also designed so that the dancers could move freely, to meet the demands of Balanchine's choreography.

Given that most of the glitter would come from the reproduction of the stone colours and their shine in the costuming and dancing, the settings were left bare with only minimal jewels reflecting the light. Perhaps for this reason, ballet companies around the world have certain artistic freedom when choosing stage settings for Jewels, whilst the costumes have to remain 100% true to Karinska's original creations. The Royal Ballet's staging for instance has set designs specifically created by London based Jean-Marc Puissant.

Emeralds

The opening piece, Emeralds, is set to music by Gabriel Fauré. This is Balanchine's ode to Romantic ballets, which is hinted at not only in the long (aka Romantic) tutus but also in the choreography: fluid, wafting and delicate, full of floating bourrées, Giselle-like balances and sinuous steps. It evokes 19th century Paris and French ballerinas of that era. Composed of a small corps of ballet of ten women, three soloists and two leading couples, the piece starts with an opening Pas de Deux from the first couple, two solo variations for the ballerinas, a vivid Pas de Trois (one of the highlights of Emeralds), a Pas de Deux for the second leading couple and an ensemble finale.

Rubies

If Emeralds is about 19th century Romantic Paris, Rubies brings us nearer to 1930's jazzy America, thanks to Igor Stravinsky's extremely energetic and syncopated "Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra". Here the girls' costumes are short, "Ballet-on-Broadway" looking skirts. The choreography attempts to display all the different twists in the music, so one sees angular shapes, high extensions, jutting hips, flexed feet and more. Due to its "wow factor" Rubies has been the most successful of the three sections and can be seen staged on its own in certain occasions. Dancers usually compare performing in Rubies to running a marathon, given the stamina required. The ballet involves a leading couple, together with a female soloist and a corps of eight women and four men. After an opening  introducing the dancers, a solo role for a tall typical-Balanchine ballerina, we see a very sparkly Pas de Deux for the leading couple and a real marathon of a finale  where the dancers prance and chase each other, like "running horses", full of fun, energy and intensity.

Diamonds

This final section is Balanchine's homage to both his grand ballerina Suzanne Farrell and to Russian balletic tradition, in all its choreographic nods to the Imperial Russian Ballet schooling and to Petipa's classical masterpieces. Unsurprisingly, Balanchine chose a Russian score (Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 3) and dressed his ballerinas in wonderful classical white tutus. The ballet opens with a waltz for a corps de ballet of twelve women and two soloists. The next movement is a remarkably regal Pas de Deux for the principal couple, structured in the classical way with an extended adagio and variations - think Sleeping Beauty, Raymonda, Swan Lake and La Bayadere all rolled into one - followed by an even more spectacular final polonaise (a crowd-pleasing, applause-generator essentially), in which all the dancers return to the stage forming intricate swirling patterns, as if replicating Diamond chains in their dancing.

In short, even though Jewels has no underlying story and may look on paper like detached sections unified by the overall "gemstone" theme, on stage the mix of dancing styles and music honours ballet's roots and wraps up mood, excitement and drama in one dazzling, vibrant package.

1. Wikipedia entry for Jewels
2. Ballet Notes from BalletMet Colombus by Jeannine Potter [link]
3. The Balanchine Trust
4. The Balanchine Foundation
5. Patricia Neary speaks for the ROH Podcast. Available to download free from iTunes.
6. How brightly shining? Jewels review by John Percival at danceviewtimes [link]

Les Sylphides started with Chopin's Prelude in A (op 28) sounding wonderful, even if  a tad too slow in tempo. The curtains opened to show beautiful sylphs in pristine white Romantic tutus, standing in perfect poses. The cast was full of replacements: Johan Kobborg instead of Federico Bonelli as the Poet, Yuhui Choe instead of Alina Cojocaru and Helen Crawford replacing an indisposed Lauren Cuthbertson, as announced just before curtain up, so only one (Laura Morera) out of three sylphs had been originally cast. But all these cast changes did not detract and if Les Sylphides is supposed to evoke mood and display the beauty of dancing, I can happily report it did, thanks to Yuhui Choe and her sheer virtuosity: she was ethereal, vaporous and light. Her bourrées barely skimming the floor and her arms full of delicacy; her balances lasting for all eternity and her jumps with landings so soft that one could think she was floating. Yuhui's artistry was so distinctive that when Laura Morera came in to dance the waltz, the jumps felt a bit heavy, the arms not delicate enough (although Laura's innate musicality was evident in the phrasing of the steps. I still think of her as more of an allegro dancer). Helen Crawford was a slightly better fit for the Mazurka, but she still looked more like a maiden dressed as a fairy rather than a real spirit of the woods.

The corps de ballet were in great shape and although one would wish for a bigger display of ethereal qualities, which sometimes depend not that much on the dancing but on the dancer, every gesture and movement was precisely timed and positioned into the succession of dances. As the poet, Johan Kobborg gave a decent performance, his cabriolés a delight (pure Bournonville goodness), but I felt this was not a role he relishes and in all honesty it does not play to his strengths.

One thing that bothered me in Les Sylphides more than the slow tempo (for at times the music did speed up) was the strong lighting which prevented us from  experiencing the eeriness of Benois' design of ruins in a dark forest. I longed for a darker stage with only the light on the white of the tutus (a suggestion of moonlight) allowing for a glimpse of the ruins and the surrounding trees.

Next in the programme was Alastair Marriott's Sensorium, a strikingly contrasting work, even though the inspiration behind it somehow resembles that of Les Sylphides. Marriott wanted to give a choreographic response to Debussy's preludes in the same way that Les Sylphides is Fokine's response to Chopin's orchestral suite. As I wasn't aware of which particular preludes were going to be used in performance, I decided to just try and make the "sensory associations" that Marriott wants from his audience.

