Shining brightly
Dance: Royal Danish Ballet, Manoel Theatre
Balanchine's Apollo was the opening ballet piece performed at the Manoel Theatre on the night of Easter Sunday. When I saw Nikolai Hubbe wearing his white outfit and holding a mandolin gracefully close to his sculpted body little did I know that he was to be the best male dancer I was going to see that night. Mind you, they were all good. Mr Hubbe's technique, however, was definitely tops. Were it not for the beads of sweat shining against the theatre's dim light and running down his bare torso I would have surely thought that he was making no effort performing with such strength.
In this dance, Apollo was enticed by his muses who were likewise well interpreted (apart for a near slip or two) by Silja Schandroff, Caroline Cavallo and Gitte Lindstrom. They wore white mini dresses which floated against their faultlessly skinny ballerina bodies. There were many isolated moves and the girls danced en pointe for a lot of the time. They shadowed each other while they were simultaneously partnered by Mr Hubbe and all in perfect synchrony. Choreography like this certainly brought out the dancers' flexibility. The dangerous lifts were interesting to watch, the most original being the one where the male dancer managed to balance a female dancer on his neck and shoulders with head bent downwards. There was also a lot of intricate arm work where the four dancers moved around while having their hands chained together at the apex, never letting go of one another.
Triplex came next and this was a change as the dancers adorned their casual look. Femke Molbach Slot wore a white T-shirt, black pants and a loose hairstyle while a bare-chested Nicolai Hansen and Dawid Kupinski wore black pants. The choreography by Tim Rushton was amusing and certainly difficult to execute. The dancer had to be dynamic in order to bring the piece together. They did a fine job of it and the technique I saw here was sturdy and confident. The dance itself was quasi-humourous with awkward body waves and the closest to classical it got was a grand jeté. It was not one of my favourites I must admit but it was nonetheless appreciated.
Speaking of favourites, next came mine. It was not expected because for some reason still unknown to me, the programme was not followed to the letter and we were presented with a beautiful couple ready to perform Petipa's version of Black Swan. This is when I confirmed what I was already feeling: Caroline Cavallo and Nikolaj Hubbe were definitely among the best dancers around. This dance was originally meant to be interpreted by Kristoffer Sakurai whose absence was disappointing given he has such a good reputation. In spite of this, I am glad to say the performance did not suffer at all.
Dressed in a gorgeous black tutu and tiara, Caroline Cavallo wooed the audience with some amazing classical skill in this passionate exhibit of flowing movement. She mimicked the grace of a swan flawlessly with assertive but soft arm work and steady point work. She flew, danced and fluttered around with ease while Nikolaj Hubbe partnered her pleasingly. And elegant is the way to describe this piece which reached its culmination in the exquisite interpretation of the 32 fouettés en tournant, a celebrated coda in the Black Swan pas de deux.
The Divertissement from La Sylphide was the first of three choreographies by Bouronville, master choreographer of the Royal Danish Ballet, whose traditional style is still revived by the company today. Bouronville had a distinct style about ballet with lots of basic arm work and use of fifth position for introductory and final poses. The Sylphs were interpreted by Gudrun Bojensen, Mads Blungstrup, Silja Schandorff and Diana Cuni, the latter being the strongest of the female troupe. She was a pleasure to watch and kept up her lovely smile throughout, conveying a lot of energy and enthusiasm not to mention style. Blangstrup lived up to the ballet d'action tradition of the Danish ballet as he mimed his character, James, in a playful manner. He seemed foolish, in love and breath-taken; every manner when appropriate. While his sylph seduced him, he played the part and was taken in. With choreography full of battements and changements he leapt in his kilt and was the perfect picture of a Scotsman mesmerised by a fairy. The Sylphs' costumes added sweetness to the scene. The delightful knee-length, white tutus with wings attached gave a touch of magic. The point work was again indisputable and the leg raises impressive.
Flower Festival in Genzano was more like a short prelude to the third act of Napoli. Diana Cuni once again proved to be one of my favourites. I think this woman must really love what she does as she smiles a lot. Thomas Lund was also an experience to watch. The music was upbeat and the dance flirtatious and positive. Lots of leaps and quick footwork filled the small stage. As the music slowed down, so did the movement with high and precise leg raises and poses but it quickly regained momentum into the atmosphere of a festival which prepared the audience for the Italian spirit of Napoli Act III.
In the third Act of Bouronville's Napoli, the tarantella brought the audience to life. The colourful costumes played a strong role in adding to the festive mood. The dancers were all equally energetic and jolly. The solos were mesmerising and the coupling and flirting and general hanging around on stage "with a purpose" contributed to the atmosphere of Southern Italy. Once again, in this piece de resistance, Diana Cuni, Thomas Lund and Caroline Cavallo stood out for their ability. One would think they would have been exhausted by the end of the show but, on the contrary, they seemed to have enough energy if not more to bring Naples to the Manoel. On the whole, it was a very plausible evening and an experience to have watched international ballet stars perform in our very own national theatre.
