Dance2Go
Nikolaj Hübbe & Silja Schandorff
“Swan Lake” White Act
Tilman O’Donnell:
“In Life Love & So On”
Presented by Corpus
October 22 2015
Esther Lee Wilkinson & Shane Brox
“The Fable Maker”
Royal Danish Ballet School
October 9, 2015
“Short Time Together”
Royal Danish Ballet
October 9, 2015
Financial Cuts for the RDB and the culture sector
When Shane Brox and Ester Lee Wilkinson’s children’s ballet “The Fable Maker” returned to the RDB stage after a two year hiatus there was one significant change. Shane Brox now goes stage and verbally explains some of the more dramatic scenes. I asked my six-year-old companion who also attended the premiere in 2012 if he found that change in the production beneficial.
He agreed that it made some things clearer and then hit the nail on the head by adding: “By why couldn’t Ferdinand (the protagonist) speak for himself?”
I could not answer the question and found myself explaining that in ballet people do not usually speak. How little aware was I then that the trend of this season apparently is Speaking Dancers. I will state that I have no problem with speaking dancers. It is the concept of non-dancing dancers, I have certain issues with.
The trend started in the “Short Time Together” combo, where all three segments included some kind of voice work. I have revisited the program, which had only enhanced my admiration for Leon & Lightfoot*s contribution, which lend it title to the full program. It is an intricate piece of work, and although the part that is specially choreographed for the RDB, at first comes over as a more mime-based section it certainly gives the trio of Susanne Grinder, Sebastian Haynes and Sebastian Kloborg a strong technical challenge as well. The passed with flying colors.
Canon Roar
The second program this year is another run of “Dance2Go”, Nikolaj Hübbe’s concept for attracting new audiences by offering a classic/modern combo at a price, comparable to a cinema ticket and a beer. The modern part is presented by “Corpus”, the in-house company. Since their first season, Corpus has moved in a direction where choreography is less important than concept. Even comparing with last seasons “Fever Harbor”, with Tilman O’Donnell’s "In Life and Love and So On", they take almost the final step in a process of taking dance out of the concept dance.
The O’Donnell work, which are based on the French philosopher Alain Badious' thinking, is certainly not without merit. Taken it on its own terms it is actually a much more intelligent, coherent and interesting work than both “Know” and “The Death that Best Preserves” which was recently choreographed on the RDB.
However, taken on the Royal Danish Ballet’s term it is an anachronism. Does the company really need a work where the dancers only do coordinated voice and sound utterings sitting in the orchestra pit and never entering the stage?
The strong point in the production is the discussion of the culture canon, created by the then conservative government, of masterpieces of Danish art and culture. The ballet contribution was Bournonville ("La Sylphide"), Harald Lander’s "Etudes" and Flemming Flindt’s “the Lesson”. The canon is argued in a filmed version where Tobias Praetorius, Sebastian Haynes, Samuel Rees and Tim Matiakis demonstrated the philosophy and rhetoric issues.
The strongest point came when parts of the decors on the canonized works started moving on the stage and created a joined picture. Well thought and well executed. However, this effect and the previous Show Me the Backstage moment both seemed inspired by “The Horizont” the ballet-opera-acting come together, which has played the autumn at the Drama House, and which lend inspiration to two/thirds of the “Short Time Together” combo as well.
I was a strong supporter of the Corpus concept when it were originally presented. Corpus has enriched the RDB with new inspiration, some killer performances and concepts, but it seems now that they are moving further and further away from creating a forum for in-house talent. It is all about experimentation with little relevance and value for an ensemble of dancers.
I am very happy to see that Gregory Dean and Oliver Starpov, who both showed talent for choreography, will be the main choreographers for the next installment of “The Hübbery”, Nikolaj Hübbe’s on stage dance/talk show.
A Question of Scale
The first part of “Dance2Go” was dedicated to the white act from “Swan Lake”. Silja Schandorff’s and Nikolaj Hübbe’s production was last season's biggest hit, when it ran on the greater Opera stage. I must admit that my expectations for the outtake was unrealistic height. I had not considered the limitations of the smaller and older Old Stage compared to the cutting edge Opera Stage.
When performed on the Opera Stage, “The Swan Lake” became a visual miracle with strong scenography and light designs. The larger stage also gave an abundance of room around the dancers, which help the ensemble to clarity, speed and freedom of movement.
