jer468

It was interesting seeing Alice many years later. I think I was perplexed by the ballet in the 80s. I was less so the other night (although cussing myself for not having re-read the book) but I didn't necessarily enjoy it either. In the mid/late 80s Tetley was actually an Artistic Associate with the company. The relationship began with him setting Sphinx on the company (much more Graham-esq than the later work) which was followed by Alice, La Ronde and then the totally forgettable Tagore. His movement sat much much better on the company in the 80s than it does now. He loved working with Kimberley (how ironic that James would later describe her as a choreographer's nightmare), Karen, Gizella Witkowsky, Jeremy Ransom, Peter Ottman, Kevin Pugh and especially Owen Montague for whom he created the White Rabbit. All those dancers are gone and the current crop, technical marvels all, move very differently. As a result, I don't think this work was served particularly well by the company (especially the corps, which generally looked bewildered). I think it a mistake when someone tries to create a story ballet without the assistance of a "librettist". Much of the problem with this work is that the narrative is not clear and as an audience member you become disconnected very quickly. And then it just becomes boring. As for the "senior" Alice, there was a lot of talk in the mid 80s about this woman. In fact, there was a movie made about her. I don't remember any of the details but I do remember that the ballet seemed like another take on her story. I don't know though why her husband is featured in the ballet. Apart from bringing her back to her Victorian world, that relationship doesn't really do much. I'm glad that James is revisiting Tetley's work. La Ronde is well worth seeing and I think that the company will have greater success with it. I hope they'll do Sphinx again. It would be a wonderful vehicle for Jennifer F and Xiao Yu I think the company has had a bit of a renaissance with Serenade. About 8 years ago I decided that I would rather not see the ballet any time soon and then when it was last staged I was shocked at the difference. The women, especially, have made this work their own. The other night I saw Xiao, Martine and Stephanie in the leads and they were all wonderful. Rex is barely hanging in there (but he remains a wonderful partner for Xiao) and JS Colau was simply out of his league and should not have been dancing that tricky part (although he might have had to learn it quite quickly since Geon was originally cast). The corps looked good although not wonderful ... but one senses that it was more a case of a slightly off night. This company has become a very good ambassador for this work. As for Martine, I suspect that she has danced nearly all of the Balanchine rep ... in her earlier years especially when the company favoured more lyrical dancers, her athletic style was well suited to Balanchine. Her bio says that she has danced "many" of his works.

This is a really sad story. Geon never left a mark on me as a dancer but you hate to see anybody's career ended this way. The company will miss him because they can't much afford to lose a decent male dancer. I wonder if he'll stay in Toronto. He is partnered with one of the National's dancers. But I suspect he's in the country on a foreign worker visa so that might be tough.

Paquita, I was there in 1984. I'm pretty sure that I saw Karen and Reid. Since then I've since Sabina Allemann, Veronica Tennant, Evelyn Hart, Karen a couple more times and Martine as well as Xiao this time around. I can't remember the men. You're probably right about Aleksandr being a better Lensky. In fact, the company has had some wonderful Lensky's over the years ... starting with Raymond Smith and Jeremy Ransom and although I wasn't a huge fan of him generally, I thought Johan was a good Lensky as well. Sasha was beautiful though. The fact that he is so quiet on-stage, works beautifully for that role ... no external noise, everything is introspective.

The National has seldom had much strength in the male ranks but it's worse now than it has been in a long time. I saw the POB last summer and there were 40 year olds who would dance circles around the top NBoC men. It's amazing what competition will do. I remember seeing Aleksandr in Zurich the summer before he arrived in Canada. I remember thinking that his schooling wasn't good enough for the company. Luckily I was wrong because the company would be in serious trouble without him now. And with a short season and little money, it's not as if the company could go shopping for new male principals even if James would consider such a radical idea.

I have to admit that I found this mixed rep more than the usual mixed bag. Monument was a mess. It felt to me that it existed largely so that we would all think that Matt Mrozewski is clever and innovative. I felt neither to be the case. It felt incoherent and derivative. The set too was a bad mistake. We've seen the piece once and if we're lucky we won't see it again. The Kudelka 'trilogy' was also hit 'n miss. The solo and pdd did little for me. I feel like I've seen variations on this pdd before ... several years ago he made something for the Mozart Festival that was very similar. I think "there, below" succeeded best (and in some ways represents Kudelka at his best ... working with smaller groups) I had really admired 100 Words for Snow when I first saw it but I almost feel asleep this time around. I'm not sure why that was (tired maybe?), but it didn't hold me in the same way. The theatre was eerily empty. Apparently the worst selling program that the National has presented in a long time.

