Jewels - revisited: Vienna State Ballet Oct. 22nd, 2020

To revisit… Revisit's definition is obviously „to visit again" but also (much better) „to consider or discuss again". To „revisit" is a great opportunity to ponder, to think about one subject more carefully and for a longer time. I am glad about that, especially in times in which Mr B.'s work and its artistic proposal seem to occupy me extremely.

Having already expressed mild thoughts about the „cleanness" (concerning style, precision) of last September 24th's performance, I arrived at the Opera in quite a state of curiosity to see how much work had been done in this direction, on these issues after practically one month.

A very interesting month during which I broke one of my rules – this means never reading critiques by other colleagues – but rules are made to be broken (at least mine are, by me) and it is also time to comment the critics and their „positions" towards the new direction's members.

A critic has to be positive, impartial, open for the new, never have a preconceived opinion and, especially avoid any kind of information that might influence his own opinion. This is a fair and correct attitude. But to write that the ballet at the Opera has performed „with its usual high standard" is not accurate and betrays the fact that this critic lacks a certain knowledge about dance and that the wish to be „agreeable" (to put it mildly) to the new direction is quite unprofessional and manipulative.

Also writing that everything (really everything and everyone, even mentioning names) was bad (without mentioning WHAT was really „bad") and that the company was never in such bad technical shape also betrays not only lack of knowledge of the métier as well as a certain „political position" (interestingly all dancers from the Legris' era are bad and only two new ones are very good?). This is not only unjust but extremely unprofessional as it does not inform his readers correctly. Perhaps the critique was written by his dancer brother who was sitting beside him during the performance? Nonetheless, what kind of attitude is that?

Emeralds

Copyright: Vienna State Ballet / Ashley Taylor

Elena Bottaro, beautiful not only physically but technically and artistically, is the kind of attentive dancer who takes lots of care of what has been taught and told to her during rehearsals with the coach. Sensibility at its best. An intelligent dancer with a well-founded technique, she portrays very much of what a ballerina should look like – yes, that certain „it", that special carriage that only a classical dancer has and which makes all the difference at the moment she changes into a tutú. Miss Bottaro has grown very much as an artist during the past two years. This is what constant training quality and good coaching can do. Her delicacy – even though she is a very strong dancer – is extreme and to follow her arms and hands is nearly like watching an embroidery being formed on thin air.

Beautiful. Masayu Kimoto – such an accomplished dancer – enjoying this role, giving colour to it and displaying a contained „Noblesse". A reliable, concentrated partner, a dancer that joins together the strong jump quality with the finesse of a beautiful Épaulement in perfect unison to Miss Bottaro's. Very good performances by Maria Yakovleva – I was quite astonished and surprised with her mastering this role in such a smooth, stable mood as if listening and giving herself totally to the music (Fauré's „Pelléas et Mélisande" conducted sensibly by Paul Connely). She gave movement continuity to Miss Bottaro's lyrical arms ways - and Eno Peçi – the kind of dancer every company all over the world would wish for: technically firm, artistically profound, with great acting skills (he can also be delightfully funny) and owner of an admirable versatility. He understands what is required from him – from classical „story-telling" pieces via neoclassical ballets (as seen here) and contemporary dance to modern and experimental. And, on top of that, he is also a gifted choreographer. Chapeau.

The „trio" was danced by Aleksandra Liashenko, Anita Manolova and Daniel Vizcayo. Miss Liashenko, at ease on her toes, gave a very uniform performance but with nearly no fluctuations. Miss Manolova gave her usual, correct performance (although at some points she seemed quite over-challenged with the piece. One had the impression that Mr B. is sort of „a notch above" her abilities. Just correctness is not enough while dancing Balanchine). A very good surprise was yet to come: Mr Vizcayo filled the stage with his brightness and personality. Fleet-footed, quick, precise, he brought a certain joy mixed with a good technique and stage presence to the role. A refreshing personality with that boyish quality that I have already seen in a young Victor Ullate (By coincidence - are there coincidences? - also from Spain). I had to read a bit more about his formation as a dancer but his career has been spent in smaller companies until now. A dancer I am looking forward to seeing more often on the stage of the Opera. Definitely.

Rubies

Nina Poláková and Davide Dato at their very best. Precise, playful, extremely well-centred and using their musicality to its best. The understated complexity of the „finishing" hand movements always being repeated at the very end of musical phrases, nearly „giocosamente", requires extreme musicality which they have mastered perfectly. Wonderful interpretations to a wonderful, sometimes underrated choreography.

Olga Esina „brought down the house". I must confess that I had never seen her before in this role and that in the few performances of „Jewels" I have attended to here at the Opera, she had always been cast as the glittering brilliant in „Diamonds" using her well-suited 40-carat brilliance - in a way that only she knows how - to finish one exciting evening. In „Rubies" she makes another side of her personality quite evident and exhibits ostentatiously her clear, precise, well-founded technique in a different, much sharper, pinpointed way. She also understands perfectly what (and how it) is being seen from the audience's oblique angle. This is the very rare vision that an artist can have from himself on stage and of the impact that she is causing at the other side „of the fourth wall"! An admirable gift. Such a pleasure to watch her - and also be witness to the warm applause given her during her curtain-calls.

Four gifted dancers; Lourenço Ferreira, François-Eloi Lavignac, Arne Vandervelde and Géraud Wielick, gave a good show (individually) but are still quite uncoordinated and in need of some more rehearsal in the musical sector. Their way of music comprehension is completely different and this led to quite an unbalanced performance.