In a midst of extensions, contortions and twists against a backdrop of salmons, blues and nudes, there were moments in Sensorium in which the choreography suggested images of wind, sea and sand. In particular, there were two pas de deux, the first with Rupert Pennefather and Alexandra Ansanelli (who is retiring at the end of this season) and the second with Thomas Whitehead and Leanne Benjamin. Both were well matched pairs, with Rupert faring quite well in a non-danseur noble role supported by the gorgeousness of Alexandra's extensions. Leanne and Thomas presented more of a passionate "twisting and turning" pas de deux that was very enjoyable and contained some classical steps amidst the unusual shapes. The last prelude incorporated all the dancers and had the main couples surrounded by blue bodies moving as if they were waves in the sea (in something that resembled yoga's downward dogs!), the peach background evoking a windy sunset. This was probably my favourite "sensation" from Marriott's choreography. The downside is that nothing in the ballet is particularly memorable (with the exception of Colin Matthews' Debussy's orchestrations) so I see this ballet being probably revived a couple of times before fading away.

I did not have high expectations for the last piece with Roberta Marquez cast as "The Firebird" as she does not rate very high on my personal board of favourite dancers. However, not only did she prove worthy of her principal dancer status, she was literally on fire: her jumps were athletic (quite a big jumper she is!), her turns were flashing. Her hands expressive and her gestures spot on at all times. Trapped by Ivan Tsarevich, you could see the Firebird's surprise and despair on her wings, how she tried to free herself. In fact, Marquez and the ever awesome Gary Avis as the Immortal Kostcheï were the highlights of the performance. First Soloist Valeri Hristov danced the part of Ivan, a bland role that doesn't require much from the male dancer, so it is hard for me to evaluate him. The corps and members of the Royal Ballet School were good as the various creatures in the final scenes and the designs and costumes are something to be admired on their own. However, it occurred to me that this piece would be better placed with other narrative ballets rather than abstract pieces, given that it's so rich in mime and huge dramatic ensemble scenes.

All in all, in this Triple Bill the Royal Ballet came up with a good display of dancing which more than honours the memory of Diaghilev: variety of styles, great dancers and music, which makes it great for newcomers: my friend loved Les Sylphides and was mesmerized by the images it created. She also found Sensorium to be interesting and contrasting. However, she felt let down by the Firebird, in the sense that she was not expecting so much theatricality to be served up last, after the abstractions of the previous pieces. For me, that summed up what a good triple bill should be about, a treat for everyone. For me? This triple bill was certainly not perfect, but it had its moments.

Click on links to read about different ballets, their backgrounds & stories:

• Agon
• The Firebird
• Jewels
• Mayerling
• The Nutcracker
• Ondine
• Les Patineurs
• Romeo and Juliet
• The Sleeping Beauty
• Sphinx
• Les Sylphides
• Wayne McGregor's works for the Royal Ballet

In this compelling article dance critic Alastair Macaulay examines what drives the archetypal “heroine of the water”, her allure, her psychological connotations. I recommend it as essential reading not only to those thinking about catching the last few performances of Ondine this week but also to any Swan Lake devotees.

In La Motte Fouqué's Undine, the short novella from which Ashton’s ballet Ondine derives, we have, as Macaulay puts it, “a Romantic hero (originally named Huldebrand) for whom this world is not enough: he has a human fiancée but he finds what he craves in the affections of Undine, a water nymph "who lacks a soul”. In a nutshell, it's our human condition: we want to escape from a dreary, routine existence but at the same time do we know what we are getting ourselves into, why and how do we dare pursue the unattainable? And if we get what we want, how do we deal with it?

Plot-wise, Ondine is not unlike another Romantic ballet gem, La Sylphide, where we also have a tragic male hero (James) forever divided between desire (the Sylph) and reason (Effie). But I feel Ondine needs a bigger degree of engagement and scratching beneath its surface so that we can better understand who Ondine and Palemon are, what they seek and what the choreography and the constant stream of music say of these and other characters. In short, Ondine is not as easy on the eye (or the ears, I overheard a ballet goer comment yesterday "well, it's not music you can lose yourself in, is it?") as La Sylphide or Giselle and I don’t think I would have liked it a couple of years ago so well as I do now, three performances and a considerable amount of background reading later.

On two previous sittings last winter I saw Edward Watson’s quintessential Palemon matched with the sublime Tamara Rojo, a very dense waterfall of an Ondine. This luxury cast, I fear, raised the bar so impossibly high that I now find Miyako Yoshida’s reading to be a little too basic, lacking in drama. She speaks more through her dancing - moving fast and mischievously with dainty steps, quick jumps, lush backbends, forever trying to slip away - than through facial expressions. However, her choice of a more polite interpretation also works alongside Edward Watson’s very intense Palemon - in a reading that is almost MacMillanesque, well suited to choreography which would perhaps have influenced MacMillan's own creations later - because it fully emphasizes the contrast between their two worlds: one pure as water, where Ondine will surely not toy with Palemon's feelings as Berta does, but one which is also devoid of soul and personality (with the exception of the domineering and revengeful Lord of the Sea, Tirrenio, danced with outrageous precision by Ricardo Cervera), the other world, where Palemon would naturally belong, is for him even more mysterious, full of emotion and heart, as hot blooded as the red scarf with which Berta wraps herself when she sees Ondine lost to the sea and thinks Palemon will be fully hers again.

But will he? In the final act of the ballet we see him married to mortal Berta but pining over his lost Ondine. How I wish Ashton had given Palemon a few extra minutes of solo dancing, for throughout the ballet but especially here Watson’s steps express his frustration with settling into a normal life, while haunted by hallucinations of Ondine: he whips up furious turns evoking the trauma of the seastorm caused by Tirrenio, he beats and shimmers his legs. Ashton’s choreography & Watson’s execution are impassioned, no wonder it’s this heart that Ondine covets.

