dirac Posted June 13, 2021 Share Posted June 13, 2021 Reviews of Northern Ballet in "Dangerous Liaisons." The Daily Telegraph Quote Northern Ballet’s first touring production since last March is a smart, passionate piece of work – though it’s not always easy to follow The Guardian Quote You’d think all that romping and decadence would be a no-brainer, but the convolutions of the plot, especially those involving letters passed from one person to another that we’ll never read, are hard to fathom despite Nixon’s attempts at giving pointers in the voiceover introduction. The prevailing attitude, as exemplified by the Abigail Prudames’ Marquise de Merteuil, is aloof and manipulative, to coolly one-dimensional effect. DanceTabs Quote Normally Northern Ballet act their socks off in bringing a plot to life, but on this occasion it wasn’t always so believable. Two subsidiary roles hit home with Antoinette Brooks-Daw’s Madame de Tourvel showing a heartbreaking fortitude and collapse into love and despair, and Rachael Gillespie’s Cecile Volanges as an effervescent and naïve teenager. Both totally believable. Soloist Joseph Taylor got the lead role of Valmont and rather came over as a caricature villain who wanted lots of sex – it didn’t seem to channel the dark and complex side. Hopefully, it will develop. With one half of the central duo not fully connecting, I think it was not so easy for Abigail Prudames’ Marquise de Merteuil to shine although she does take more command as the night progresses. The Times Quote In the novel, the relationship between the Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont is told through their letters. But dance is not about words, it’s about actions, so although a flurry of letters do pass between the dancers, we are none the wiser as to what they say. It’s up to Nixon’s direction and choreography to fill in the blanks. Link to comment
dirac Posted June 13, 2021 Author Share Posted June 13, 2021 Obituaries for Lucette Aldous. Limelight Quote Indeed, Aldous’s performances as the fiery Kitri opposite Rudolf Nureyev as her lover Basilio were exceptional in the superstar’s new production of Don Quixote for The Australian Ballet, where they danced as guest artists. Both pint-sized by today’s standards, and equally obsessed with perfection, they filled the stage with a tour de force of provocation and joyous romance. The world premiere at the 1970 Adelaide Festival, with Sir Robert Helpmann as the Don, was a huge success, closing with 17 minutes of rapturous applause, cheers, and rave reviews. The West Australian Link to comment
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