The Hübbery including Corpus
Christopher Wheeldon: "The Sleeping Beauty"
Royal Danish Ballet
December 13 - 17 december 2012
Nikolaj Hübbe continues his talk/dance series "The Hübbery" this time with a Christmas special, including the first work of the in house company "Corpus". RDB rounded off the Christmas run of "Wheeldon's "Sleeping Beauty" with two new casts and several impressive debuts in the solos and divertissements.
Hübbe as Father Christmas
There is a Danish saying that when the devil grows old he enters the cloister. And when Hübbe not only hosted a Christmas show but also took on the small role of the Archbishop in "Sleeping Beauty", it seems that he has been able to compromise his agnostic views which made him kick the Christianity out of "Napoli" two years ago. Most likely these are practical concerns to keep the production going. Everybody has to chip in. Not only Marcin Kupinsky and Alban Lendorf in African garbs in the Rose Adagio but the chief himself in full Richelieu gear.
In all the Wheeldon production is a nice experience, even when compared to the big bang Bolshoi version, shown on television during Christmas week. Especially the garland valse and the act three ensemble stand out as innovative and charming against the more money and more people Russian blockbuster. However, one is also reminded of what is missing in the form of a hunting scene and a myriad of divertissements. The lost is felt particularly because the RDB is bubbling with talents who could have filed the roles. Luckily what there is done very well. Alexander Stæger and Femke Mølbach Slot make a miracle of the cats and in Bluebird, Holly Jean Dorger present a strong and brilliant Florine. In the Hûbbery she gets an additional plum when she and Gregory Dean gets the chance to do the Gamzatti and Solor roles in the Act. two Divertissement and once again shows her high driven excellence. She is probably the most improved dancer this year and had found an elegance to match her technical powers.
Partnerships
As Beauty's lead couple unfortunately Jon Axel Fransson was out with a minor injury. Alban Lendorf stepped in to partner Alexandra Lo Sardo. Lendorf and Lo Sardo has always proved a good match and she is a much more suited partner for Lendorf than J'aime Crandal, which unfortunately is a partnership going nowhere for either. But although Lo Sardo is an elegant and precise dancer, she does not really have the range needed for Aurora. You just get more of the same and there is little development characterwise or stepwise.
How pleasing it is therefore to see how much Susanne Grinder and Marcin Kupinski managed to develop their roles and dancing as Aurora and Florimond. This time there was no blandness to their performance, and Grinder pulled out a real ballerina performance including some very fine acting.
Meet Corpus
The highlight of The Hübbery was the premiere of Corpus opus 1, called Corpus a work for almost the full company. The ballet consists of sequences each starring a group of dancers and based on the dancers own experience and thoughts on how and why they dance.
The first sequence is build on the smaller girls and contrasting with the solid mass of the full corps, mainly done in silhouette and with high choreographic innovation. The sequence is followed by a short segment of male dancing, a spoken ad mimed segment of why people started dancing before turning into the sequences focusing on male ekvibrism, firstly Alban Lendorf and Jonathan Chmelensky doing tricks, a group of male dancers celebrating the love of football, mergers over in a strong male quartet. Amy Watson leads a ensemble of girls and American dancers, Holly Jean Dorger and James Clark celebrates their comon background in Scottish dance and reinact the highland fling they competed in as children many years before joining the RDB.
The central sequence consists of solos, pas de deux and a trio overlapping. The pas include a solo for Alexander Stæger, pas de deuxs for big Byron Mildwater and light Marcin Kupinsky, Tina Højlund and Gitte Lindstrøm and off stage couple Lena Mariea Gruber and Fernando Moro, wanting to dance together. Finally a trio where Gregory Dean and Ulrk Birkkjær toss and carry Susanne Grinder. The pas interchange in a rapid tempo.
Following the high tempo segment the work concludes in a segment for girls expressing their love for Neumeier's Juliet including a solo for the last Juliet, Christina Michanek and presenting the unasked question who will be the next? (Romeo & Juliet will be in the spring repertoire). Finally the full ensemble conclude the work by returing to the initial formation.
Save the music with is a patch up mix, Corpus is a stunning work, revealing the inner life of the company in an impressive form and a interesing choreographic patterns. Going big and broad gives the work a life of it own and confirm the cleverness of the gamble. Hopefully this is the beginning of strong choreographic tradition in the company. Esther Lee Wilkinson and Tim Matiakis, who is leading the project has hit the nail on the head and one can only look forward to their next projects.
Photos:
1. The Garland Valse
2. Alexandra Lo Sardo (as Florine)
3. Marcin Kupinsky and Susanne Grinder as Florimund and Aurora
Photos: Henrik Stenberg Copyright (c) The Royal Danish Ballet
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