All dance steps stem naturally from the alignment and position of the body, so it is not that the dancer will stop in effacé devant, for some seconds, as they might do in class and then proceed with a particular step. That would turn a solo/variation into an assortment of poses or, to borrow from Clement Crisp's description of a very slow paced adagio, a "game of statues." But even with the dancer's body in constant flow during a variation, one can still try and identify the key positions adopted. This is actually a fun exercise (at least for us!), as we demonstrate below.

We have taken two video fragments, both featuring Royal Ballet dancers: one from the Lilac Fairy variation (The Sleeping Beauty, Prologue) as danced by the joyous Marianela Nuñez, and another from Giselle (Act II), danced by the ethereal Alina Cojocaru†. We have pasted them together and tagged the positions in parts where we think they can be clearly spotted, so lookout for six of those eight positions previously described.

Note that while the diagrams in our post had dancers executing the positions from the leg tendu a terre ("stretched" on the ground), Marianela and Alina are getting into their positions with the leg en l'air (lifted working leg).

Last Sunday I attended the "Tribute to Diaghilev", a gala in celebration of  100 years of Ballets Russes and of its visionary mastermind, Sergei Diaghilev. The event brought together many stars of the Mariinsky, Paris Opera Ballet, English National Ballet and Royal Ballet, dancing extracts of vintage pieces made or inspired by Ballet Russes choreographers such as Fokine, Nijinska, Massine and Balanchine along with Russian-bred ballets evoking those that Diaghilev would have disseminated to Western audiences at the time (abridged versions of Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, etc.). It is difficult to imagine how the ballet scene would be today without Diaghilev and his determination, through which a new breed of dancers and choreographers flourished  and established some of today's best Companies, so it is fitting that dancers and audiences pay tribute to his work.

Before I go onto the programme, a brief comment on galas. Noticing the lack of scenery and props, I wonder how hard it is then for the dancers to get into character in such events, especially in more narrative pieces. Without the props the dancing really becomes the focus, which partly explains why Balanchine favoured bare settings in his works. The second thing is that galas are precisely the occasion for star dancers to "show off their chops", with no fear of being branded too showy. One expects great performances and that's why Grand Pas de Deux, especially those requiring a sequence of 32 fouettées for the ballerina are standard. Sometimes I think there must be a rule out there stating that no gala should be without one.

With Fokine's pieces taking centre stage, the opening number was the Schéhérezade pas de deux with Mariinsky's Ulyana Lopatkina and Igor Zelensky (replacing Farukh Ruzimatov). For those of you not familiar with this ballet, the  story involves Zobeide, her slave lover, her betrayal of jealous King Shahriar who plots to expose his favorite odalisque, leading to the tragic demise of her lover. Zobeide kills herself and the ballet ends with the King raising his arms in despair, realising he'd rather trade his pride for having Zobeide back. The pas de deux between the slave and Zobeide was marvelously danced by Ulyana, stretching her long limbs in ways that are almost impossible to believe, but always keeping classical alignment (attitudes and developpés galore). Igor Zelensky was a formidable partner, and the connection between both dancers was evident from the way their movements mirrored each other. The choreography, which is all about passion and sensuality, might in the wrong hands look as  pure contortionism, but here it was rendered to great effect no doubt due to such amazing (and experienced) dancers.  On a side note, the costumes were so detailed and rich that one can only imagine how the full production would look like.

The next piece was Ashton's Daphnis and Chloe (video link), included as a nod to Fokine's older, discarded version using the same Ravel score, and danced by Birmingham Royal Ballet's Natasha Oughtred (in lieu of Alina Cojocaru, in a last minute cast change) and Federico Bonelli, back from injury and in good shape. Though Ashton's very distinctive choreography shined, somehow it also clashed with the programme's strong emphasis on Fokine. The dancing was solid with Natasha showing her mastery of Ashton's fast paced footwork including some  impressive hops on pointe, but I didn't get emotionally involved in the performance, which might indicate that either this piece is not adequate for a gala setting or that Alina's withhdrawal at short notice left these dancers little time to work together.

Petrushka followed, with ENB's Dmitri Gruzdyev playing the puppet with feelings who falls for a ballerina. But the fragment was so short and the setting so bare there was not enough time to register and those unfamiliar with the story might have been left scratching their heads. Thankfully this didn't happen with Ashton's La Chatte, which was fantastically danced by Alexandra Ansanelli (whom we miss already). The Diaghilev connection to this ballet, based on the Aesop fable of cat's metamorphosis into woman & back into cat (upon encounter with mouse), comes from Balanchine's own 1927 version for the Ballets Russes. Alexandra's portrayal, both funny and impecable dancing-wise and the feeling that she seemed to be enjoying herself so much as to make most people in the audience wonder why she is retiring from dance, added to the fact that she actually meow-ed when the mechanical mouse made its climatic appearance at the very end made this piece one of the evening's highlights.

The second act pas de deux from Giselle, conveniently marked as "arranged by Fokine" to secure its place in the gala, was danced by Paris Opera Ballet's recently promoted wunderkind Mathias Heymann (a 21 year old principal!) and young soloist Mathilde Froustey. They looked the part as Albrecht and Giselle (she has a beautiful oval shaped face with dark tresses) with all the right lines and très français Romantic air. There were some technical glitches, her promenade in arabesque wobbly everywhere, his tours en l'air (granted those are hard!) sloppy. This disappointed me, for as hard as it is for dancers to pull off these moody pieces in a gala setting, given the crème de la crème of dancing present, one does expect to see something close to flawless. More so in a "bread and butter" piece such as Giselle. They had brilliant technical moments: Mathilde's jumps (soubresauts & entrechats) reached great heights and soft landings, while Mathias's diagonal of cabriolés was outstanding (such height!). But with all due allowances, including  an extra for nerves (young dancers having to share the spotlight with such established stars as Lopatkina, Zelensky, etc.), I could not find the emotion in the performance. It fell on me that Giselle is really a role for more experienced dancers, or at least they are the ones I tend to enjoy the most in this ballet.

