Brendan Saye, principal (National Ballet of Canada, Vienna State Ballet/Wiener Staatsballett): an Interview, Nov. 23rd, 2022 (Part 2)

Mar 13

Mar 13 Brendan Saye, principal (National Ballet of Canada, Vienna State Ballet/Wiener Staatsballett): an Interview, Nov. 23rd, 2022 (Part 2)

In case you have not read the first part of this interview, just scroll down the Blog to February 20th

(or click on “Content” and “Just for the record”)

„Let´s talk more about “roles”, different ones, or if you prefer perhaps just one role, one you feel especially connected to… „

Looking at me he smiles broadly – memories, good memories are coming!

„I always feel at home with Balanchine, but most of all in „Serenade". In it I am fully „at home". There is enough room to express your own creativity! And this is what is so special about it! But I also feel extremely comfortable with McGregor´s work – highly intellectual!"

Thinking back at the beautiful repertoire that Mr Saye has created with the Nation Ballet of Canada, which included Kudelka´s „Swan Lake", Nureyev`s „Sleeping Beauty", Ashton`s „The Dream", Ratmanky`s „Romeo and Juliet" (in which he not only played Romeo but also Tybald), Neumeier`s „Anna Karenina" (Karenin), Wheeldon´s „Alice in Wonderland" (The white rabbit), Wheeldon´s challenging „The winter's Tale" as well as works by Twilla Tharp, McGregor, Kylián, MacMillan, Peck, Forsythe, etc.

Copyright: National Ballet of Canada / Karolina Kuras

„Apart from „Apollo", Oberon in „The Dream" and The Man in „The four Seasons", are there any other roles you would like to dance again?"

Without hesitating for one second he says „Albrecht" in Sir Peter Wright`s Giselle version!" (And I am particularly relieved to hear that as I am surely not a „fan" of Tschernikova`s predictable version that has been far too long in the repertoire of the Vienna State Opera)

„And any other one that you would like to discover and dance?"

„Definitely!", he says „At the moment I am working on „Onegin", which I will dance in January (Note by the time this Interview is online, Mr Saye will have danced „Onegin" already) but also „A Month in the country" and Robbins` "The afternoon of a faun"… „

Copyright: Ashley Taylor/ Vienna State Ballet

I stop for a moment but have to say „I could see you in all of them, especially Robbins' „Faun", but I would also like to add that, knowing your work, I would like very much to see you, first as Armand in Neumeier`s „Dame aux Camelias", in Cranko`s „Legende" and, believe it or not, as „Petruchio" in „The Taming of the Shrew", another one of Cranko`s masterpieces!"

He listens carefully and I can nearly hear his „grey cells", as Poirot would say, working. He is absorbing this information, somehow „decoding" it. Just by gently listening to it, I can feel his whole attention on the issue I have just mentioned... This elegant attitude, so natural to him, suits him perfectly. „It fits like a glove" and reveals once more much of his personality – And suddenly a thought has crystallized in my mind: In a jiffy, it is more than clear to me where he gets the inspiration to be „just simply" a „Danseur Noble".

„ Well, „Legende" is a piece in which strong partnering is asked for. You have proven many times that you are a precise, strong partner. A quality, I must say, that is disappearing continuously. Many Male dancers, just want to look good and forget that partnering requires more than just looking beautiful. Petruchio? Because I think that your reserved attitude would create a great combination with this wicked, funny piece. Think of Chaplin and the way he always emphasized that comedy could only be funny if the Actors did not think they were funny and did not play it „funny"! You know what I mean?"

By the look in his eyes, I realized that he knows. And, I had forgotten, he has proved this before… He reminds me of it just by saying: „Yes, I used that on my White Rabbit in Wheeldon`s „Alice", remember?"

He continues „I don't know „Legende". You said Cranko?"

„Yes", I answer „Someday I will show you a very special video of it!"

„And Armand, such a great role... „, he adds. It is clear to me that he is envisioning, and visualizing the role and all its nuances. The “Frederick Ashton’s touch”. A fascinating moment – one of those that make me happy. This possibility of penetrating somebody's mind, and sharing these inner moods and visions. How I love that.

„Where do you feel more „at home"? While dancing narrative Ballets or abstract roles?"

„I could answer that just as „I am capable of tackling both and I am determined not to limit myself. In abstract pieces, love the challenge of finding my own inner narrative. But I also love the adventure of becoming an already existing character in a narrative Ballet – just now I am „studying" Onegin and his motives, more than ever!"

But time flies and we, who had thought that we would have plenty of it, all of sudden realized that we could have talked for another three hours. This doesn't happen frequently. Joy in sharing experiences, thoughts, and this most simple – and essential of things: Empathy. There's no better sensation than finishing an interview and on the way home realizing that one could have asked even more „of this and that". Nothing better than realizing that there are still so many aspects open for conversation and further understanding, discovering, discussing… Just a very „rich person" (I mean a person with an inner life, intelligence, curiosity, and need to learn), can share that. Well, next time.

Thank you, Brendan, very much for this very particular Joy and spontaneous chat.

Ricardo Leitner

Vienna, December 2022