These gifts was not available on the Old Stage. It shows ambition and quality that RDB wanted to present as big an ensemble as was used on the Opera Stage, but it did appear very crowded. It also looked like the dancing was not quite like my memories. It may have to do with the fact that this performance was not directed by it originators, Schandorff and Hübbe, but by ballet masters Stephane Dalle, Jean Lucien Massot and Claire Still. Some of the magic was lost in translation.
The leading couple was J’aime Crandall and Jonathan Chmelensky. As Nikolaj Hübbe had more potential Siegfried’s for the production, he created bigger roles and more dance for Rothbart and Benno. Chmelensky was one of the dancers who got both roles instead of a shot at Siegfried. It is well deserved that he now get the chance for at least doing a part of the leading role. J’aime Crandall was the first to dance Odette/Odile in this production, but has not yet really conquered the character of Odette nor does she have the unfair advantage of body type and long lines.
The thought did strike me that not only this couple, but the whole company would have had a better deal with act three. Chmelensky could have used his pyrotechnics and panache and Crandall would not have been pushed into the elegiac corner and could have displayed her strong technique better. The chance would also have giving the men better occupancy than what was available in the second offering of the evening.
With the limitations forced on the company and the Royal Theatre, every performance counts. There is very little room for making mistakes and not that many opportunities to share. It may be a fun idea to do non-dancing ballets, but it is a luxury the company cannot really afford.
It may be an even bigger challenge.
Money Money Money
Following a general election Denmark now have changed from a left/center government to a center/right government. The new government has decided that every cultural institution shall cut the costs with 2, 4 percent. It is only a few years back, that the Royal Theatre, of which RDB is part was forced to downsize repertoire and staff. The company are still suffering from that cut back.
During the last decades, the Royal Theatre has been gifted two amazing buildings, The Opera House and the Drama House. One is paid for by the State, the other from a private foundation. However, there has been no extra funding for maintaining the two expensive buildings. There are lots of extra costs involve like, a significant number of pianos as opera and ballet now are split. However, in the political climate in Denmark there is no votes in giving more founds to the national institutions.
Following the last cutback, the arts have suffered. There are fewer performances and fewer productions, and surprisingly enough there are fewer reproductions of former successes and classics.
By cutting the number of productions, it becomes more difficult to cater for the subscribers with is a major income for the theatre. This is probably the reason why the Schandorff & Hübbe production of “Swan Lake” despite a run of sold out houses is not on this season’s repertoire. The subscription guarantee that you do not get the production two or three season running.
Limitations
This scenario limits Nikolaj Hübbe’s possibilities to run a company based on the best artistic decisions. It also leaves the dancers fighting over the few opportunities available, and it hinders our fine corps in showing their craft.
In relation to this new cutting exercise, the government had brought in Deloitte for the princely sum of 2 million DKK to identify how the National Theatre can implement the saving exercise. Their findings have brought the Managing Director of the Royal Theatre to publicly criticize the consultancy’s recommendations and questions the use of money on this exercise.
Among their recommendations, Deloitte have suggested time registration systems for ballet dancers. One can almost imagine a time clock on the edge of the stage where swans and shades click in their carts before filling the stage with magic. However, as the MD concludes, clocking the ballet would most likely show that they work far more hours than what they are actually paid for.
The conclusion of the report is that the theatre should focus on the cheapest productions with the highest audience appeal. As if that was possible.
A financial crisis like this one can only be counteracted by creative thinking. As the situation before these cuts was far from ideal, maybe the Royal Theatre and RDB should use the opportunity to really rethink the organization- and sales structure. As it is, everything is planned out years ahead and placed in very stern structures. When something proves to be an audience draw, there is no room for prolonging the run. Likewise theres the no possibilities to shorten a fiasco, as pointed out in the report.
Maybe the organization should give itself more room to maneuver for instance by planning four fifth of the season and keeping the last month and a half free. This period could then be used to run more performances of the success productions for instance bring on another cast, rehash a production from the coffers.etc. That would leave the theatre with what Deloitte recommended: The sure sales with the lowest productions cost. It would also be the most popular subscription tickets. There is probably many reasons why this idea cannot be implemented, but thinking out of the box is necessary. The RDB can have this idea for free.
Producing ballets without dance content is surely not the solution.
Photos:
1. "In Life & Love and so on" by T.M. Rives (Copyright(c) Royal Danish Ballet)
2. "The Fabel Maker" by Costin Radu (Copyright(c) Royal Danish Ballet)
3. In Life & Love and so on" by T.M. Rives (Copyright(c) Royal Danish Ballet)
4. J'amie Crandall in Swan Lake (Copyright(c) Royal Danish Ballet)
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