The low point of the gala came with Tamar, a ballet about a cruel Queen "who lures passers by to her bed and their death", danced by Mariinsky's Irma Nioradze and Ilya Kuznetsov. I cannot list all the wrongs with this piece in one post, but for starters the music was recorded (no explanation given), the costumes were awful (hers a sparkly leopard print catsuit), and the choreography, which was presented as Julius Smoriginas version of the ballet, just looked like a mixture of half-steps and nothing else. To the offending list one must also add Irma's distractingly noisy shoes.

The first act ended with Fokine's Le Spectre de la Rose, danced by the darling Yevgenia Obraztsova and Dmitri Gudanov. The story is very simple: a debutante who falls asleep after her first ball and dreams about dancing with the rose she has just received, until it escapes through the window. Here some soaring jetés and pirouettes en attitude thrown in by Gudanov, but Yevgenia not having much to do but waltz and smile prettily (it is not difficult to like her!). I am partial to other interpretations of this piece and dislike the male dancer's pink wig, so I didn't rate it as highly as other numbers in the gala. For those in the "pointe shoe watch", here was the only time I thanked the ballet Gods for Gaynors as they were mute compared to Irma's shoes, even if they didn't look very nice in Yevgenia's feet.

After the interval we got Balanchine's Apollo (his oldest surviving ballet) with NYCB's Maria Kowroski as Terpsichore and Igor Zelensky (formerly with NYCB) as Apollo. The performance was flawless with Maria commanding the stage and making use of her long lines (so distinctive to see a Balanchine trained dancer against the more conventionally classical crowd) and Zelensky looking very god-like. My favourite part was when Maria was stretched across Igor's back, arms wide open, it could have happily lasted for a decade.

A replay of last week Les Sylphides sans corps de ballet, came via Tamara Rojo and David Makhateli. Those of us who attended the Royal Ballet's recent triple bill, had the opportunity to see the waltz played at a more appropriate tempo (Valeriy Ovsyanikov did the honours, with the Orchestra of the ENB). This piece suffers without the surrounding sylphs in perfect poses, but Tamara showed lightness, technical prowess (her balance as the music ends lasted forever) and a had a good rapport with Makhateli. Then Dmitri Gudanov re-appeared to dance an extract of Léonide Massine's Le Tricorne (a good background article here) which captures its Spanish shades in the score and in colourful designs by that little known artist, Picasso. Gudanov managed to somehow deliver a bit of drama and stage presence against the odds of a very short extract and playback music.

Another (sort of) repeat came with The Firebird, with Mariinsky designs and dancers Irma Nioradze and Ilya Kuznetsov. Despite the solid dancing, I was  severely distracted by Irma's acting. Geared up to compensate for the fact she wasn't wearing the usual "Firebird" stage makeup, her facial expressions came across as weird or even worse, (gasp!) comedic. Next, Mara Galeazzi and Bennet Gartside from the Royal Ballet in Bronislava Nijinska's (aka Nijinsky's sister) Les Biches which does 1920's chic with comedic flare in its depiction of rich people enjoying pool parties in the Mediterranean. Mara as the girl in blue, showed comfort in those bends and cooly flirted with Bennet's character. It was quite enjoyable and a good appetizer for the next sizzler: Marianela Nuñez and Thiago Soares in the mother of all classics, Swan Lake. How is it that the evening's hottest number was not an original Ballets Russes piece, you ask? Well, Swan Lake is a proven commodity. Even Diaghilev knew it. It is a masterpiece and that is why it still sells tickets and attracts audiences (for the record I am not advocating ballet Companies should do runs of 20+ Swan Lakes with not enough dancers to give it justice every night) while some of tonight's pieces have fallen out of favour since they just don't measure up to "the classics" or don't stand the test of time.  What makes a classic? Maybe one should have a good look at Swan Lake, its long enduring appeal and see what lessons future generations of choreographers can learn from it.

Back to Marianela, who was just incredible. She made Odille her own, poor Siegfried had no chance. It is amazing to witness how Marianela's artistry has grown and how fresh she looked kicking those fouettées (singles interlaced with doubles and triples). Thiago's Siegfried could only watch in awe and let himself loose into those treacherous arms. The house broke in thunderous applause and it was one of the loudest ovations I've heard recently (only Lopatkina's below was equally loud) and Thiago graciously let Marianela take centre stage since she was the showstopper here.

Following this piece was going to be hard, but fortunately the gentle Le Carnaval brought some welcome contrast to calm our hearts and minds. Yevgenia Obraztsova returned from Spectre in a similar full-skirted costume portraying a well-matched Columbine to Andrei Batalov's Harlequin. But the last real highlight and evening closer was the über famous Dying Swan. This quintessential gala piece can easily sway from over-the-top, unnecessary drama to plain corny and cliché. Not with Lopatkina. She was all fragility, beauty, sadness, elegance. The vision of what a melancholy swan should be. Her arms moved softly and her torso delicately bent over her waist really evoked the movements of a bird. The way in which the stage looked blue-ish and the spotlight barely fell over Ulyana, made the performance even more dreamlike. Judging from the crowd response she got, you would be hard-pressed to find anyone in the house not moved by her dancing.

To sum it all up, the evening was a pleasurable experience and we were treated to some great performances and exposed to rarer pieces. In any case, it was a good reminder of how much classical dance owes to Diaghilev and his Ballets Russes.

Take for instance last Monday's masterclass, the last of the 2008/2009 season as the Company will shortly embark on its summer tour. In a small dance studio we followed ballet coach Jonathan Cope rehearsing principal dancer Mara Galeazzi and soloist (& whiz kid) Sergei Polunin in the main pas de deux of Ashton’s one act classic “A Month in the Country”. Mara and Sergei will be covering the roles of Natalia Petrovna and Beliaev during the tour, having never danced them before, so the audience was given a rare chance to observe what happens when two dancers step into the studio to work on a duet for the very first time. We were told that both dancers had the choreography fresh in their minds but had not yet put what they knew into practice. The process was not unlike baking a particular cake for the very first time, having read and memorized the recipe ahead of the task. We saw a rough sketch of the duet developing before our eyes, what details of the dancing needed to be worked on, thought about, sometimes seemingly minor points of correction would help a dancer shape her/his character or improve on partnering. While Jonathan corrected the dancers he asked them to perform specific steps: a soutenu here, a promenade there, a glissade and jeté, etc., etc. Indeed, after attending a few of these events the terminology may become more and more familiar to those who haven’t come from a dance background and yet would like to know the difference between a ballotté and a ballonné.

