Starstruck ballet. Music by George Gershwin and Chopin. Choreography by Gene Kelly as reconstructed and embellished by Christopher Hampson. Directed 2021 by Oscar Sansom at the Scottish Ballet. Stars Sophie Martin (Star Ballerina/Aphrodite), Christopher Harrison (Choreographer/Zeus), Bruno Micchiardi (Pianist/Eros), Javier Andreu (Sweetheart Man/Lifeguard), Roseanna Loney (Sweetheart Woman/Girl with Ponytail), and Nicholas Shoesmith (Stagehand). Also features dancers Aisling Brangan, Grace Horler, Grace Poulley, Melissa Parsons, Kayla-Maree Tarantolo, Rimbaud Patron, Noa Barry, Hannah Cubitt, Alice Kawalek, Amy McEntee, Xolisweh Ana Richards, Anna Williams, Matthew Broadbent, James Hobley, Jamie Reid, Simon Schilgen, Eado Turgemen, Alarón Venegas, Pablo Dorado Calderon, Stevie Winning, and Helen Katamba. Jean-Claude Picard conducts the Scottish Ballet Orchestra. Designs and set by Lez Brotherston; lighting by Lawrie McLennan; artistic collaboration by Patricia Ward Kelly; guest rehearsal coaching by Alexandra Worral. No credit available for the video file. Released 2022, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: B
Here we have a merger of classical ballet and American movie dancing. It originated in a 1960 piece called Pas de Dieux by Gene Kelly that was commissioned and performed by the Paris Opera Ballet . . .
Read MoreThe Red Shoes dance production. Directed and choreographed by Matthew Bourne in 2019 at Sadler’s Wells in London. Music by Bernard Herrmann orchestrated by Terry Davies. Stars Ashley Shaw (Victoria Page), Adam Cooper (Boris Lermontov), Dominic North (Julian Craster), Liam Mower (Ivan Boleslawsky), Michela Meazza (Irina Boronskaya), and Glenn Graham (Grisha Ljubov). Other dancers from New Adventures are: Stephanie Billers, Ben Brown, João Carolino, Reece Causton, Harrison Dowzell, Jackson Fisch, Rose Goddard, Bryony Harrison, Daisy May Kemp, Kate Lyons, and Danny Reubens. Brett Morris conducts the New Adventures Orchestra. Set and costume design by Lez Brotherston; lighting design by Paule Constable; sound design by Paul Groothuis; projection design by Duncan McLean; associate artistic director was Etta Murfitt; assistant choreography by Neil Westmoreland; associate lighting director was Rob Casey. Directed for TV by Ross MacGibbon. Released 2021, disc has LPCM stereo sound. Grade: A
The Red Shoes story from Hans Christian Anderson is about a poor girl whose only joy was a pair of red shoes that let her dance. She was shamed . . .
Read MoreGhost Light ballet. Choreographed 2020 by John Neumeier to solo piano music by Franz Schubert. Recorded live October 2020 at the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden. Performed by all of Neumeier’s corps (55 or so members) under physical and casting restrictions required by Covid-19 health rules. Staging, lighting, and costumes by Neumeier with Jürgen Rose costumes from Neumier’s Lady of the Camellias and The Nutcracker. Directed for TV by Myriam Hoyer. A detailed and excellent keepcase booklet has lots of information about this unique project. Released 2021, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio 5.1 sound. Grade: A+ with both the ‽ and the 💓 designations.
Let’s jump right into screen shots. First, the ghost light . . .
