“Silk & Knife 2”
September 30, 2017
Royal Danish Ballet
The Old Stage
There is no doubt that Jiri Kylian is a first rate choreographer. There is likewise no doubt that the RDB is a great company. However, as the premiere of “ Silk & Knife 2” yesterday made abundantly clear is that they are not a seamless match. RDB has its force in big scale classical and dramatic ballets, spearheaded by a group of outstanding stars and with a backbone of a strong corps de ballet. Jiri Kylian has his entire career worked with smaller ensembles with little hierarchy.
Where RDB can carry the big stage sets, the Kylian catalog limits itself on few dancers and rather bare designs. The RDB is accustomed to perform with a live orchestra whereas the Kylian traditions depends on recorded music or sounds. The common determinator is rather small.
When the first “Silk & Knife” production had its premiere on RDB in 2008, at least two although small segments was choreographed on RDB dancers, stars Gudrun Bojesen and Thomas Lund, and celebrated character dancers Jette Buchwald and Flemming Ryberg. This time around, the Kylian’s assistants take care of the whole process. It is not a unusual praxis in today’s ballet world. However, as the whole program is dedicated to Kylian’s work, some facetime with the choreographer himself could have been the sparkle that lights the production.
How long does contemporary remains contemporary?
Kylian’s life work is outstanding. He is a choreographer who has kept developing. He has often pushed himself into new directions. He has created supplement NDT ensembles to take care of the very young dancers and the mature ones. However, as this program only includes works from 1978 -2002, we do not really get a contemporary Kylian.
First out is one of Kylian’s earlier masterpieces, “Psalm Symphony” from 1978. It highlights not only what Kylian does best but also the strategy of using dancers as chess pawns. Let by a group of RDB finest, Ida Praetorius, Marcin Kupinski, J’aime Crandall, Andreas Kaas, Amy Watson, Jon Axel Fransson and upcoming Astrid Elbo and Samuel Rees, we do get most of the Kylian recipe. However, in a Kylian ballet, the choreography is star. He do not need or want the personal interpretations. This is a brilliant work, but also a work where the individual dancer does not count. Beautiful to watch, but no room for play.
Last season Kylian´s all girls ballet “Falling Angels” made its ways into an RDB combo of modern ballet. The other two ballets was Wayne McGregor’ “Infra” and Akram Khan’s “Vertical Road.” Boxed in by the two recent works with all the trimming of not only good contemporary choreography, but also outstanding stage design, “Falling Angels” appeared much older than its 27 years. This time around, it is paired with all male “Sarabande” from 1999.
The two ballets shares one trait, very simplistic and loud sounds tapestry. In “Sarabande”, it is a mixture of Bach and human voices put through electronic treatments and in “Falling Angels” very lively drums.
However, both productions managed to present some outstanding dancing. In “Falling Angels” Astrid Elbo displays her strong stage appeal and high skills.
“Sarabande” uses many different stage tricks. However, the best bits are when the dancing does the speaking. The ensemble, including Soloist Nikolaj Hansen really makes the poses count.
However, the noise tapestry makes this segment difficult to love.
The Real Touch
The finale ballet, “27´52” from 2002 delivers the goods. A cast of six dancers partly dances and partly manipulates the stage design. Although there are several partner changes, there is still a structure of three couples with different personalities. Stephanie Chen-Gundorph and Jonathan Chmelensky handles the major and final pas de deux and ads a feeling of serenity and healing. A highlight on the evening.
Alba Nadal and Tobias Praetorius dances the sharp pas de deux. Praetorius has over a few season places himself as one of the strongest contemporary dancers in the company.
While Psalmensymphonie shows the strengths of the more traditional Kylian work, 27´52 shows how Kylian had kept developing. However, there remains a gap between the Kylian approach and the Royal Danish Ballets strengths and character. It will never be a seamless match, and it should really be considered whether the RDB should take part in the guardianship of the Kylian heritage or focus on choreographers, whose game plan is closer to the RDB’s own core qualities.
Photos by Henrik Stenberg (Copyright(c) Royal Danish Ballet)
- Tobias Praetorius in 27´52
- Ensemble in Psalm Symphonie
- Stephanie Chen Gundorph & Alexander Bozinoff in 27:52
I love Jiri Kylian, what does he do. The choreographer work is so hard. But he made is easy.
Thanks for sharing :)
Posted by: Sean Weisser | November 15, 2017 at 09:03 AM