Not all these masterclasses are routinely available for booking, in fact recent changes to procedures mean that from the next season onwards the smaller “Clore studio” masterclasses will be distributed on a rotation basis to the Friends of Covent Garden (as already is the case with the above mentioned "ballet classes"), but it’s worth keeping in mind that any masterclasses to be held at the bigger Linbury studio will still be available for public booking, so we recommend you keep an eye out for these.

The other exciting thing about masterclasses is that they are like a box of surprises. You never know exactly what you are going to see or which dancers will be rehearsing, as no specific details are provided beforehand. They do tend to follow the ballet pipeline, so if the ballet of the month is, say, Sleeping Beauty chances are that there will be a respective masterclass. But then again it might be something completely different. And even if Sleeping Beauty is on the menu, don’t expect the event will be centered on Princess Aurora or the Lilac Fairy. It could be for example, a Carabosse masterclass (see links below). But whatever or whoever the subject, it will still be great fun and you will learn loads.

Some masterclass extracts available on You Tube

Swan Lake:

Anthony Dowell and Antoinette Sibley rehearse Lauren Cuthbertson and Rupert Pennefather in the White Swan pas de deux (Act II).

The same dancers practice the Ivanov original mime sequence from Swan Lake Act II where Odette relates her swan curse to Siegfried.

The Nutcraker:

Sir Peter Wright rehearses Ludovic Ondiviela (Hans Peter) and Caroline Duprot (Clara). Spot the difference between a jeté and a coupé jeté!

Ludovic learns the mime sequence from Nutcraker, Act II.

The Sleeping Beauty:

Alina Cojocaru rehearses and discusses the challenges of the famous Rose Adagio. Johnny Cope opines, with Gary Avis and Edward Watson providing insights on partnering.

Monica Mason teaches the role of Carabosse to Gillian Revie. Great insights into ballet mime and character parts.

Anthony Dowell rehearses Carlos Acosta in Prince Florimund's adagio (Act II)

Giselle:

A vintage masterclass from the days of "Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet" (later renamed Birmingham Royal Ballet). Sir Peter Wright rehearses a very young Leanne Benjamin (Giselle) and Chenca Williams (Myrtha). Part 1 of 5.

And also:

A link to the complete masterclasses (except Giselle) available from BBC (streaming video).

The programme notes alert us to the natural associations one may draw between the ballet's name and "a formal kaleidoscope". When first approaching Jewels, it might seem that this is the case: the designs, costumes and music are all beautiful in every sense of the word, one can only stare in disbelief when the curtain opens to reveal the dancers in Emeralds. Never having seen it live before, I came to the opening performance with two missions: first to see how would I react to  each different ballet and second to try to understand how Rubies became more popular  on its own than Diamonds or Emeralds.

On the first account, it surprised me to discover that although Balanchine is a master of the abstract, with a firm purpose to make us "see the music", the possibilities of adding personal layers of interpretation to this ballet are endless. I found myself building a story for every single piece, creating characters out of the dancers' portrayals (I wished I could query the dancers as to their particular ideas and stories when learning the choreography). I also realised, after a second view, that these "stories" changed with every cast, and depended on how they personally approached their roles, who they were partnering, the chemistry, how they presented themselves, physical proportions, etc. In some ways, an abstract ballet gives more interpretive freedom to the dancers while the audience has an  opportunity to draw their own impressions from the proverbial "put a man and a woman together and you get a story".

Emeralds

The first night Emeralds brought us Tamara Rojo in the role that Violette Verdy made famous. She was partnered by Valeri Hristov replacing the "irreplaceable" (and sadly injured) Edward Watson, whom we missed deeply, since Tamara did not seem to have the same level of complicity with Valeri as she has with Edward. Tamara made use of her expressive arms and amazing acting ability to show us a young girl in love: smiley, flirty and sometimes shy, evading the looks of her suitor, running between the other Emerald ladies. Valeri was the man in love trying to conquer the object of his affection while Tamara tip-toed and twirled through her variation like a maiden who daydreams of her knight in a meadow full of flowers with a stream nearby, with added touches of butterflies and songbirds for good measure. All innocence and young love. Pure joy. Hristov's variation was ably performed, though less eloquent in Romantic imagery: up to that point, it was all about Tamara.

That is, until Leanne Benjamin appeared on stage. It is quite hard for anyone to steal Tamara's thunder, but we feel that Leanne achieved this in the way she wove so much drama into the Emeralds "Walking pas de deux". Here was a mature dancer on top of her game, giving us darkness after the sun, like an older woman saying to the world - here I am, I am still beautiful, still full of things to give, just look at me! - Piqué turns and grand battements made her vaporous tutu ethereal, and even though the movements were strong there was a sense of underlying sadness. This interpretation came full circle when a moody looking Bennet Gartside (replacing an injured Ivan Putrov) brought into the same pas de deux the feel of a mature married couple, struggling with the realisation that time is passing them by, that they are not what they used to be (suggested by the emphasis on arms and legs as clock hands). Registering every nuance of her interpretation I couldn't stop wondering why Leanne is not as popular as some of the other Royal Ballet younger ballerinas.

The Emeralds pas de trois was danced by the fantastic trio of Steven McRae, Deirdre Chapman (back from maternity leave) and Laura Morera, in what it looked to me like the "hot young guy" surrounded by two enamoured girls. Their execution was flawless and of course, Steven made ample use of this opportunity to show off his fantastic split jetés and perfect tours en l'air.