Read MoreThird Practice modern dance performance. Choreography by Tero Saarinen. Performed 2021 by the Tero Saarinen Company at the Finnish National Opera. Music by Claudio Monteverdi. Aapo Häkkinen conducts the Helsinki Baroque Orchestra with tenor Topi Lehtipuu and “virtual soprano” Núria Rial. Dancers are Jenna Broas, Annika Hyvärinen, Natasha Lommi, Pekka Louhio, David Scarantino, and Eero Vesterinen with understudies Elina Häyrynen, Oskari Kymäläinen, Mikko Lampinen, and Emma Pennanen. Music arranged by Aapo Häkkinen; lighting by Eero Auvinen (TTT-Theatre); costumes by Erika Turunen; projection design by Thomas Freundlich; sound design by Marco Melchior; choreographer’s assistants were Henrikki Heikkilä and Satu Halttunen. Title includes a documentary about the work of Tero Saarinen called Rooted with Wings. Recital and documentary directed for TV by Thomas Freundlich. No subtitles for Third Practice songs in Italian and Latin. Released 2022, disc has PCM 2.0 sound. Grade: B-
Read MoreThe Six Brandenburg Concertos dance recital choreographed by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker to JS Bach’s famous music. Performed 2019 at the Opéra national de Paris (Palais Garnier). Created with and performed by the dancers of Rosas, including Boštjan Antončič, Carlos Garbin, Frank Gizycki, Marie Goudot, Robin Haghi, Cynthia Loemij, Mark Lorimer, Michaël Pomero, Jason Respilieux, Igor Shyshko, Luka Švajda, Jakub Truszkowski, Thomas Vantuycom, Samantha van Wissen, Sandy Williams, and Sue Yeon Youn. Amandine Beyer conducts the B’Rock Orchestra. Set and lighting design by Jan Versweyveld; costumes by An D’Huys; dramaturgy by Jan Vandenhouwe; artistic assistant was Femke Gyselinck; musical advice by Kees van Houten. Directed for TV by Louise Narboni. Produced by Antoine Perset, Denis Morlière, and Laurent Métivier. Released 2021, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: B-
It appears Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker is unusual as a choreographer in that she never trained in someone else’s dance company. She was a music student who took some dance courses. She was from the beginning a universal genius . . .
Read MoreKes Reimagined dance film based on the novel A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines. Directed 2019 by Ross MacGibbon. Choreographed by Jonathan Watkins (based on Watkins’s 2014 stage version). Music by Alex Baranowksi. Stars Chester Hayes (Billy), Tobias Batley (Jud), Kristen McNally (Mum), Dom Czapski (Mr. Farthing), Phil Snowden (Mr. Sugden), Anton Skrzypiciel (Mr. Gryce), Laura Careless (Kes Puppetry / Woman in WMC), and Barnaby Meredith (Bookshop Owner) as well as Brandon Brereton, David Stirrup, Jonathan Layton, Spike King, Oliver Stanton, Susannah Neave, Edie Marriage Massey, Charlotte Page, and Emmanuella Sarpong (classmates). Set and costumes by Ben Stones; lighting by Mark Henderson; projections by Daniel Denton; puppetry by Rachael Canning; dramaturgy by Ruth Little. Executive Producer was Helen Spencer. Released 2022, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: C+
The kestrel is a type of falcon. It was once the only bird of prey that a serf was allowed to own
Read MoreWritten on Water is a motion picture docudrama. Choreography and direction by Pontus Lidberg. Original recorded music by Stefan Levin and pianist Magnus Svensson playing classical music solo. Stars Lidberg , Aurélie Dupont, Alexander Jones, Stina Ekblad, Sarawanee Tanatanit, and Leslie Caron. Directed for TV by Martin Nisser; edited by Lars Gustafson. Produced by François Duplat, Amaury Lafarge, Pontus Lidberg, and Mary Ellen Obias. Video is in letterbox with 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: B+ with the ‽ designation.
This is an esoteric, puzzling, scrambled-plot movie about the lives of dance artists. One critic asserts that Lidberg’s erraticism results in a “dance movie adrift.” Lidberg defends his wild gyrations saying that “subjective perceptions become reality.” That’s too esoteric. I don’t need a throughplot. I enjoy the movie as a collage of scenes that show what kinds of things that can happen anytime a dancer goes to work. Of course, not everything that could happen will occur in a single gig—except in this wild movie.