In this dance, Apollo was enticed by his muses who were likewise well interpreted (apart for a near slip or two) by Silja Schandroff, Caroline Cavallo and Gitte Lindstrom. They wore white mini dresses which floated against their faultlessly skinny ballerina bodies. There were many isolated moves and the girls danced en pointe for a lot of the time. They shadowed each other while they were simultaneously partnered by Mr Hubbe and all in perfect synchrony. Choreography like this certainly brought out the dancers' flexibility. The dangerous lifts were interesting to watch, the most original being the one where the male dancer managed to balance a female dancer on his neck and shoulders with head bent downwards. There was also a lot of intricate arm work where the four dancers moved around while having their hands chained together at the apex, never letting go of one another.
Triplex came next and this was a change as the dancers adorned their casual look. Femke Molbach Slot wore a white T-shirt, black pants and a loose hairstyle while a bare-chested Nicolai Hansen and Dawid Kupinski wore black pants. The choreography by Tim Rushton was amusing and certainly difficult to execute. The dancer had to be dynamic in order to bring the piece together. They did a fine job of it and the technique I saw here was sturdy and confident. The dance itself was quasi-humourous with awkward body waves and the closest to classical it got was a grand jeté. It was not one of my favourites I must admit but it was nonetheless appreciated.
Speaking of favourites, next came mine. It was not expected because for some reason still unknown to me, the programme was not followed to the letter and we were presented with a beautiful couple ready to perform Petipa's version of Black Swan. This is when I confirmed what I was already feeling: Caroline Cavallo and Nikolaj Hubbe were definitely among the best dancers around. This dance was originally meant to be interpreted by Kristoffer Sakurai whose absence was disappointing given he has such a good reputation. In spite of this, I am glad to say the performance did not suffer at all.
Dressed in a gorgeous black tutu and tiara, Caroline Cavallo wooed the audience with some amazing classical skill in this passionate exhibit of flowing movement. She mimicked the grace of a swan flawlessly with assertive but soft arm work and steady point work. She flew, danced and fluttered around with ease while Nikolaj Hubbe partnered her pleasingly. And elegant is the way to describe this piece which reached its culmination in the exquisite interpretation of the 32 fouettés en tournant, a celebrated coda in the Black Swan pas de deux.
The Divertissement from La Sylphide was the first of three choreographies by Bouronville, master choreographer of the Royal Danish Ballet, whose traditional style is still revived by the company today. Bouronville had a distinct style about ballet with lots of basic arm work and use of fifth position for introductory and final poses. The Sylphs were interpreted by Gudrun Bojensen, Mads Blungstrup, Silja Schandorff and Diana Cuni, the latter being the strongest of the female troupe. She was a pleasure to watch and kept up her lovely smile throughout, conveying a lot of energy and enthusiasm not to mention style. Blangstrup lived up to the ballet d'action tradition of the Danish ballet as he mimed his character, James, in a playful manner. He seemed foolish, in love and breath-taken; every manner when appropriate. While his sylph seduced him, he played the part and was taken in. With choreography full of battements and changements he leapt in his kilt and was the perfect picture of a Scotsman mesmerised by a fairy. The Sylphs' costumes added sweetness to the scene. The delightful knee-length, white tutus with wings attached gave a touch of magic. The point work was again indisputable and the leg raises impressive.
Flower Festival in Genzano was more like a short prelude to the third act of Napoli. Diana Cuni once again proved to be one of my favourites. I think this woman must really love what she does as she smiles a lot. Thomas Lund was also an experience to watch. The music was upbeat and the dance flirtatious and positive. Lots of leaps and quick footwork filled the small stage. As the music slowed down, so did the movement with high and precise leg raises and poses but it quickly regained momentum into the atmosphere of a festival which prepared the audience for the Italian spirit of Napoli Act III.
In the third Act of Bouronville's Napoli, the tarantella brought the audience to life. The colourful costumes played a strong role in adding to the festive mood. The dancers were all equally energetic and jolly. The solos were mesmerising and the coupling and flirting and general hanging around on stage "with a purpose" contributed to the atmosphere of Southern Italy. Once again, in this piece de resistance, Diana Cuni, Thomas Lund and Caroline Cavallo stood out for their ability. One would think they would have been exhausted by the end of the show but, on the contrary, they seemed to have enough energy if not more to bring Naples to the Manoel. On the whole, it was a very plausible evening and an experience to have watched international ballet stars perform in our very own national theatre.