The second cast of Emeralds had Roberta Marquez and Mara Galeazzi partnered by each of Valeri Hristov (in the same role as opening night) and David Makhateli. These interpretations were a complete constrast to Tamara and Leanne's rich narratives, with Roberta a more straightforward Emerald who was just enjoying her dancing (and indeed, her smile was infectious). Personally I did not feel Emeralds was a good fit for Mara, since she didn't convey the innate romanticism in the music and air. As the two leading men were not outstanding, I took the opportunity to observe here some of the girls who are starting to stand-out from the corps (and I wished the ROH included portraits of the artists and first artists in their programmes). The highlight of this performance was the pas de Trois, in which Helen Crawford and Samantha Raine shone, accompanied by an efficient José Martín.

In both performances, the finale was well executed and the members of the corps looked sharp and well-rehearsed, all the way to the final pose where the three men, in grand reverence, stare at the horizon.

Rubies

Next stop was sizzling, fun and jazzy Rubies, or should I rename it the A&A Show after the main duo of "Alexandra Ansanelli and Carlos Acosta". For Alexandra owned the role. I wondered whether this was due to her long history with NYCB and Balanchine choreography, combined with the fact that she has been outstanding this season or  simply that she is enjoying her very last performances before retirement from dance. She played and flirted with Carlos, swaying effortlessly, charmingly and elegantly through her steps. Carlos kept up the dialogue onstage and answered every single stroke, lest he be outshined by this leading lady. They were like the couple everyone stares at on the dance floor, nothing else seemed to matter for them. Here was an amazing newly discovered chemistry between them, which felt fresher than his  own longstanding (and famous) partnership with Tamara. If only Alexandra and Carlos could have been paired up more often, they might have really complemented each other in various ways.

Moving from pas de deux to solo, Carlos and Alexandra showcased their technical abilities while keeping up with the demanding pace, Carlos in particular relishing the opportunity to prove to the audience that he could soar through the stage at least as dazzlingly as Steven McRae from the previous section (plenty of grand jetés and ballon - daring to pause in the air -). Alexandra kept pushing the limits of the choreography, to the point of being in danger of falling. When a missing step called her bluff she just squealed and shrugged it off, which made the performance even more real and endearing.

Less secure was Laura McCulloch in both Rubies casts, covering both Zenaida Yanowsky and Lauren Cuthbertson as the "Tall Girl".  She seemed eager to eat the stage but wobbled through a few of her arabesques and although much calmer (yet equally enthusiastic) on second performance, I ended up with the impression that she lacks some of the agility and speed to launch her ruby off the ground (though her extensions were amazing, particularly on the second night) and to keep up with the frantic pace of the corps. While I give Laura full marks for being able to pull a two-nighter on a main role at short notice & to stand her ground in a starry cast, I suspect her inner jewel is not really a ruby.

The second cast of Rubies was led by Yuhui Choe (debuting) and Ricardo Cervera. They brought something different than the previous pair, acing the technical demands whilst looking like teenagers fooling around. The casting of Yuhui  - a dancer with the softest arms, who looks in my opinion more Emeralds or Diamonds than Broadway - exemplifies the importance  of giving dancers the opportunity to explore roles not immediately associated with them, to avoid "typecasting". Important yes, but not necessarily always a good fit. Ricardo didn't match Acosta's performance but showed us again that he can jump like the best of them, and he definitely "popped out" when surrounded by the corps in the finale.

With Rubies over, I finally understood its appeal and own success story. It is such an infectious audience-pleaser, filled with continuous surprises, twists and turns. The choreography is so strikingly different. While Emeralds is a thing of pure beauty, Rubies is the one people cheer for & laugh at. It is box office friendly,  and its upbeat, full of spark atmosphere immediately grabs the occasional ballet goers' attention and takes them along for a wild ride.

Diamonds

The regal Diamonds, the last ballet of the evening, is full of Imperial Russian grandeur and nods to the classics (the hand in the hair from Raymonda, the balances on attitude from Sleeping Beauty's Rose Adagio, the arched back on retiré position from Act III Swan Lake, etc). The opening waltz for the corps de ballet immediately reminded me of Sleeping Beauty and Petipa in the beautiful classical lines displayed everywhere and its almost overwhelming grandeur. Still, this serves just as an aperitif to what follows next, the "grand pas de deux." Opening night saw the beautiful Alina Cojocaru, continuing her comeback from injury, and Rupert Pennefather (who despite being quite tall has been dancing the lead role with tiny Alina since 2007, when he stood in at the premiere for an injured Federico Bonelli) looking picture perfect as prince and princess (again, think Aurora). This opening performance had quite a special "aura" that could be felt in the auditorium, as if we were all collectively gauging how Alina might have changed post her prolonged absence from the stage. She performed carefully and given the difference in height there were also slight complications and miniminal issues in Rupert's partnering (as on the aided pirouettes). All this didn't matter since it was more her artistry that shone through her dancing, her arms expressing every single note of the music, her face full of emotion, but with an underlying melodramatic tone that permeated the pas de deux. In some wonderful balances on attitude you could feel her full commitment to the steps, as if there was no tomorrow and this was the last time she could do this. It was not Aurora on stage, or any other of the Petipa heroines, but a more womanly princess, completely aware of her emotions and transparent to everyone to see. Suffice to say that her performance affected me in such a way that I still need some time to think about it.

Rupert was a handsome prince and his dancing was sharp and precise, showing all the dividends he has accumulated this season as a dancer. His variation was elegant and noble. I thought he complimented Alina's performance in a subdued way, and it was very sweet of him to thank her at the end, as if it had been his privilege to dance with her. He might not be my favourite partner for Alina, but he is definitely a dancer who is getting better and better.