Read MoreRomeo + Juliet dance production. Music by Prokofiev as orchestrated by Terry Davies. Directed and choreographed by Matthew Bourne. Performed 2019 at Sadler’s Wells, London. Stars Paris Fitzpatrick (Romeo), Cordelia Braithwaite (Juliet), Dan Wright (Tybalt), Ben Brown (Mercutio), Jackson Fisch (Balthasar), Harrison Dowzell (Benvolio), Hannah Mason (Frenchie), Daisy May Kemp (Rev. Bernadette Laurence/Mrs. Montague/Nurse), and Matt Petty (Senator Montague/Guard/Orderly) as well as company members Tanisha Addicott, Callum Bowman, Alexander Fadayiro, Cameron Flynn, Emily Galvin, Ashton Hall, Bryony Harrison, Monique Jonas, Hannah Kremer, Sharol Mackenzie, Mark Samaras, Christopher Thomas, Roisin Whelan, and Janacek Wood. Brett Morris conducts the New Adventures Orchestra in chamber mode with 15 or so musicians, many playing multiple instruments. Set and costume design by Lez Brotherston; lighting design by Paule Constable; sound design by Paul Groothius; resident director was Neil Westmoreland; rehearsal director was Paul Smethurst. Young Associates working with artistic team were Arielle Smith (choreography), Elin Steele (set and costume design), Ali Hunter (lighting), Rachel Goldberg (sound design), Alexander Ling (orchestration), and Ellie Slorach (conducting). Directed for TV by Ross MacGibbon. Released 2020. Grade: B+
This latest production from Matthew Bourne bears only a slight resemblance (mostly a few proper names) to the Romeo legend and the Shakespeare play.
Read MoreThe Mother dance production inspired by the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, The Story of a Mother. Directed and choreographed in 2019 by Arthur Pita at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London. Original music composed and performed by Frank Moon and Dave Price. Stars Natalia Osipova in the role of the mother and Jonathan Goddard playing all other characters that appear, i.e., death, the babushka, the bramble bush, etc. Set and costume design by Yann Seabra; lighting design by David Plater; dramaturgy by Anna Rulevskaya. Stage production by Alexandrina Markvo (Bird&Carrot). Directed for TV by Gerald Fox; edited by Miranda Watts. Produced for TV by Justine Waddell, Alexandrina Markvo, and Gerald Fox. The keepcase booklet has a nice English translation of The Story of a Mother. Brief passages sung and spoken in Russian (no subtitles). Released 2020, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A+
This may be the biggest risk Opus Arte ever took . . .
Read MoreThe Art of Ohad Naharin Vol. 2 is a performance in 2018 of Sadeh21, a 75-minute piece choreographed by Ohad Naharin in 2011. Recorded music from 10 modern composers. The venue was the same Chaillot-Théâtre national de la Danse in Paris where the early Art of Ohad Naharin (Vol. 1) was shot. Dancers from Batsheva-The Young Ensemble are
Read MoreThe Art of Ohad Naharin dance double bill. Choreography by Ohad Naharin. Performed 2014 and 2017 by the Batsheva Dance Company on the same stage at the Chaillot-Théâtre national de la Danse in Paris. Grade: A. Disc includes:
1. Naharin’s Virus from 2001 and revived 2014. Restaged and directed by Luc Jacobs. Dancers: William Barry, Omri Drumlevich, Bret Easterling, Iyar Elezra, Rani Ledzelter, Eri Nakamura, Rachael Osborne, Shamel Pitts, Oscar Ramos, Nitzan Ressler, Ian Robinson, Or Meir Schraiber, Maayan Sheinfeld, Bobbi Jene Smith, Zina (Natalia) Zinchenko, and Adi Zlatin. Original music by Karni Postel with additional music from Samuel Barber (Adagio performed by Kronos Quartet), Carlos D`Allessio (Les bulles), P. Stokes & P. Parsons (I want performed by Breakbeat Massive), and traditional Arab folk music by Al Majad group.
