English National Ballet | Bausch, Forsythe and Van Manen
Sadler's Wells, London
English National Ballet’s latest triple bill at Sadler’s Wells Theatre was a slick showcase of versatility. Commencing with the stylish abstract classicism of William Forsythe’s In The Middle, Somewhat Elevated. Stark white lighting abruptly illuminates the stage to reveille Forsythe’s formulaic choreographic explorations of theme and variation. Its origins are rooted with the Paris Opera Ballet from 1987 with its star studded original cast of Sylvie Guillem, Laurent Hilaire, Isabelle Guerin and Manual Lagris. English National Ballet had large boots to fill - and fill them they did. They excel through Forsythe’s precise virtuosic demands with beautiful flair.
This stark abstraction is quickly replaced with Hans Van Manen’s traditional language in Adagio Hammerklavier. The gentle steady melody of Beethoven’s sonata no 29, Opus 106, acts as the perfect accompaniment to the slow and controlled choreography. The work strips away excess by using a delicate billowing white backdrop and only three pairs of dancers. A level of sophisticated classicism is nearly achieved but is somewhat thwarted by a scattering of odd quirks with flexed feet, sudden falls and slightly questionable leg positions.
The evening concludes with the most anticipated performance of the programme, Pina Bausch raw and savage reimagining of Le Sacre du Printemps. Sacre was originally created for the Ballets Russes in 1913, it brought to life a pagan sacrificial ritual which condemned a woman to dance to her death. The brutality created by Stravinsky’s score, Nijinsky’s choreography and Roerich’s design sent their audiences’ into a rioting rage. Bausch bravely took on Stravinsky’s score in 1975 to create her own vision of the tale. Bausch’s iconic work has not appeared on our shores in eleven years and returns with the English National Ballet. They are the third company to ever be trusted with the piece under the guidance of their artist director Tamara Rojo and former Bausch dancer, Jo Ann Endicott. The huge cast of twenty eight perfectly capture Bausch emotionally driven choreography. They indulge the grounded movement quality and exude masculinity, vulnerability and raw primal power. The classical training of these ballet dancers is barely recognisable as they’re exhausted sweaty bodies become coated in peat from Rolf Borzik’s carpet of dirt. English National Ballet leave the audience in complete owe of the huge transformation that they undertook with their ambitious evening of dance.
Photo credits: Tristram Kenton and Laurent Liotardo