"Shifting Symmetries": Vienna State Ballet (Wiener Staatsballett), January 11th, 2025

Due to some private reasons, I have not attended any performances during the last few months as I was not in Austria. As the Buddhist saying goes, everything happens for a certain reason, and this sort of „distance" was extremely positive for me.

„Shifting Symmetries" is a good, catchy headline, although not really applicable to the evening's contents. I wonder who created this ill-fitted evening's title. Which symmetries are meant? Symmetry is the quality of being made up of exactly similar parts facing each other or around an axis. Nothing and everything could relate to that. But it sounds very “chic” even if doesn’t mean a thing.

As I walked through the foyer yesterday, during the first intermission, I heard a couple discussing. I realized they did not quite understand the definition of „shifting": You could easily describe it as „changing or moving". But my interpretation is different. It goes far beyond that because of its unpredictability. If you apply, in the general sense, to all things that can happen in our daily life including finances, careers, jobs, Health, and decisions etc, „shifting" gets a more global meaning that, in times like this, can be nearly mean and cynical..Everything can change. And very quickly, by the way. Think of that.

Copyright: Ricardo Leitner

„Concertante"

Once more we were presented with some of Van Manen's work. This time not a „dated" one. Van Manen's work is very popular in Germany. The present Ballet direction at the Vienna State Ballet is very “Germany-minded”.

Germany's dance scene lacks a certain „urge" for individuality and creativity:Van Manen is popular in Germany. Many companies use his work. Remember when Pina Bausch got really into “Tanztheater”? Everybody in Germany was doing “Tanztheater”. Individual and creative choice? No. On the contrary, it is a very one-sided attitude that reveals much of an intellectual and knowledge restriction. We have had quite a few chances to watch Van Manen's work in the past years. This is very good. For the Van Manen’s fans.

The choreography is „smooth", simple, not very imaginative and presents eight dancers on Stage. This time it is not dated, not deeply related (and “chained”) to a certain time period - as some of his earlier work.

Liudmila Konovalova, light-years away from the demands of „Bravura" seemed sort of, and I mean this very positively, disappear in the group, giving her character a more down-to-earth, sensitive quality which I have not seen in her for a long time. Softer. This also applies to her performance in Balanchine's „Brahms-Schoenberg-Quartet".

This is a good thing that made audiences connect to her and enjoy her work.

Marcos Menha was in his mètier, physically, and interacted well with Konovalova.

The performances by Aleksandra Liashenko, Géraud Wielick and Iliana Chivarova were a bit „matter of fact" and lacked humanity. Mr Wielick gave the impression of being bored, as if just “doing a job”.

Liashenko/ Wielick - Copyright: Ashley Taylor / Vienna State Ballet

Unfortunately, Keso Dekker’s costumes are quite thankless and do not suit everyone.

François-Eloi Lavignac was sometimes in big trouble; not only technically but also spacely.

Céline Janou Weder - Copyright: Ashley Taylor / Vienna State Ballet

The „last" couple, Céline Janou Weder and Andrés Garcia Torres gave their parts a certain ebullience that was missing in all other couples (I'll come back to this a bit later). Mr Garcia Torres, Dancer (with a capital D), not only doing a job but giving it all, with excitement, to the part. And also extremely important: You, as the audience, feel his FUN in dancing. The "sparks" come continuously from the stage. Miss Weder proved once more her versatility. Her performance was flawless. Few dancers have the professionalism of being „exactly it" when dancing Classical Ballet, Contemporary or Modern. The lines and technique, well used, show her profound knowledge about her body and its effect on the stage. I have said this many times about this brilliant dancer. Chapeau.

Matthew Rowe's conducting was very uneven. Sometimes, especially at the beginning far too quick.

Resumée? I think of Horst Koegler's beautiful (but Utopian) words on the programme: „This is Hans van Manen'stotally personal secret, that he understands how to humanize abstract concertante Dance, to fill it with warm pulsating Humanity."

That is exactly what was missing in the performance Except for the few examples mentioned above, I have just seen a display of the physical side of dance, not the spiritual – and more artistic - one.

„In the middle, somewhat elevated"

Forsythe, at his very best. Quite a difficult piece for the dancers – I can well imagine that they must keep counting, even when they are backstage.

A dynamic, strong, demanding choreography, originally commissioned by the Opéra de Paris.

Timoor Afshar - Copyright: Ashley Taylor / Vienna State Ballet

Timoor Afshar, another Dancer with a capital D, whom I consider a big win to the company – one of the few engaged in the past years – and who seems to develop from performance to performance!