Read MoreThe Car Man dance production. Music arranged by Terry Davies after the Rodion Shchedrin Carmen Suite and other sources. Book and choreography by Matthew Bourne. This is the 2015 revival with staging by Etta Murfit at Sadler’s Wells Theatre, London (which updated the earlier version of the show published in DVD). Stars Christopher Trenfield (Luca), Zizi Strallen (Lana), Dominic North (Angelo), Kate Lyons (Rita), Alan Vincent (Dino) and the following residents of Harmony, USA: Cordelia Braithwaite, Tom Clark, Danny Collins, Pia Driver, Glenn Graham, Nicole Kabera, Katrina Lyndon, Andrew Monaghan, Leon Moran, Danny Reubens, Katie Webb, and Daniel Wright. Set and costume design by Lez Brotherston; lighting design by Chris Davey; sound design by Paul Groothius. Directed for TV by Ross MacGibbon. Released 2017, disc has 48/24 LPCM stereo sound. Grade: B+
The Carmen music gets this show off to a fast start, but the story
Read MoreLa Fresque (The Fresco) dance production based on a traditional Chinese folk tale. Music by Nicolas Godin with the collaboration of Vincent Taurelle. Choreographed and directed 2017 by Angelin Preljocaj at the Théâtre de la Criée, Marseille, France. Stars Clara Freschel, Nuriya Nagimova, Nagisa Shirai, Anna Tatarova, Yurié Tsugawa, Sergi Amoros Aparicio, Marius Delcourt, Antoine Dubois, Jean-Charles Jousni, and Fran Sanchez from Ballet Preljocaj with Mirea Delogu, Victor Martivez Caliz and Simon Ripert. Set designs and videos by Constance Guisset Studio; costumes by Azzedine Alaïa; lighting design by Éric Soyer. Directed for TV by François-René Martin. Produced by Antoine Perset and Denis Molière. Released 2019, disc has PCM stereo sound. Grade: B+
La Fresque is a fun show to watch. Preljocaj is a leading modern dance choreographer whom we admire for his Siddharte (Paris Opera Ballet) in Blu-ray. He has a refreshing style that mixes modern dance with military precision in larger formations and with unusual props and concepts. Above all, he is a genius at displaying feminine sexuality in a slick, tasteful way
Read MoreCinderella dance show. Music by Sergei Prokofiev especially arranged, conducted by Brett Morris, and recorded for this production. New/Adventures Dance Company was choreographed and directed by Matthew Bourne with video recorded 2017 at Sadler’s Wells Theatre, London. Stars Ashley Shaw (Cinderella), Andrew Monaghan (The Pilot), Liam Mower (The Angel), Michela Meazza (The Stepmother), Alan Vincent (The Father), Stephanie Billers (A Stepsister), Nicole Kabera (A Stepsister), Jackson Fisch (A Stepbrother), Daniel Wright (A Stepbrother), and Stephen Murray (A Stepbrother). Also features dancers Reece Causton, Danny Reubens, Sophia Hurdley, Katie Webb, Dominic North, Glenn Graham, Jack Jones, Jamie McDonald, João Carolino, and Kate Lyons. Set and costume design by Lez Brotherston; lighting design by Neil Austin; sound design (music plus ambient sounds from WW II events) by Paul Groothuis; production design by Duncan McLean; lighting direction by Bernie Davis; sound by Mike Hatch; associate artistic director was Etta Murfitt; resident director was Neil Westmoreland. Directed for TV by Ross MacGibbon; produced by Lucie Conrad. There is no keepcase booklet, but the bonus extras are interesting and heartfelt. Released 2018, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: A
Read MorePlay dance production recorded 2017 at the Opéra national de Paris (Palais Garnier). Choreographed by Alexander Ekman and assistant Ana Maria Lucaciu. Music by Mikael Karlsson. Stars Stéphane Bullion (Danseur Étoile), Muriel Zusperreguy (Première Danseuse), Vincent Chaillet (Premier Danseur), and the following dancers from the Corps de Ballet: Marion Barbeau, Aurélia Bellet, Alice Catonnet, Silvia Saint-Martin, Ida Vikinkoski, Juliette Hilaire, Laurène Levy, Charlotte Ranson, Jennifer Visocchi, Claire Gandolfi, Marion Gautier de Charnacé, Clémence Gross, Caroline Osmont, Sofia Rosolini, Chelsea Adomaitis, Margaux Gaudy-Talazac, Mouget Shanti, Aurélien Houette, Allister Madin, Marc Moreau, Jérémy-Loup Quer, Daniel Stokes, Simon Valastro, Adrien Couvez, Yvon Demol, Alexandre Gasse, Antoine Kirscher, Mickaël Lafon, Hugo Vigliotti, Takeru Coste, Simon Le Borgne, Antonin Monié, and Andréa Sarri.
Read More