Ballett am Rhein are unrecognisable in season opener

It’s all change at the Ballett am Rhein with new Chief Choreographer, Bridget Breiner, and Ballet Director, Raphaël Coumes-Marquet taking over from Demis Volpi for the 24/25 season. Not that it takes long to tell with this first triple bill of their tenure, Signatures, and the change in focus is very welcome. Whereas Volpi took a more experimental approach that featured almost exclusively contemporary work, Ballett am Rhein’s new leaders are bringing back pointe shoes and classical favourites to the repetoire and the dancers respond impressively.

This shift is perfectly symbolised by the programme opener, Four Schumann Pieces. This elegant work from Hans van Manen is simple and stylish and in deep contrast to what we’ve seen in the recent past on the Deutsche Oper stage. Nor have Breiner/Coumes-Marquet chosen works that are a plotless arrangement of ballet steps either, but ones that evoke real human emotion and create empathy from the viewer.

Schumann’s romantic 3rd String Quartet tracks Gustavo Carvalho surrounded by a slew of couples, including flirtatious ladies. Carvalho is more than up to the considerable technical demands. He has a strong physique and remains graceful and controlled, but doesn’t quite match the charisma of Nami Ito and Chiara Scarrone who flitter in and out to dance with him. The ladies exude confidence in their individual pas de deux, Scarrone has a particularly good épaulement. The strings intensify and so does the difficulty, it's easy to understand why Carvalho retreats.

The company wears the challenge lightly. The five couples flow well and sweep easily across the stage, suiting the soft romance of van Manen’s choreography. The intensity builds quietly until Carvalho eventually concedes, once again cutting the loan figure as he falls to the floor.

Interest piqued, there was a further treat to come in the form of the German Premiere of David Dawson’s Empire Noir, first performed by Dutch National Ballet in 2015. Set to a virtuoso score by Greg Haines, it’s a euphoric 25 minutes which allows the dancers to go flat out, dressed in simple black lycra.

The pure physicality of the choreography demands athleticism from the dancers who never stop moving. They form different, synchronised patterns as a group before peeling off into solos, pas de deux and back again. There is something quite Forsythe-esque about the precision of it all, but the punchy score means it’s all delivered with an explosive energy too. It’s all performed within a unique structure, a kind of architectural illusion created by John Otto, it spans the whole stage and gives an other worldly feel.

Empire Noir is an electrifying work to watch, pulling in your attention and not letting up for the duration of the ensemble piece. It’s a shame it’s not longer so there is no opportunity for individuals to shine.

Finally and perhaps most anticipated in Biolographie, a world premiere from Breiner herself, and it’s certainly more of a mental challenge than what has gone before. The title, a mixture of biology and geography, denotes the theme which is an exploration of nature and what shapes us, performed to some moody Rachmaninov. The piece is structured into three clear parts but the impact is sadly lost until the final act in which is more of a celebration of life and the inevitability of nature.

Narratively concise it is not, but the Jürgen Franz Kirner peacock-like costumes for the ladies are fun and memorable as they preen themselves, strutting about, dainty and enticing in their pointe shoes. Here is where we meet Humboldt (Lucas Erni) who’s journey this is, a visible contrast dressed in all black as he observes his surroundings.

As the peacocks disperse, Humboldt meets three characters all credited as “Daughter”, one female, two male. They are reflective and rather mournful, the programme suggests a shift in focus to human relationships rather than ones with nature but it’s not clear. The last section is more successful, dancers in flesh coloured bodysuits with delicate drawn flowers tear up the stage. It’s joyful, and the Düsseldorf Symphoniker breathes further energy into the exhilarating conclusion. Breiner’s work is visually engaging but the concept is too abstract to make a statement.

The confusion in Biolographie doesn’t detract from how much there is to savour in this Signatures programme. Under new leadership, Ballett am Rhein can already be viewed in a whole new light. This looks like a new start for a company not only with a different artistic direction but with many talented new dancers to enjoy, their true capabilities still to be known. The future is an exciting prospect in this dynamic season opener.