The second cast was led by sunny Marianela Nuñez and her real life prince Thiago Soares. Given the season Marianela has had, it would be difficult to think she wouldn't ace this role, and indeed she did. As usual, her technique came across strongly and Thiago was more than an accommodating partner (his variation featured slightly different jumps than Rupert's, but all cleanly executed). However, I couldn't help feeling as if I was watching a reprisal of the Wedding festivities of Sleeping Beauty. There was not as much depth as in Alina's and Rupert's performance, but this might be just my personal take on it, as underneath it all, this is an abstract ballet.

I should also add honorary mentions to the corps in the polonaise (although they offered a much better and coordinated performance on second night) and to Thomas Whitehead, Yohei Sasaki and Yuhui Choe on the first night, and Brian Maloney, Sergei Polunin, Helen Crawford and Samantha Raine (on double duty together with Emeralds), all of whom noticeably good in their soloist roles.

In short, Diamonds stands as a great closing piece, one that evokes and pays tribute to the classics, while also serving as a rich frame to the central couple and in particular the main ballerina. It is the dance equivalent of a decadent dessert, a celebration of dance which is best enjoyed and appreciated alongside first courses of Emeralds and Rubies. In any case, the Royal Ballet did well to acquire the three ballets for its repertoire. It is the ideal vehicle for showcasing the jewel-like ballerinas in its ranks. I am quite sure I will be going back to Covent Garden anytime it is revived.

Last week saw Balanchine’s Jewels return to the Royal Opera House to send off the 2008/2009 ballet season in glittering style. A few things have changed since its premiere in 2007: gone the lavish frocks and sizeable jewels to match those onstage, as worn by first night audiences the other side of the credit crunch; present lots of cast changes and regrettable absences due to injury, most notably leading ladies Zenaida Yanowsky and Sarah Lamb who could not reprise their roles in Rubies and Edward Watson  who, sadly, did not partner Tamara Rojo in Emeralds this time.

Diamonds

Thankfully at least one thing has remained the same: Alina Cojocaru’s radiance in Diamonds. If anything, Cojocaru’s reading of this grand ballerina role has become even better second time around. She is more shrouded in mystery, less the fairy tale princess, more the multifaceted precious stone. Alongside her noble partner Rupert Pennefather she puts on a dazzling display of delicacy in her dance, she is a vision that Rupert pursues and tries to enfold and lock in his arms as if worried she could vanish at any moment. If her first performance last week - more careful - made me admire the beauty of her regal line, her musical phrasing and her lush backbends, the second made my heart skip quite a few beats in its technical precision:  back after one year were Alina’s sharp turns, her lightning speed chaînés combined with that delicate, heart melting quality which makes Cojocaru’s dancing seem as rare as a precious stone and so uniquely endearing. Rupert Pennefather was more than an able partner, generating some unforgettable moments from his own solo work. As he turns in his grande pirouette during the Scherzo (the 3rd movement in this arrangement of the symphony) he advocates to us what Balanchine aimed for, he makes us see clearly all the respective turns in Tchaikovsky’s music. This physical translation of the music is evident in both dancers and in this respect I find them here - as I did in 2007 - very well matched.

So eloquent is the choreography in Diamonds you could think Tchaikovsky’s music would have been especially commissioned for the ballet and not the other way round, revealing to us just how far the genius of Balanchine went. Beginning with patterns formed by the corps, with two soloists later cutting through the lines with delicate pas de chats as they were diamond dust, or even snowflakes on loan from The Nutcraker, these soloists are joined by two further women who seem to trace the choreographic motifs and music box paths for the lead couple to dance on. Their own cavaliers join in later and the whole ensemble present a truly majestic finale, gloved women et al., in a grand ballroom. Composed of the final four movements of Tchaikovsky’s Third Symphony, Diamonds is in itself, the third and final movement within the symphony of dance formed by Balanchine’s Jewels, where Emeralds is the adagio and Rubies the allegro.

Emeralds

While I am, as you would have guessed, very much a "Diamonds girl" I also take delight in the dreamy and elegiac qualities of Emeralds, particularly as executed by Tamara Rojo, Leanne Benjamin, Roberta Marquez, Valeri Hristov, Bennet Gartside and Steven McRae (in the pas de trois) who seem lost in their own reveries or playing an eternal game of "Romantic tag", which is suggested by the way the first male (Hristov, befuddled but elegant) touches his ballerina, like winding her with a magic wand - a leitmotif which is also seen in the other sections of Jewels. And as four ballerinas, interlinked with their partners, plunge into simultaneous arabesques penchés we see multiple visions of Giselle captured in a delicate bracelet. A real luxury.

Rubies

The most successful of the three Jewels is, conversely, the one that appeals the least to my personal taste. But that's not to say I do not enjoy a modern cut Ruby sandwiched between an Emerald and a Diamond. Rubies is supposed to showcase three technically brilliant dancers (2 women and 1 man) but now with Laura McCulloch not particularly tall and not particularly dominating (though much more secure in later performances), I feel as if all the action is left in the hands of Alexandra Ansanelli and Carlos Acosta. But at least those are competent hands. Stravinsky's "Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra" seems to musically suggest a capricious woman and her rakish man and the way this central couple communicate is almost the antithesis of the regal couple in Diamonds: playful, flirty, naughty, temperamental.  At one point Carlos keeps Alexandra waiting as he goes on a dance tangent. Her exasperated looks seem to say “Oh, enough with the waiting already!”. The piano throws a fit while Alexandra fittingly (and carelessly) throws her leg and her whole body in all compass directions. At times she feigns collapsing in Acosta's arms as a rebellious child lost in a tantrum, whilst in the audience we rebel against her decision to retire from ballet so early (she is only 28 years old). Throughout their duet, Acosta plays with Alexandra's body as if it were a musical instrument, while her solo dancing speed dazzles us. I may be team Diamonds all the way but this Ruby I shall dearly miss.

See also: Linda's review of first & second nights of Jewels

Is this ballet for you?

