Christopher Wheeldon:
”Alice”
Royal Danish Ballet
The Old Stage
December 7, 2016
Now on my third visit to the Christmas run of “Alice”, the productions strengths and weaknesses becomes clearer. The production comes across as a well-oiled machine where the RDB dancers apparently effortless changes roles and costumes. Some dancers are juggling four to five different roles with no sign of panic or doubt. The complex décor keeps functioning with unbelievable ease. However, it cannot be disguised that as the performance keeps running, especially the last acts would benefit from some editing and cuts.
Some divertissements seem to go on forever. Both the flowerganza and the jeux de cartes overstay their welcome. In a league of its own is the Indian/drugs/mushroom mix-up with the caterpillar. It looks like the creative team has concluded that all these elements would present the best combo. Instead, it trivialize the original masterpiece.
Putting Alice in the Corner
This third visit also made clear, how little material the stars really has to work with. The PR effort was mostly based on how hard and demanding the leading role is. It is true that Alice is practically on stage for the whole performance. However, she is not used as cleverly in the second half of the performance as in the first. Her she is little more than a bit player and even though she and Jack continues their ongoing pas de deux, nothing really sticks.
The role of Alice is predominantly casted with the younger Principals and Soloists, Ida Praetorius, Caroline Baldwin and Holly Dorger, whereas the role of the Red Queen are primarily reserved for the senior ballerinas Kizzy Matiakis, Amy Watson and Susanne Grinder. Only the young upcoming star Astrid Elbo breaks the age bracket.
J’aime Crandall is the only one to get a shot on both roles. However, she will only do one performance as the Red Queen. Looking at pictures and an open rehearsal that showed the first act, it looks like she will do as good a performance as the three queens, I have seen so far.
As Alice in the first part of the ballet, she creates a believable and fine interpretation as the very young girl. However as the evening continue and when it feels like the choreographer has lost the interest for the title role, she is struggling to keep the audiences interest. She is a dancer who needs good choreography, which she can enhance with her great capabilities for classical dancing, but she cannot – as most dancers – shine when there is little or no choreographic material to work with.
Likewise the partnership with Jonathan Chmelensky as Jack. It is charming in the beginning where both roles still holds the choreographers attention, but when that slips, they cannot keep running on charm as Ida Praetorius and Andreas Kaas can.
A Real Queen
Two years ago, I interviewed Susanne Grinder for an article named “The Queen of Hearts”. I swear it was not named to get her this specific role. Instead, my conclusion was that it would be Susanne Grinder who had to carry the mantle of the Romantic Danish ballerina, which she has done with aplomb for the latest seasons.
Looking at this season so far, it could look like she has been placed on the shelf. No Odile or Giselle. Save a divertissement in “Swan Lake” her only outing has been in the rather problematic “Sleeping Beauty must Die”.
It was therefore a great joy to see how well and how personal her interpretation of the Red Queen turned out to be.
Susanne Grinder differs from the traditional interpretation of The Red Queen as the loudest and worst bitch in the world. Her Queen’s uses tears and emotions to get her husband, family and court to follow her whims. In the Rose Adagio, it is clear how well she knows the original, so it becomes an elegant and well-danced performance, without losing the comedy.
The performance included another surprisingly fine performance, Alexander Bozinoff as Lewis Carroll/The White Rabbit. From the beginning, he showed good character acting and he managed very well to keep the rabbit in focus.
“Alice” becomes a successful production by giving many dancers meaty roles, and by demonstrating a very inventive use of design and original ideas. Who do not love the Cheshire cat? However, an editing and tightening of the last half could only benefit the production. Quality is not measured in length.
Photo by Costin Radu (copyright(c) Royal Danish Ballet)
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