Carlos Acosta created his one act version of Carmen in 2015 for The Royal Ballet. It was a momentous time for him as it also marked his retirement from the company after 17 years and it was also the year he founded his company Acosta Danza in Cuba.
He always felt that his original production would have been better as a full-length work (and at the time, the one act ballet received a tepid reception) and now he brings a new production in two acts to Sadler’s Wells with Acosta Danza. It’s a very fine looking Carmen with beautiful sets and costumes by Tim Hatley, superb lighting by Peter Mumford – both were part of the original team – and additional video designs, which are very effective, by Nina Dunn. The music is mostly Rodion Shchedrin’s arrangement of George Bizet’s 1875 opera but there is additional music by Martin Yates, Yhovani Duarte and Denis Paralta which offers a more flamenco-based flavour and works very well. What a shame the amplified recording at the Wells distorts the sound.
It’s set in four scenes, beginning with a silent depiction of the conclusion of the story overseen by a figure of fate, The Bull, played by Acosta himself. Well known though it is, this spoiler means that the pace of emotional delivery was somewhat stunted from the off. Not so the ensemble pieces, which comprise some really exciting choreography that allowed this vibrant company to fly full pelt at every opportunity.
Stand-out moments included the opening of the second act in the tavern scene where canon and speed, combined some spectacularly talented dancers, meant that a more subdued first act was more or less forgotten within five minutes of the second. On the whole, this act was generally more impactful with stronger drama, pas de deux and individual performances coming into their own.
What was missing was the development of the characters. Prosper Merimée’s original 1845 novella was very specific in terms of setting the scene. The reader understood the background, the circumstances, the depth of the characters. Here, we are thrown into Carmen’s exploits and seductions with little introduction to the woman. The entire premise of the piece is that she wants freedom and emancipation. She gets it at the cost of her life. However, it’s difficult to feel any empathy towards her as her treatment of men, particularly Don José, is brutal. While we know that she doesn’t want to be tied into monogamy, she wilfully leads on any prospective lovers, while ruthlessly dropping the previous one for the next attractive challenge.
There’s more to Carmen than that and, I believe, to the other lead characters. Laura Rodríguez was superlative as Carmen. A firecracker of a dancer, her technique was as powerful as her personality. She embodied the dynamism and energy of a woman that knows her own mind. She also managed to sustain such a high level of intensity throughout that we remained mostly focused on her.
Alejandro Silva as Don José is an admirable dancer and partner, but he didn’t quite carry the emotional heft necessary. His descent into murderous jealousy was simmering rather than irrationally destructive. Though he put everything into the passionate pas de deux, somehow the chemistry did not run deep enough. Perhaps this was part of Acosta’s plan – that Carmen never quite commits and therefore Don José's behaviour appears impetuous rather than deranged.
Enrique Corrales was devastatingly handsome as Escamillo and initially swept the stage with his charm. He too, is a good dancer but on this occasion did not have enough pizzazz or charisma, nor technical confidence to entirely win us over. Denzel Francis in the small but necessary role of Zuniga, was excellent.
This Carmen is good entertainment and gloriously danced by Acosta Danza, clearly appreciated by the Sadler’s Wells audience who gave it a standing ovation on opening night. While it suits the company very well and is exhilarating in places, it nevertheless doesn't quite set the stage on fire.
