The Royal Ballet School’s programme of Creative Voices, focusing on student choreography is one of the special treats on the ballet calendar and especially so in this, its centenary year. The talent is staggering and it follows that the nurture and training of this talent is also excellent. Well done to director Iain Mackay and his team.
It was a busy programme with nine pieces from the students; three from the Upper School and six from White Lodge. Climate change and our fragile earth was a particular concern for two of the youngest. William Cooper, (Year 7) wrote Explorer creating a world bathed in emerald light, the dancers a quivering organic bundle where a young boy wanders in wonderment. Will Florence, (Year 8) made a stronger statement in There is No Planet B. With David Attenborough’s voice as background, in lyrical, and very beautiful movement, he mapped a forward path but with a less positive finish.
Soren Chisholm, (2nd Year Upper School) also showed a worldly concern using Richard Nixon’s 1973 address regarding the peace agreement post-Vietnam. Chisholm used movement to text in the manner of Crystal Pite very effectively but needed to find a stronger focus for greater clarity. From Clovis Couillard, also 2nd year came Tangle. It was a deliciously frank choreographic discussion of adolescent relationships where passion flowered in imaginative lifts and close contact duets. At times I felt they had perhaps been watching too much Mayerling!
There were two pieces that were each a winner of The Gillian Lynne Award for Choreographic Innovation. Downtown was created by Filippa Deegan (Year 10) featured multi-coloured pointes, wiggly moves and funky pop. It was structured with imagination and given a lively performance. Dancing Fool from Carolina Ferreira Gaspar, (2nd Year Upper School) had the buzz and energy of a musical theatre event. An announcement that ‘It’s showtime’, switched to a clever opening with a bevy of eager young ladies neatly arranged on a sofa. This was commercial dance with a ballet upgrade that made an interesting contrast.
Throughout the levels the technical standard was amazing. Pulsation from Anisha Yadla (Year 10) made good use of the students’ expertise. It started in a formal vein but as the musical beat surged, the excitement built and jumps became higher and pirouettes more spectacular. Toby Horton (Year 11) chose the polyphony of Thomas Tallis to open his work; A ripple in the sand, a teardrop in the tide of light. The dancers worked with great intensity and commitment in this carefully constructed choreographic exercise.
Also much influenced by the choice of music was Loop 404 from Mirabelle Hogan (Year 9) who chose Diminutive Dominus. A religious sounding title but it had a jazzy beat and Hogan made good use of the small corps in a cleverly constructed piece.
There were six works from professional choreographers. Kristen McNally made Proceedings for the three youngest classes of White Lodgers, and Mikaela Polley choreographed En Passant for the 1st Years. McNally and Polley can always be relied on to deliver the goods. These works gently harnessed and effectively shaped the RBS talents, making works that gave the students plenty of dance opportunities and made very pleasurable watching.
The restricted dimensions of the Linbury Studio Theatre are always a problem for large casts but schools need to see that all students get their chance to dance. David Bintley’s Beauchamp’s Garden, choreographed for the 1st Year and Pre-professional Year students would have benefitted from a larger stage. Set to James Conlan’s music, it proved an excellent showcase for the senior students. The two lead couples in beautifully presented duets, showed the quality of partnering, always a strong point at the RBS. Andrew McNicol’s Of Strength and Grace to Grieg’s music was another commissioned work and also in a neo-classical style with a large cast of Years 10 and 11.
Cathy Marston wrote A Line in Reflection defined by the long diagonal of a ballet barre and a mirror effect gained by dancers each pairing with a similar figure to give the illusion. It had a promising start but once the stage had filled up with the 2nd Year students the illusion faded somewhat in the crowd. However, an interesting trio on a less crowded stage was a delight. The visit of Baroness Deborah Bull as a wistful ballet teacher was a point of interest but felt a little out of place.
The standout treat of the new works was an extraordinary ballet by Jessica Lang, The First Voice, linked to three insightful poems by Dame Ninette de Valois, read by Royal Ballet luminaries Kevin O’Hare, Monica Mason and Darcey Bussell. In earthy autumnal colours, it seemed to be of a certain period but also timeless in unusual movements and a quiet dramatic intensity. It was a joy to watch and left memories lingering long after curtain down.
