Although Taipei is a modern dance mecca in terms of local companies and tours by foreign troupes, ballet has long struggled to maintain a toehold. However, this year, for the first time in ages, it might just be possible for ballet fans to overdose on great performances.
The State Ballet of Georgia performed in Taipei in the beginning of last month, the Universal Ballet of Korea drew rapturous applause at the National Theater earlier this week, the St Petersburg Ballet Theatre is coming later this month and London’s Royal Ballet will be here at the end of June. Nevertheless, the lineup for the 5th International Ballet Star Gala this weekend at the National Theater has had many ballet fans salivating for months.
Ballerina-turned teacher/impresario Wang Tzer-shing’s (王澤馨) annual galas have gained a loyal following over the years by bringing in both big names and rising stars from some of the leading international companies. The programs are carefully balanced to provide both the standard gala pas de deux or solos and newer pieces by contemporary choreographers whose work is rarely seen in Taiwan. Each gala has raised the bar for the next.
Photo Courtesy IBSG
This year’s lineup includes principal dancers Julie Kent, Xiomara Reyes and Marcelo Gomes from the American Ballet Theater, Royal Ballet principals Tamara Rojo and Federico Bonelli, principal Daria Klimentova and soloist Vadim Muntagirov from the English National Ballet, Igor Kolb from the Marinsky Theater (formerly the Kirov Ballet), Elena Kuzmina from the St Petersburg Eifman Ballet Theater, Yumiko Takeshima and Raphael Coumes-Marquet from the Dresden State Ballet, Maia Makhateli and Tamas Nagy from the Dutch National Ballet, and former Ballet Nacional de Cuba star Rolando Sarabia, who since defecting in 2003 has danced with the Houston and Miami City ballet companies as well as appearing as a guest artist with a number of troupes.
A few of the artists are making return visits to Taipei. Klimentova performed in the 2009 gala as well as with the English National Ballet when it was at the National Theater in 2006, Takeshima and Coumes-Marquet were in the 2009 gala, and Kolb was with Marinsky during its 2004 and 2006 tours.
As for the dances, in addition to standards such as George Ballenchine’s Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux and the pas de deux from Don Quixote, there are six works that will have their Taiwan premieres: Van Le Ngoc’s Passage, James Kudelka’s Cruel World, David Dawson’s On the Nature of Daylight, Krystof Pastor’s Wie Lange Noch?, Kuzmina’s Leda and the Swan and William Forsythe’s Slingerland Pas de Deux.
Wang said that achieving a balance between classical ballet and contemporary is even harder than filling the guest artist slots.
“On the Nature of Daylight, choreographed by David Dawson — I always loved that piece because of the music and I have been dying to see it since 2009,” Wang said in a telephone interview with the Taipei Times. “Two years ago, when [Takeshima and Coumes-Marquet] first came I tried to get them to do it, but they wanted to do Giselle, which is also by David. This time I said they had to do it and they said OK. They are also dancing William Forsythe’s pas de deux [Slingerland]. It hasn’t been performed that often and it’s a new one for them as well. Dresden is using it this season, so they are learning it for that.”
Lady of Camilla will be performed by Marcelo Gomes and Julie Kent.
“In Singapore last year [in another gala organized by Wang] she looked just amazing,” Wang said of Kent. “She doesn’t look like she has two babies, she looks exactly the same as she did years ago. Cruel World was choreographed on her, so it’s like having the original casting. They were talking about doing the Othello pas de deux, so honestly I told them I wanted them to do Cruel World instead. It’s very lyrical, a lot of emotion; it’s going to be terrific.”
One rarity on the program is that Kuzmina will be performing in a piece she choreographed herself, Leda and the Swan. However, Wang said she didn’t know much about the piece, or when Kuzmina began choreographing, because of the language barrier.
“When she [Kuzmina] writes, it is in Russian. She just tells me the music she’s using and not much else. I’m sure Leda is a contemporary piece,” Wang said.
Given Natalie Portman’s recent Oscar win for Black Swan, even non-dance fans may be familiar with Marius Petipa’s “Black Swan Pas de Deux” from Swan Lake, which will close this year’s gala. However, Wang said she wasn’t thinking about the movie when she included the piece in the program.
“I talked to Tamara [Rojo] and she wanted to do it. It’s her signature piece. She’s wonderful, with great balance and a good turner, I have to say. She can do double double, or sometimes triple fouettes,” Wang said.
One of the great delights about galas is the chance compare the performances of top stars in the standards, which by their very nature are designed to be showstoppers.
“The Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux has been done for two years. Daria [Klimentova] is technically so strong and artistic. Vadim [Muntagirov] is only 26, but so tall and strong, a real potential star. The English National Ballet is giving him all these principal roles even though he’s just a soloist. He’ll do all the tricks [in the Tchaikovsky],” Wang said.
Another piece familiar to gala goers is Le Spectre de la Rose, but Wang said she specifically asked Kolb to perform it after seeing him doing it on a Kirov DVD. Those lucky enough to have been in the National Theater when he performed it during the Marinsky’s 2004 tour will understand why Wang was so emphatic. While technically Spectre is a duet, it’s really all about the man; the woman’s part is about as dull as the chair in which she spends most of the piece. Kolb was stunning in 2004, the liquidity of his arms giving a whole new meaning to the term “fluid performance.”
Thirteen works and one intermission make for a long show. Tomorrow night’s performance has an early start time of 7pm, while Sunday’s matinee will be at the standard 2:30pm.
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