dirac Posted October 2, 2021 Share Posted October 2, 2021 A review of Scottish Ballet by Kelly Apter in The Scotsman. Quote Returning to the theatre after 18 long months of bare stages and empty seats, Scottish Ballet would be forgiven for being a little rusty – yet the dancers looked as if they’d never been away. Somewhat ironically, a large part of Starstruck takes place in a rehearsal studio, with its mirrors, barre and dancers clad in comfy leotards and shorts. Perhaps that’s why they looked so at home, breezing instantly into perfectly executed solos and sharp synchronisation. Bruce Marriott's review of the company for DanceTabs. Quote Such is the pull and hoofing excitement around Gene Kelly’s work, come the end of the Starstruck premiere there was a standing ovation – at least up on the Dress Circle of Glasgow’s Theatre Royal. Clearly for many it’s the perfect ending one wants for a ballet that steps well outside of the ordinary in several ways, and yet my heart wasn’t with them. I couldn’t shake off the feeling that such approbation seemed premature, and it would be good to see Starstruck later in the touring run when the company have hopefully absorbed more of jazz dance’s snap, crackle, buzz and outright exciting precision that seemed to be rather absent on Thursday night. The Scottish Ballet (SB) dancers can certainly let their dancing hair down and I remember a fabulous Charleston routine they did at a fundraising gala, and which genuinely brought the house down for us all. A review by Graham Watts for Bachtrack. Quote Starstruck is a refreshing revival of the only ballet that Gene Kelly made for the stage – he did, of course, choreograph many ballet sequences for film – when he was invited to create Pas de Dieux for the Paris Opera Ballet in 1960. The changed title is relevant since Christopher Hampson, Scottish Ballet’s CEO and artistic director, has added a prologue and epilogue which he describes as a “setting for Kelly’s jewel”. The original choreography has been painstakingly reconstructed by Hampson, in close association with Kelly’s widow, Patricia, who had waited for over 20 years to find a company to remount the work. It was a chance encounter with Hampson on the staircase of the Palais Garnier that led to a plan to produce the ballet for 2022-23. However, restrictions on intervals in Scotland meant that Hampson needed a one-act ballet to open the new season and Starstruck was the fast-track solution. Link to comment
dirac Posted October 2, 2021 Author Share Posted October 2, 2021 Playbill interviews Abi Stafford, Lauren Lovette, Ask la Cour, and Maria Kowroski on their departures from New York City Ballet. Quote A radiant dancer who infuses her performances with drama, humor, and an infectious warmth, Lovette packed a lot into her 12 years at NYCB. She crafted three memorable ballets for the Company, danced leading roles in more than 60 ballets and originated roles in 12 works, including Benjamin Millepied’s Neverwhere, a personal favorite. NYCB’s strong focus on musicality was the perfect complement to her personality and style. “I always had a bit of wildness in my dancing, and I felt that I had found jazz in ballet here,” she says. Link to comment
dirac Posted October 2, 2021 Author Share Posted October 2, 2021 A review of Scottish Ballet in "Starstruck" by Róisín O'Brien for The Guardian. Quote The company apply themselves to the jazzy numbers with rigour, if not complete abandon: soloist Bruno Micchiardi as the Pianist/Eros is brilliantly emphatic as he springs across the stage. Evan Loudon as the Choreographer/Zeus traverses his kingdoms with impeccably high jumps and long extensions, though he is always drawn to Sophie Martin’s commanding Star Ballerina/Aphrodite. Link to comment
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