Just add my voice to the kudos for Rex and Nan's performance. I'm not a huge Rex fan, in fact I must confess to thinking that it was time he stepped out of the role and let Aleksandr and some of the other boys take it on, but he did give a wonderful reading. In fact, I found some of his choices a lot more interesting than those made by Reid Anderson (I know that's heresy) and if anything, his performance was more subtle and nuanced. But for me Nan was the star of the night. She was simply exquisite. (Perhaps not Evelyn Hart but that'll come.) The company should actively work at making her into a star. But they won't. The only stars are James and Karen and when they need a dancer, Greta steps in. Sonia and Aleksandr were wonderful as well. In fact it is encouraging that 40 years after R&J entered the rep, the company is still dancing Cranko so well. Much has been lost with the focus on contemporary choreography (esp. Bournonville as last year's Napoli proved) but Cranko still looks good. I was a bit surprised that Jennifer Fournier wasn't given Tatiana ... it feels like a good role for her. And the orchestra is sounding wonderful this year.

I would have been very happy to have seen Matjash as the Widow. He was a riot as one of the ugly stepsisters in Cinderella. I wonder if this was a last minute casting replacement for Jeremy Ransom (who was supposed to dance the role) or if he was always cast in the role? It must have been a bit nerve wracking to be rehearsing his new piece with TDT by day and dancing (and rehearsing) the Widow at the same time.

Thanks for the welcome Leigh. I'll try to be a regular visitor but I sometimes forget how many boards I've signed onto! Jer

Any reason that Martine and Xiao were left off te lest?

I saw the Friday evening bill. Bayadere had a complete cast replacement ... Ogden/Cote in for Hodgkinson/Antonjevic and the soloists were replaced as well. The corps looked splendid. The opening was everything that it should be ... there is nothing worse than the "ghostly spectres" struggling their way down the ramp in a mortal fashion ... last night was beautiful. And I agree that Tina Pereira was stunning. Ogden and Cote were technically wonderful. My friends commented that she seemed somewhat distant. I don't know if this is her way of conveying the ethereal aspect of Nikiya or if she lacks the ability to connect. I suspect it's the former given that Kudelka has given her some major leads in the story ballets. Cote was a delight. Beautiful jete, ballon. My only criticism is that he makes no effort to stay in character during his bows after the pas or the variations and he was clearly pleased with himself last night. His every variation brought down the house (of course the kids from the school were there so that increased the volume level tenfold). It was interesting seeing Delicate Battle again, this time 3 nights after seeing Mat's new work for Toronto Dance Theatre. I honestly don't know what to make of it ... It really is two distinct pieces. The choreography is interesting and perhaps it's just me but has a strong Balanchine influence. But you do spend a lot of time scratching your head. I haven't read (or heard) Michael Crabb's review but I understand why the piece would make you uncomfortable. The gowned women are clearly being abused (wives fleeing from their husbands?), and that generally makes me uncomfortable! And I totally agree with the fairly negative assessments of Firebird. It is really challenging in that the Stravinsky is a difficult piece of music for most audience members but Kudelka has in my estimation just cluttered the piece with a lot of "production" elements (set, costumes etc) that in the end are just irritating. I wonder how the audiences in Houston and NYC (the two co-producing partners) found it. I saw a wonderful Nan Yu with Patrick Lavoie. Stacey Minagawa was really doing yeoman duty because she was part of the Bayadere cast replacement and had already been scheduled to do the other two pieces as well. She too was lovely. I honestly don't know if story ballets are Kudelka's strength. Apart from Nutcracker, I haven't been overly impressed with his re-working of the classics. He's on record as having said he wants to do the 3 Tchaikovskys before he leaves the National. But I don't know if the company has the money to consider a new Beauty. I think they're still paying for the Nureyev and that's 30 years old. And I don't think that his Swan Lake was such a great investment either (although the critics have raved!).

I would generally agree with Paquita's assessment of the Friday Fille. Martine is a wonderful Lise, I'd probably rate her with Karen Kain who might well have been the best Lise the National has had (and there have been a few). I wasn't as favourably impressed with Piotr's dancing. Except for the brutal turns in the final variations he seemed poorly matched. Not surprising his dancing lacks subtlety, he lacks stamina (I didn't think he was going to make it through the first pas de deux but perhaps that was nerves) and he lacks the ability to make Colas believable (which admittedly is a tall order). I longed to see Martine with more of an equal. But I do agree that it is a ballet that has served the company well and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it after its 10 year hiatus.