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| Tynan Wood (Beast) - Elise Jacques (Belle) in Victorian State Ballet's "Beauty and the Beast" Image by Sasha Kane |
Costumes by Jan Tredrea and Jill Kerr - Lighting Design by Martin Sierra
Music by Mozart,
Pugni, Amato, Adenot, Ivanovici and John Lanchberry
Canberra
Theatre 24th and 25th May 2024.
Performance
on 24th May 2024 reviewed by BILL STEPHENS
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| The opening ensemble of "Beauty and the Beast" Image: Ron Fung |
Making its first appearance in Canberra, a young company with big ambitions, The Victorian State Ballet introduced itself with its own full-length production of Beauty and the Beast.
Choreographed
by Co-founder, Michelle Sierra, using Russian Vaganova methodology, this
vibrant young company of 30 dancers, performing to a judicious mash-up of recorded
music by a variety of well-known classical composers, charmed with its youthful
exuberance and stylish presentation.
While at her
most inventive with the large ensemble dances, choreographer Michelle Sierra kept
the action moving along quickly with inventive character dances for her
soloists and spectacularly devised group dances for her large ensemble, with
her dancers costumed in pretty fairy-tale costumes designed by Jan Tredrea and
Jill Kerr.
Adding to
the lavish fairy-tale atmosphere of the production were a succession of handsome backdrops enhanced by
Martin Sierra’s moody lighting design and six large candelabra moved around the stage by dancers at
appropriate moments.
The elegant white and black costumes for the opening scene were particularly lovely, as were the costumes for the swoony waltz in the second act ballroom scene, danced to Ivanovici’s “Waves of the Danube” (perhaps better known as “The Anniversary Waltz”), that had the audience swaying in their seats.
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| Tynan Wood (Prince) - Elise Jacques (Belle) |
Leading the
large ensemble, Elise Jacques is an accomplished dancer with a vivacious
personality, perfectly cast and quite enchanting as the youthful heroine,
Belle.
Despite spending
most of the ballet disguised under a rather wonderful mask, Tynan Wood managed
to win the audience’s sympathy as the Beast, then once unmasked, proved a
suitably noble and attentive partner as the Prince.
Tristan Gross
offered a stylish characterisation as the comically boastful would-be suitor, Gaston,
while the series of cleverly choreographed divertissement in the second act
ballroom scene provided opportunity for the company to show off the depth of
its dancing talent.
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| Elise Jacques as Belle in "Beauty and the Beast" |
Particularly
eye-catching among them were Alexia Simpson as The Rose, Henry Driver as Gaston’s
mate, La Fou, and Benjamin Harris as the candelabra, Lumiere. Lucinda Worthing impressed
as Wardrobe especially during her lovely solo which involved manipulating scarves
thrown into the air, while Courtney Taylor also delighted with her cheeky solo
as Feather Duster.
With his
exuberant solo as Chip, Rilee Scott proved himself an emerging dancer to watch,
while Josh Steinke excelled in the character role as Belle’s father, Maurice.
Being based
on a popular classical fairytale that has regained contemporary prominence through
Disney films and musicals, Beauty and the
Beast, with its underlying message of true love conquering thoughtless
prejudice in a setting of medieval country villages and elaborate palaces reminiscent
of the classic Vaganova ballets, The
Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and The
Sleeping Beauty, V.S.B’s stylish production was an auspicious choice with
which to showcase the accomplishments of this company.
Judging by
the enthusiastic audience response to
the carefully rehearsed bows following its opening night performance, Victorian
State Ballet has certainly established an appetite for future visits to the
National Capital by this impressive company.
This review also published in AUSTRALIAN ARTS REVIEW. www/artsreview.com.au
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