Masterpieces of French music meets Russian ballet in Pretoria

Robynn Burls — Thu, 22 May 2014 18:38:32 +0000

Crown of Russian Ballet perform the feisty Carmen one-act ballet.

The Crown of the Russian Ballet company has toured the world, including the UK, USA, Japan and China, and is now preparing to perform in Pretoria at the State Theatre from 23 to 25 May 2014 with a programme entitled Masterpieces of French Music in Ballet.

Considering that the ballet company was founded (back in 1997 in Moscow) with the aim of developing a new ballet repertoire of innovative classical and contemporary works, The Crown of the Russian Ballet‘s tour programme includes well-known classical masterpieces as well as contemporary ballet and modern dance.

Masterpieces of French Music in Ballet opens with the feisty and fiery Carmen, a one-act ballet set to the music of French composer Georges Bizet. The second half includes the famous piece synonymous with legendary Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova – The Dying Swan to Camille Saint-Saëns’ cello solo ‘Le Cygne’.

Audiences will enjoy Pas de Quatre by Cesare Pugni, which provides a beautiful look into the Romantic age of ballet, including the lyrical, light and fluid arm movements that have become the signature of the Pas de Quatre (scroll to the end to see the video).

See a modern ballet piece choreographed by Anatoly Emelianov set to Maurice Ravel’s well-known Bolero.

With a mix of contemporary and classic, the second half also includes the Spanish-spiced Bolero by Maurice Ravel and the much-loved pas de deux from Le Corsaire to the music of Adolphe Adam.

Providing a little more contemporary ballet, Jaques Brel’s Ne Me Quitte Pas (an English adaptation by Rod McKuen is called “If You Go Away”) showcases the work by The Crown of the Russian Ballet’s chief choreographer, Anatoly Emelianov. Listen to Jaques Brel’s beautifully stirring song here, with English and French subtitles if you want to follow along:

Mikhail Lavrovsky, former principal dancer with the Bolshoi Ballet and currently ballet Master-Repetiteur at the Bolshoi Theatre had this to say about Emelianov’s choreography: “…he is indeed talented with his modern vision of art and his contemporary way of thinking. It is very good that his ballet is built on the classical basis but at the same time is free of dogma and is non-traditional.”

Crown of the Russian Ballet was founded by the current Artistic Director and lead ballerina, Anna Alexidze, and chief choreographer and principal dancer, Anatoly Emelianov. The production is presented in South Africa by Edouard Miasnikov Agency, which brought us Stars of Ballet Moscow in 2013 and whose objective it is to widen cultural exchange and sharing between Russia and South Africa.

Booking Details:

Dates: 23 May 2014 at 7:30pm; 24 May 2014 at 3pm and 7:30pm; and 25 May 2014 at 3pm.
Venue: Drama, SA State Theatre, Pretoria
Tickets: from R150 to R280 via Computicket.

And now, take a tombé back in time and enjoy this 1968 recording of Pugni’s Pas de Quatre…

How to catch a Firebird on an enchanting night out

Robynn Burls — Fri, 17 Jan 2014 14:48:31 +0000

Cape Town City Ballet’s Laura Bosenberg as The Firebird. Photo by Pat Bromilow Downing.

How to catch a Firebird? For a start you’ll need an enchanted garden, some moonlight and of course, this magical creature’s only ever been spotted with the sounds of Stravinsky. Well, considering she’s half-woman, half-bird, you didn’t think this would be a walk in the park did you?

Except that this time it is.

Cape Town City Ballet is weaving its magic through the scenic gardens of Maynardville Park to bring The Firebird to life at the Maynardville Open-Air Theatre, giving you the perfect sylvan setting to catch it (at least with your eyes) every Sunday from 19 January until 16 February 2014.

As 2014 marks the 80th anniversary year for Cape Town City Ballet, the company is flying into celebration mode with The Firebird, followed by another moonlit ballet, Les Sylphides, with both these enchanting and ethereal ballets performed back-to-back in the ideal setting of Cape Town’s Maynardville Park.

Both ballets were first staged by Russian choreographer Michel Fokine, but have been reworked here by David Poole. Here’s a brief background into the stories and mythical beings you’ll encounter in these ballets:

The Firebird and Kashchei the Immortal

Prince Ivan (Xola Putye) shows us how it’s done as he catches his Firebird (Kim Vieira). Photo by Michael Groenewald.

According to Russian folk tales, Kashchei the Immortal is an evil sorcerer who can cast a spell on those caught in his realm. Under this spell, he holds a group of 13 young royal princesses captive in a mystical garden.

Meanwhile, the hero of the story, young Prince Ivan, enters the villain’s domain and captures a magical Firebird. She begs him to release her in exchange for one of her magical feathers and the promise that the feather can be used to summon her aid at any time.

Ivan encounters the group of maidens one evening and as he watches them play in the moonlight he falls in love with Tsarevna, one of the princesses. But in pursuit of his love, the prince is waylaid by a horde of demons under Kashchei’s spell. Ivan remembers the feather, and the Firebird arrives to rescue him and end the tyranny of Kashchei.

The ballet ends with a wedding scene where the Firebird blesses the marriage of the prince and princess. The roles of the Firebird and Prince will be danced by Kim Vieira (debut) partnering with Xola Putye; Laura Bosenberg with Thomas Thorne (debut); and Mami Fuji (debut) with Ivan Boonzaaier (debut).

Les Sylphides and poetry in motion

Laura Bosenberg and the sylphs in Les Sylphides. Photo by Pat Bromilow Downing.

Described as a “romantic reverie”, Les Sylphides is a short ballet and one of the first ballets to not have a specific story-line or plot, but instead is considered a tribute to the romantic ballets and consists of many ballerinas in long white tutus as ethereal sylphs (mythological spirits of the air) dancing in the moonlight with a poet.

Set to Chopin’s serene music, this beautiful ballet has seen various versions, even by the original choreographer Fokine himself, but the Maynardville audiences will see the graceful ballet produced by Cecily Robinson for the CAPAB Ballet Company. For this production the lead partnerships will be Laura Bosenberg, dancing with Thomas Thorne, and Angela Hansford partnering with Daniel Szybkowski – who debuts in the role of the Poet.

For a dreamy and fascinating insight into Les Sylphides, watch this video (possibly filmed in the 1950’s) of Tamara Karsavina as she talks of performing with Anna Pavlova and Vaslav Nijinsky, and she discusses the role of the corps de ballet and the necessary ethereal expression of the port de bras.

Booking details: