Sunday, March 13

[dirac]

An interview with William Forsythe.

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In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated, which you made for the Paris Opera Ballet when Rudolf Nureyev was in charge, remains a defining work. What was it like to work with Nureyev?

Oh, wonderful. He was just so supportive and great fun. When I first went to Paris, I ended up in intensive care for a month with a weird tropical disease and nearly died, and he put me up at his apartment with a private servant. It was fabulous. I did my recuperation there, looking at all his art and books and films. He’d ring the butler and tell him to put on a video for me, because I needed to see it. He was really excited about providing me with experiences. I loved him and he loved me too.

 

[dirac]

A story on Xander Parish's decision to leave Russia.

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He wrote last week: 'Tonight I was supposed to be performing Giselle at the Mariinsky Theatre but instead, due to the awful crisis I have taken the difficult decision to leave Russia, at least until peace comes. My heart goes out to the people of Ukraine, near and far.'

He added: 'I am grateful to the wonderful ordinary Russian people, the majority of whom have treated me with such kindness. I pray that peace will come and the wounds will be healed by God’s grace.' 

 

[dirac]

The Universal Ballet presents The Love of Chunhyang.

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"The Love of Chunhyang" is based on the story of "Chunhyangga," from the traditional Korean genre of musical storytelling called pansori. It tells the love story of Seong Chun-hyang, the daughter of a "gisaeng" named Wolmae, and Yi Mong-ryong, the son of a government official. Gisaeng refers to a female entertainer of male customers in the 1392-1910 Joseon Dynasty.
 

 

[dirac]

A UK charity set up to benefit the Mariinsky Theater shuts down.

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It raised money for Mariinsky artists including Xander Parish, an East Yorkshire-born ballet star who joined the Mariinsky in 2010 and later became one of its principal dancers. Now, weeks shy of its 30-year milestone in April, the trust has been disbanded. References to it have been removed from the list of Prince Charles’s affiliations on official royal websites, and the charity’s website now carries the message: “The Mariinsky Theatre Trust [its working name] has closed down.”

 

[dirac]

A review of the Bavarian Junior Ballet by Ora Brafman in The Jerusalem Post.

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By their performance in Israel, they are almost there. All considered, their performance was quite satisfying. One could also admire their high degree of commitment and motivation, as they projected their collective optimism, seized the moment and smiled effortlessly.

 

[dirac]

 A review of the James Sewell Ballet by Sheila Regan in the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

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The piece was part of JSB's "New Works Project," which also featured choreography by Kerry Parker, Michael Walters and artistic director James Sewell. Dancers took turns speaking into a microphone, which in addition to voice amplification acted as a prop. Sometimes, the text lost sense of linearity, getting garbled in the swell of Joe Strachan's jazz composition.

 

[dirac]

A review of La Scala Ballet in "Jewels" by Silvia Poletti for Bachtrack.

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The opening night of Jewels, in a sold-out Scala, satisfied almost all expectations – a tangible joy of dancing and a lively, exhilarating energy spread from the stage all around. Of course, it was evident in Rubies, the central dance set on Stravinsky’s Capriccio, played with witty attack by pianist Roberto Cominati and the Scala orchestra conducted by Paul Connelly. Here the direct physical approach of movement – often playful but also, above all in the duet, full of temperament and continuous challenges between the dancers – must above all give us the sensation of a mind-driven physicality. Indeed, the long-limbed Maria Celeste Losa and the leading couple formed by Virna Toppi and Claudio Coviello showed this perfectly, giving us the sensation of freedom and total mastery of their movements and a youthful friskiness perfectly attuned to Balanchine’s original intentions.