A PROGRAMME OF THREE SHORT BALLETS

At the tender age of 3 I was taken by my mother to the theatre to see my first ballet. Although I sat on her knee for most of the performance – in those days she had to pay full price for me a seat even though I never sit in it – I was transfixed.

I evidently watched the late Anton Dolan and Alicia Markova dance in Swan Lake and since then I’ve been a devotee of ballet. I’ve seen most of the great dancers and witnessed choreography from inspiring and magnificent to mundane and absolutely dreadful.

Over the decades when I see double or treble bill ballets I always feel apprehensive about their content and  I felt the same about Northern Ballet’s  Made In Leeds: Three Short Ballets – but I need not have worried – these three works were great pieces each in their own right.

These works premiered before a London performance  and opened with permission from the Palace as it was only 48 hours after the sad demise of Queen Elizabeth II.

Northern Ballet have a reputation for their ability to be great story tellers and to bring all human emotions to life in their work. The content of these works is very appropriate for this moment in time.

Each of the works in the programme is by a new choreographers who come from the city of Leeds which should make us all very proud indeed with their final results.

Wailers was a highly appropriate piece of work due to the events of sadness that enveloped our country since last week.

With exciting yet sympathetic choreography and music  by Mthuthuzeli November it is a work that gives thanks for life, its struggles, beauty and its people but what was particularly relevant to those with us and no longer with us. November describes it as “a prayer for guidance”.

Dance wise its choreography is dramatic and combines elements of classical tinged with modern dance. Technically it is a hard work to perform especially the point work which demands synchronised toe tapping  en pointe from the ladies whilst other elements are extremely physical especially for the men who all displayed some amazing elevation.

Aerys Merrill as the Grandmother had a wonderful commanding stage persona whilst Sarah Chun as the mother gave a beautiful interpretation of the role.

A simple wall as part of the set and some beautifully designed costumes from Julie Anderson made this a memorable opening to the evening

The second and shorter work was Nostalgia Choroegraphed by Stina Quagebeur.

This piece was a pure joy of contemporary dance. Again it was a highly appropriate piece. In dance it high lights the darker times of loss, anxiety, isolation as well as every emotion we go through in life.

Principal couple Minju Kang and Jonathan Hanks dominated this piece and drove the short work with some great support from the other couple Rachael Gillespie and Gavin McCaig especially in the mirror actions which are hard to execute.

The final work was a stirring and highly dramatic piece and the development of a short dance film Ma Vie.

The concept, choreography and direction for this was Dickson Mobi. It was on the theme of Casanova and shows how a man who rises through society by u sing his power, control and seduction as a means to advance himself and gain influence over others.

Mobi’s work explores his third for unobtainable love, religious pressures and being controlled by the powers that be in a very dramatically, but simply stage short ballet.

To say the ballet is fast moving and seamless is an understatement. Dramatically charged there are some very poignant moments as well as some unexpected but simple effects that lend both tension and beauty  to the piece.

Its an energetic piece which was driven by an outstanding performance by guest artist Jonadetta Carpi and supported by the ensemble.

All three works well deserved their standing ovations and are a must see whilst still playing in at Leeds Playhouse until Saturday 17^th September before transferring to London.

Liz Coggins is a member of the Critics Circle

Photography: Emma Kaulder