This was a terrific chance to see students of the Australian Ballet School, currently directed by Lisa Pavane. Filmed at Arts Centre Melbourne, Friday 9 December, 7.30pm and streamed by the Australian Digital Concert Hall it is a wonderful showcase for the students of the School .
The first section before the first interval consisted of several pieces for the various year levels.
EL Tango choreographed by Stephen Baynes for Level 8 to the music of Astor Piazzolla, with red outfits for the women and black outfits for the men. It was ‘hot’ as they say and slinky, the women in pointe shoes, the men at times doing cartwheels with chairs. It included some difficult lifts, inward turns with long arms and some huge leaps. The men were excellently supportive in their partnering the women, elegant, refined and rather aloof.
Pi (created by Lucas Jervies and Oliver Northam) for Level 6 students in green unitards followed, including a skateboard and flips. There was some very fast contemporary floorwork. then standing up, jumps, turns and criss-crossing patterns of choreography that included backward jumps, hissing,,hand clpas, thigh slaps, runs, lunges, back bends, ‘ flying ‘ bird like arms, and quivering hand shakes. At another point the arms were percussive, angular and undulating.I could be completely wrong but it made me perhaps think of an Indigenous Rite of Spring.
Wolfgang Dance, choreographed to Eine Kleine Nachtmusik by Simon Dow for six girls and three boys from Levels 4 and 5 was a white tutu dance, taking and developing traditional ballet technique, while including lots of fast jumps for all. It included allusions to Giselle with the Willis ‘cow hops’ and luscious Swan Lake arms for the women- and possible allusions to Degas. The men had incredible ballon and soft jumps. There was an explosive diagonal line of jetes across the stage at one point. For this reviewer however, yes technically it was splendid but the jokiness was overdone.
Last before interval was In the Memory of the Moment, by Paul Knobloch for the Level 7 students to the pulsating music of Einaudi. For a lot of this the dancing was obscured by the excessively dim lighting. The dancers were in black unitards with red details and a bronze metallic sheen. Knobloch’s sinuous, rather challenging choreography required long, sharp, stretched arms and legs with some dangerous lifts, and included a cold, crisp pas de trois and a terrific pas de deux,all handled splendidly.
Then came the two part Butterfly by Lucas Jervies choreographed to Offenbach’s delightful score of Le Papillon, with splendid sets and costumes by Hugh Coleman and lighting by Paul Jackson. The theme is transformation. Jervies’ choreography blends contemporary dance with strict traditional classical ballet to great effect.
The ballet begins in a rather rowdy school classroom, with the class learning about butterflies. There are punchy, sharp movements. We are introduced to the new girl , Sophie (terrifically danced by Sophie Burke ) who the other girls don’t like and bully her. There is a large ensemble waltz and then the class departs for the Zoo under the guidance of their teacher Ms. Puttyfoot (played with great panache and enjoyment by Franco Leo). Sophie is befriended by classmate Jack (Mathew Solovieff) and then events become somewhat dreamlike/fantastical as Sophie becomes immersed in the garden/butterfly enclosure after a swooping, curving solo. Suddenly the Monarch Butterfly appears and other lepidoptra and garden characters…There is a big ensemble number, some very speedy Ashton like footwork, and very precise lines of choreography as well as a slithery, entangled, plunging, tender pas de deux for Sophie and Jack .
Towards the end of the Act, Jack is bundled into a cocoon of heavy cloth.At the start of the second Act Jack emerges from his chrysalis as a male butterfly and has a solo full of spectacular, flying leaps (in some ways reminiscent of the Bluebird solo from Sleeping Beauty) . In Act 2 as Butterfly Jack Hugo Dumapit was sensational .
As the Monarch Butterfly,Amy Ronnfeldt performed regally with great aplomb .She was accompanied by two Praying Mantises – Charlton Tough & Jeremy Hargreaves.
In Act 2 Ronnfeldt and Dumapit have a quite ‘traditional’ Grande pas de deux, reminiscent of the wedding pas de deux in Petipa’s Sleeping Beauty and also the Rose Adagio with supported promenades etc as well.
The bickering Pink and Blue Butterflies (Evangeline Beal-Attwood and Indiana Scott) alluded perhaps to the Ugly Sisters in Ashton’s Cinderella .
Sophie Wormald had great fun as the Queen Bee with her three young children, all in brown and yellow striped costumes.
In demanding enchainements The Butterfly men displayed their balance, precision, turning and allegro skills magnificently.
At the end of the ballet Sophie has a fluid, contemporary solo,devouring the stage space, realising she has lost Jack – or is it all a dream ?
Running time allow 2 hours 45 minutes including two intervals
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