Sveva Gargiulo - Copyright: Ashley Taylor / Vienna State Ballet

Sveva Gargiulo, eye-catching and „mastering" the situation beautifully, Masayu Kimoto, Eztér Ledan and Arne Vandervelde (another Dancer, who seems to master every single new situation and gets more pin-pointed every time I see him on stage!) were simply „it" in their performances.

Arne Vandervelde - Copyright: Ashley Taylor / Vienna State Ballet

Gaia Fredianelli, a young dancer, who up to now was not „projecting" her pouvoir after the 10th row of the Opera, seemed at ease, enjoying the piece. And shining very well in this most contemporary of pieces, in comparison to what I have seen of her until now in the „Ballet-Departmment".

Visual Harmony... I can only say that I wish there would be some more care about the homogeneity of body types when presented at the same time on stage.. A matter of casting.

I don't exactly know about the rehearsals but I have the funny feeling that there could have been more of it. Especially because after half of the piece, the dynamic, the power required for this ballet (in which you must be on top of every single movement, commanding them with sharpness, even acidity continuously) seemed to weaken. The dancers began to „let it go" a bit. This makes me think of a lack of enough rehearsals to develop stamina, practice keeping it and have total control over it. The energy level sadly went down during the second part.

„Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet"

Surely not one of my favourite Balanchine's pieces. The break between the first three movements and the fourth is so abrupt, so big, that it nearly seems like another piece. It is somehow unreal.

Dancers are to blame if they are wrongly cast – but I hope that in the future there'll be more care about that. When it comes to Balanchine I still think of times when ABT dancers would not think or dare to dance the NYC Ballet's repertoire (When Robert La Fosse moved from the ABT to the NYB Ballet in the late 70s… well, that was “something”), even if they were „just across the street". Body type is definitely an issue while casting a Balanchine. Lines are required.

And once more Matthew Rowe's conducting was quite uneven, what Tempo is concerned. And let us not forget that Mr B. Was extremely meticulous about the correct tempo

1st Movement:

Elena Bottaro, lovely, captivating and charming in the first movement (even if a bit tense at the beginning), accompanied beautifully by charming, technically fit, strong Masayu Kimoto and „assisted" by Natalya Butchko, who to many viewers embodies the prototype of how a ballerina should look like.

2nd Movement:

Kiyoka Hashimoto - Copyright: Ashley Taylor / Vienna State Ballet

Lovely Kiyoka Hashimoto gave a good professional interpretation, like always in everything she does. Commitment and earnestness. Marcos Menha as her partner was not really in his element. Unfortunately, their failed final „exit" was extremely unlucky.

Special mention to Laura Cislaghi, at whom I, for the first time could concentrate. Lovely bodywork, delicate appearance at the same time strong, and, something that I cherish very much: Style. She had definitely the open mind and delicacy to absorb all of Nilas Martins' and Christian Tworzyanski’s fine coaching. I like that!

3rd Movement:

Liudmila Konovalova/ Arne Vandervelde - Copyright: Ashley Taylor / Vienna State Ballet

Liudmila Konovalova and Arne Vandervelde, a pair that obviously had „fun" in dancing together – once more my comment from today for „Concertante" applies to this more relaxed, softer, not mechanic Miss Konovalova: ...far away from the demands of „Bravura"!

4th Movement:

The Corps de Ballet consisted of a very eclectic mixture of technical levels and body types but most of them were “right there”, present on stage. Alexey Popov was also on stage but I don't know exactly where. He made somehow a mockery of Balanchine, which felt more or less like an exaggerated Operetta from the 80s at the Volksopera or Raimundtheater….

Ketevan Papava / Alexey Popov - Copyright: Ashley Taylor / Vienna State Ballet

To finish the evening, Ketty Papava's ferocious entrance in the 4th movement brings the house nearly down. Even though, as mentioned before, I find this exaggerated „difference" between the first three movements and the fourth, one must consider the accomplishment and achievement of the dancers. And at this Miss Papava is unique. Charisma, Stage persona, Energy, Stamina (And think of it: While others as Miss Liashenko are cast in three ballets, she enters for the first time on stage at the last piece of the evening – while sitting around (or warming up for the 12th time) and even so „steals" the evening. Star-quality. It is not easy to have this energy level when you enter the stage so late. This involves a high level of professionalism and, of course, Joy - in doing what you are doing!.

The audience welcomed the three-bill evening very warmly and I recommend it: an enjoyable and diversified evening with three completely different „visions" of (and approach to) DANCE. No “Symmetries” intended.

Next performances: January 16th, 18th and 23rd 2025

Ricardo Leitner

Vienna, January 12th, 2025