Diamonds

The second surprise of the evening was still to come: Marcos Menha. Although having researched a bit about him, no video gave me a real, tangible feeling and understanding of his dance and body language. No one can judge a dancer by just watching a video. That special thing called „live on stage" and the energy that is created between public and artist, that very intimate undescribable „love affair" (or „disdain", „disregard" or even „profound hate") that can begin/or be finished in a glimpse of a second with just one „look" or hand movement, is simply incomprehensible and not palpable on a video screen. One has to be in an audience, breathing with the artist (even if using a mask) to understand and see it. The minute he entered the stage one could feel immense confidence in what was going to take place. Two aspects of his performance impressed me the most: his presence on stage and his gifts as an extremely reliable partner. In times in which many dancers seem to be neglecting what it means to be a partner (and just wanting to look the most charming and elegant to their best advantage), Mr Menha displayed not only elegance (physical and from his inner character) but also a big dose of humbleness. His body language and his looks suit very well the neoclassical Balanchine language (He has also the certain height to partner some of the tallest ballerinas in the company). His performance has made me even more curious about him in more modern pieces and contemporary works but also more classical, traditional ballets. A very good surprise.

Liudmila Konovalova gave us a very serene, more emotionally subdued interpretation of „Diamonds". Technically at the top of her career, Miss Konolova dominates completely the most complicated, tricky, even ungrateful combinations and she did master the more astute combinations in a way only a Balanchine trained dancer can (and only an educated Balanchine observer in the audience can see). She was serious. Very serious. I do not believe in forced smiles and I do criticize some members of the Corps de Ballet who carried a frozen smile from beginning to end of every part of the evening. But that is not it... I can only think of some words uttered by Alexandra Danilova a long time ago. Madame Danilova, who knew Balanchine's work in her heart, once said: „Must shine, like diamond" (sic.). I could not express it any other way. Yes, some sparkle and more brilliance would help much in breaking the fourth wall which let neither Miss Konovalova nor Mr Menha project their energy throughout the theatre until the top of the gallery.

In my last review, as mentioned at the beginning of this one, I made a point about cleanness: „While watching the show I realised that one could recognize immediately which were the new dancers in the Company by the way they use their arms on stage. An interesting fact but it is obvious that lots of work must be done soon to homogenize them"

Well, to make a long story short, this work was not done. Lines, formations, arms were much more imprecise that on September 24th. As far as I am informed, coaches from The George Balanchine Trust were here – haven't they rehearsed and coached also the second and the third casts? It is not that dancers who came from Düsseldorf have never danced Balanchine before. I saw that they have done a few pieces during the last years. I don’t think that the Trust would be pleased with what is going on on stage now. Mr B.'s approach to dance – more than just a „style", as I never tire to say – must be remembered and re-studied and re-interpreted and re-analyzed from time to time. One must get acquainted with it all over again. For example; there was a very little girl in the Corps in „Diamonds", at the far left on stage. A lovely girl but moving in a completely different way than all others on stage, as if doing her own “thing”. But not only that: I could not believe my eyes when looking at BASIC things like piqués arabesque; so out of frame that the leg in the air seemed to be somewhere between an arabesque and a second position. I have seen this „trick" many times, by less gifted dancers, to heighten the back leg but never with the back to the audience! Also, some pas-de-chats exits into the wings were so unspeakably dilettant that made me think of children's classes at the ballet school.

I wonder if before performances, Ballet Masters, still prepare the dancers during classes for the hardships of the upcoming evening? Not anymore? It hurts to look at such sloppiness in a company now considered as “one of the technically and stylish purest in Europe”, because of negligence. Be it less time, no proper rehearsals, unfit coaching, lack of corrections. No excuse is acceptable. Let us not forget a quite important thing: the public is paying.

Otherwise, I am very glad that Ballet Masters and the direction watch every single performance, as I am told. If I can see all these flaws, they must see much more. Corrections, especially the ones concerning style (here I go again writing about arms...) are surely given by the direction after each performance, as customary in the world of dance.

It is also within the director's obligations to care for perfect casting. Not only artistically, technically but also physically. The audience wants to appreciate a harmonious performance, a harmonious picture in more classical and neoclassical ballets – and this also includes choosing the right dancers to be beside each other: homogeneous body types, height, weight, movement quality. This requires a COMPLETE understanding of the ballets in the case. The knowledge of all its different roles inside out is essential. To put it more explicitly, here an example, one very easy to understand: Having dancer A beside dancer B at the beginning of the choreography does not mean that, after the ballet's formations and evolution, they will still be beside each other in the end.

I surely do not wish to sound „didactic", but having read the last issue of „Opernring zwei" (a magazine produced by the Vienna State Opera) I feel quite free to refer to basic points like the ones mentioned above. To explain it more clearly: in this magazine’s issue, even though some articles are very good, we are “taught” many things as if we were a provincial public in a provincial Theatre with no idea whatsoever of what Opera and Ballet are all about or as if we were in a classroom and not in one of the most import culture Capitals of the world. Definitely a very strange posture.

But one thing is sure: we all want that the high standard, which we grew accustomed to throughout the years, is kept. There's lots of work to be done – I see that now even more clearly - and not only for the future but to maintain the company's artistic, technical level. Lots of work but it is worth it.

Next performances:

October 27th and 29th, November 1st (two performances)