Claire Souet, Eado Turgeman, Lewis Landini; Nick Holder, (Singer). The Scottish Ballet Orchestra, Richard Honner (conductor).
Sophie Martin
In the week which celebrates World Ballet Day (1st October), the audience at the Festival Theatre was treated to the inspiring Autumn Season touring programme of premiere works.
Scottish Ballet is committed to nurturing young choreographers and in particular encouraging members of the company to develop their creative talent. As a curtain raiser, “Maze” is a short new piece by Paris-born Sophie Laplane, a Coryphee, who joined SB in 2004. To a soundtrack by Nick Cave, Minologue and Xela, two men dance with jerking robotic moves before two girls join in as the music switches to a steady staccato beat. With a sense of carefree playfulness, the quartet express freedom and fun as they wrestle and tumble in neatly co-ordinated duets.
Synchronicity indeed to stage the World Premiere of “Motion of Displacement” by Bryan Arias at a time when an exodus of refugees are crossing borders to seek asylum and a new life in Europe. Arias was inspired by his mother who, aged just 16, left her family in El Salvador to travel to New York.
On a shadowy stage, suspended lights like candles, issue a soft glow. Ten dancers are lined up at the front of the stage, crouching together, holding hands. They stare towards us, looking lost and unsure, then slowly march off like a linked chain. John Adams' filmic score flows seamlessly between solo turns, a group formation like a T’ai Chi class and a graceful duet in unison by two couples. Then a Bach motet creates an eloquent, peaceful ambience as they all line up again, hands entwined, united in their pursuit to escape and find a new world.
Cole Porter was a prolific composer and lyricist of many timeless hit songs, “I’ve Got You under my Skin”, “I Get a Kick out of You,” “You’re the Top” et al. The music for “Elsa Canasta” by Javier de Frutos combines Porter’s ballet score “Within the Quota” (1923) with a few of his classic numbers. First performed by Rambert in 2004, “Elsa Canasta” won the Critics’ Circle National Dance Award for best choreography.
The title refers to Elsa Maxwell, American gossip columnist, theatre impresario and known as “the hostess with the moistest” for her daring, decadent parties frequented by stars of stage and screen.
The setting is the 1920s, a Gatsbyesque house-party for ‘bright young things’ at a glitzy, glamorous mansion with a sweeping staircase. The high curving banister acts like a Barre as a troupe of girls bound up and down, twisting, stretching, posing around the railings. From a high step, two or three leap off – with a safe landing in the arms of a few boys - as if jumping into a swimming pool.
Sitting half way up the stairs is the Singer, Nick Holder, performs the romantic ballad, “So In Love, ” with quiet, heartbreaking passion; a duet between Victor Zarallo and Thomas Edwards captures the narrative with each silent gaze, gentle caress and sweet embrace. And then a poignant rendition of “Down in the Depths” describing the pain of loneliness, looking down on the neon lights and city life from the 90th floor.
On staircase and stage, Holder is physically and musically at the heart of the action; a masterly, magnetic performer, his rich, dramatic tone of voice expressing the emotional mood of each song with pace and pathos.
This is a scintillating, soulful and sassy celebration of Cole Porter’s enchanting, sentimental music matched by elegantly slick, sleek choreography: Poetry in Motion.
Show times:
Festival Theatre, 29 - 30 September, 2015
Eden Court, Inverness 2 - 3 October, 2015
His Majesty's, Aberdeen, 9 - 10 October, 2015