It was a pleasure to return to the third and final programme of this year’s autumn season of Ballet Nights at the Lanterns Studio Theatre, this one titled A Grand Finale. Each programme has seen different pieces and dancers, with a couple of overlaps or repeats due to unforeseen injury.
Compèred by the effervescent Jamiel Devernay-Laurence, founder and artistic director of this series of programmes, he is a natural presenter, relaxed and confident and more than anything, able to connect with his audience. As per the previous two Ballet Nights, it was the pianist, Viktor Erik Emanuel who opened both halves of the evening. Part 1 began with his dreamy rendition of Chopin’s Ballade no. 1 in G minor. It was a genuinely soothing way to ease us into a selection of pieces where sparks flew.
Ivana Bueno from English National Ballet kicked off the dancing with Medora's Act 2 variation from Le Corsaire. Supremely well-suited to this kind of virtuosic choreography, Bueno looks set to be fast-tracked to the lofty heights of ballerina status before long. In the second half she tackled the famous solo from La Esmeralda, so often presented at international ballet competitions. She danced it with charm, ease and the necessary pizzazz.
Felicity Chadwick followed on from Bueno in Part 1, in a specially commissioned solo by The Royal Ballet’s Joshua Junker, 324a. Whilst I don’t know what the significance of the title is, Junker is already showing signs of developing into an interesting choreographer (he’s a very good dancer too). Accompanied by Emanuel on the piano, Chadwick (who I have not seen dance previously) gave a commanding performance in this contemporary work. Both choreographer and muse, are talents to watch.
Sir Robert Cohan’s Wind was performed with extraordinary flair by Laurel Dalley Smith from the Yorke Dance Project. I’m not one to fall for dance without music, but this was the exception to the rule. Dalley Smith darted across the stage with such speed and precision that I was fully persuaded and engaged within seconds as she oscillated between gentle breeze to gusts, gales and whirlwinds.
Constance Devernay-Laurence reprised her solo by Jordan James Bridge, Heisei 9, from the previous Ballet Nights. Nobuo Uematsu’s music and Stevie Stewart’s stunning unitard went some way to making this an enormously satisfying watch and Devernay-Laurence was utterly beguiling as she swooped across the stage.
The first part closed with ENB’s Sangeun Lee and Gareth Haw dancing the central duet from William Forsythe’s In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated. They were simply breathtaking. Both dancers are tall and slender, absolutely ideal for Forsythe, but so unique is their movement style and their partnership, they transported us to another world.
Part 2 was again very diverse in its offerings. Yasser D’Oquendo, a former dancer with Acosta Danza, gave a moving account (of his own choreography) in UTOPIA (The Way is Inside), a yearning solo which he created because he is currently unable to see his daughter, who remains in Cuba. Proximity, created and performed by the dynamic duo James Pett and Travis Clausen-Knight, provided an opportunity to witness yet another interesting and original choreographic voice. In terms of composition, my curiosity was piqued. Sometimes they even appeared to be moving in slow-motion. I would like to see more of their work.
The evening concluded with ENB’s Katja Khaniukova and Aitor Arrieta dancing the Don Quixote pas de deux. I cannot imagine how many times I must have watched this, but this rates among the best. Charm and technical brilliance are prerequisites, but there were some stand-out moments that went above the call of duty. Arrieta is so fluid technically, he seems to arrive in the air effortlessly, whilst Khaniukova’s runs en pointe at the start of her solo will remain imprinted on my memory indefinitely. She was like a quivering butterfly, delicately landing on a bloom. It was a fitting and sublime end to an evening that was packed with sumptuous performances.
Whilst I still maintain that the sightlines are not ideal and anything that requires floor work becomes obscured if you are not in the first two rows, this is nevertheless a very inclusive experience, with an array of top performers, doing interesting work. For me, the formula works as it clearly does for others – Ballet Nights is back with a new programme on 23rd February.
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