Go if: You are tired of white ballets and of seeing male dancers perennially overshadowed by the ballerina. Mayerling, a tale of a crown prince's descent into madness and murder, definitely puts the man on the spot. Think Hamlet with guns in lieu of swords & added drugs and you get a ballet that is as hard rocking as they get.

Skip if: You are not fond of Kenneth MacMillan’s dirty & grim ballets or very complex plots - there are so many characters involved that we strongly advise you do your homework before attending a performance (see our character diagram below). It also goes without saying that Mayerling is not a ballet for the kids. Nor for the chaste.

Dream Casts: Edward Watson/Johan Kobborg

We like Ed Watson for his marvellous innovative lines in MacMillan ballets and Johan for his technical feats and unrivalled acting skills. Mind you, Ed's acting is quite something too.

Background:

Mayerling is a ballet in three acts bookended by a prologue and epilogue, choreographed in 1978 for the Royal Ballet by Kenneth MacMillan and based on the true story of the Austro-Hungarian Crown Prince Rudolf who forged a double suicide pact with his mistress at the royal hunting lodge of Mayerling in 1889. Known as the “Mayerling Incident” this chapter of history is forever shrouded in mystery and intrigue, having spawned various dramatizations to the stage and on-screen (the most recent being “The Illusionist”, a Hollywood movie with loose connections to the episode).

Rudolf, and his young mistress Vetsera seemed ideal study subjects for Kenneth MacMillan: two flawed, immoral and uncompromising soulmates. But before working on the choreography, he asked writer Gillian Freeman to provide him with a script (a rare practice in Western ballet) and conductor John Lanchbery to arrange a score for a list of dances which were then matched to 40 compositions by Franz Liszt. For this reason, the ballet may, on first view, seem like a string of episodes rather than a seamless whole, although it is undeniably a lavish and detailed costume drama.

The story is told through a series of physically grueling pas de deux between Rudolf and the many women in his life, with many moods ranging from desire to rage, from obsession to full madness. It is one of the most demanding roles created in British ballet for a male dancer requiring a high level of technique and stamina coupled with superb acting skills. Mayerling’s main selling point lies in its challenge to the idea that ballet is stuck in a world of tiaras and tutus and of fairytale princes, as Prince Rudolf is ground-breakingly portrayed by MacMillan as a depraved drug addict, sick with venereal disease, and his mistress Mary Vetsera, as a reckless and socially ambitious groupie. The court around them is rife with corruption, immorality and hypocrisy, the Emperor and Empress leading by their bad example (both having open affairs) but somehow imposing morality on their son.

Unlike Manon and Romeo and Juliet, which have become two of the most successful MacMillan export products and part of the ever more globalized repertoire of various ballet companies around the world, Mayerling is a work which is kept generally within the confines of the Royal Ballet, not only because of the controversial nature of the piece, but also due to the fact it requires a company with very strong theatrical roots (such as the Royal Ballet's) to make the essentially mime-less storytelling clear and compelling to the audience.

The Story:

Prologue: the curtains open to reveal the low key burial of Mary Vetsera at Heiligenkreuz in the dead of the night.

Act I

A flashback takes us to the ballroom at the Hofburg Palace where the wedding of Prince Rudolf and Princess Stephanie is being celebrated. To the court’s dismay Rudolf flirts openly with his sister-in-law, Princess Louise and later with Mary Vetsera to whom he is introduced by her mother and by Countess Larisch. Their mutual attraction is evident but this brief encounter is interrupted by four Hungarian officers who want to enlist Rudolf’s help in their political/separatist cause. Countess Larisch returns and attempts to rekindle the old flame of the past relationship with Rudolf, but the Emperor discovers them and orders an unapologetic Rudolf to return to his wife, whom he terrifies with rapist antics and a loaded revolver in their marital bed.

Act II

Rudolf has forced his wife to accompany him in an evening of debauchery. In disguise Bratfisch, Rudolf and Stephanie arrive at a seedy tavern. As Stephanie leaves in disgust, Rudolf turns his attention to Mitzi Caspar and to his new friends the Hungarian separatists. A police raid sends people fleeing while an increasingly mentally unstable Rudolf suggests to Mitzi that they should commit suicide together. Prime Minister Taafe enters and Rudolf hides. Mitzi, relieved to escape Rudolf’s madness leaves with Taafe, letting him know that Rudolf is hiding as they exit.

Countess Larisch finds Mary Vetsera at home contemplating a portrait of Rudolf and takes a pack of cards telling Mary’s fortune, assuring her that her romantic dreams will come true. Mary gives her a letter to pass on to Rudolf.

During Franz Josef’s birthday celebration Count Taafe confronts Rudolf with a political pamphlet.  Rudolf watches with bitterness and anger as his mother openly offers a portrait of the mistress Katerina Schratt to his father and then as the Empress seeks the attentions of her own lover. Countess Larisch uses the opportunity to tease Rudolf with Mary’s letter.

Act III

The Empress discovers Countess Larisch with Rudolf in his apartment and dismisses her; unaware that Mary is waiting outside. Mary joins Rudolf, who sees in her a potential recruit for his double suicide campaign. In the hunting lodge at Mayerling Rudolf makes passionate love to Mary, clearly unstable he attempts to calm himself with an injection of morphine – he embraces Mary then shoots her. His friends come running as they hear the shot – he reassures them and as soon as he is alone shoots himself.

Epilogue: as the ballet closes, the same opening scene is repeated and expanded, we now see Mary's body dragged into the coffin, her burial taking place in the early hours to cover up a potential royal scandal.

The Music:

Some of the Liszt pieces featured in Lanchbery's arrangements for Mayerling:

Faust Symphony Mephisto Waltz Twelve Transcendental Studies Soirée de Vienne

But if you really must prepare an Ipod or Spotify playlist, see detailed track listings from ballet.co.uk

Mayerling opens the Royal Ballet’s 2009/2010 season this autumn. For more details visit the ROH site