The Imperial
Russian Ballet Company
The
Playhouse, Canberra Theatre Centre
23rd October, 2017.
Reviewed by
Bill Stephens
Under the
artistic direction of Gediminas Taranda, The Imperial Russian Ballet Company,
travels the world presenting productions of the great Russian ballet classics. It’s
a regular visitor to Canberra where the company has built up a strong following,
as evidenced by the enthusiastic audience which attended this performance.
Despite its
demanding touring schedule, the company manages to maintain high production
values with excellent sets and lavish costumes. The standard of the dancing too
is impressively high, with Taranda demonstrating his knack of refreshing his
productions with clever, choreographic interpolations which emphasis the
strengths of his dancers without compromising the integrity of the original
choreography.
This 2017 program
consisted of a lively potted version of his production of “Don Quixote”, which
the company had presented in full in 2014, “Bolero”, which it had previously
presented in 2013, and seven short divertissements, of which only one, “Russian
Waltz” was new to Canberra.
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| Lina Seveliova as Kitri in "Don Quixote" |
It was a
pleasure to revisit this “Don Quixote”, which is danced to the familiar Minkus
music with choreography by Taranda, based on Alexander Gorsky’s original. This
version retains its elaborate painted settings and spectacular costumes, which,
it must be noted, are beginning to show the effects of constant touring,
cleverly compressing the storyline into a one hour presentation, while
preserving the set pieces.
Vivaciously
danced by the company, despite the demands of a heavy touring schedule, this
production is notable for its spectacular ensemble dancing, and the clever use
of fans by the women and capes by the men to create excitement and spectacle.
It also features some scene-stealing clowning from Vitautas Taranda, as Kitri’s
father.
A stunning
dancer, absolutely on top of her technique, Lina Seveliova was a pert, pretty
and delightfully mischievous Kitri. As Basilio, the object of her affections,
tall and elegant, Sergey Kheylik was up to any challenge Kitri could put in his
way. The chemistry between the pair provided the heartbeat for the production.
Viorel Miron commanded the stage with some spectacular cape work as the swaggering
toreador, Espada, as did Anna Pashkova as the sultry street dancer.
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| Anna Pashkova as the Street Dancer in "Don Quixote" |
Pashkova’s
powerful presence was also the centrepiece of Nikolay Androsov’s dramatic
version of Ravel’s “Bolero”. As The
Godhead, seated high above the strikingly costumed ensemble, she dominated the
stage. Then when she decended to the stage as the ballet progressed towards the
stunning climax through an ever-changing
kaleidoscope of massed movement, her presence remained the focal point
of the work.
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| The Imperial Russian Ballet Company ensemble in "Bolero" |
Later in the
divertissement section, which commenced with a jolly little Melbourne Cup work
choreographed by Taranda to the music of the William Tell Overture, Pashkova demonstrated
her versatility in a technically exquisite performance of the classic “Dying
Swan”.
Also in this
section Irena Gharibyan and Sergey Kheylik thrilled with a dynamic performance
of the “Le Corsaire” pas de deux, then later with an exquisite interpretation
of the Act 11 pas de deux from “Giselle”. Denys Simon astonished with his firecracker
solo, “Gopak”, and Iuliia Ushakova and Viorel Miron charmed as they led the
ensemble through an elegant piece choreographed by Taranda to the music of
Shostakovich, entitled “Russian Waltz”.
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| Irena Gharibyan and Sergey Kheylik in "Le Cosaire" |
The program
ended with another Taranda piece, a delightfully campy, “Can Can Surprise”, in which a very tall,
clumsy ballerina, (Vladimir Dorofeev )
and her two diminutive escorts (Denys Simon and Viorel Miron) created havoc to
the music of Offenbach, providing the perfect finale to a satisfying and entertaining
evening of superb classical ballet.
This review also published in Australian Arts Review. www.artsreview.com.au