ENGLISH NATIONAL BALLET : TRIPLE BILL

An evening of ballet conjures up images of fairy like ballerinas pirouetting on their toes. So what happens when there is a triple bill i.e, three short pieces instead of one long performance? Do we have three different fairy like sequences? Well, not really, and as the English National Ballet's selection will tell us.. Ballet has different styles and the triple bill begins with the classical, romantic ballet style La Bayadere and ends with a very modern dance performance of Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring.

La Bayadere is a full length ballet based on a love story set in an imaginary Indian kingdom. The piece here focuses on the last Act - The Kingdom of the Shades referring to the hero's opium induced visions. The opening scene has a gossamer like feel with pretty ballerinas in a two-three rows performing criss-crossing movements, giving a suggestion of snowy mountains. There were a few wobbly movements in the beginning, which is perhaps pardonable when you have so many (about twenty) dancers on the stage. In this ethereal piece one could spot some Indian classical dance inspired movements (especially when the ballerinas sit down in a semi-circle) and also an Indian touch in the hair ornamentation.

The second piece was Sphinx that combines classical ballet and modern dance styles. We could immediately see how the Apollo stage (a bit Egyptian touch in its décor!) would provide a most natural framing for this piece! In an absolutely spell binding performance is told the myth of the Sphinx. Sphinx , who is a woman in the day and a half human and half animal creature at night, is tired of death and yearns for love. She falls for Oedipus, not giving heed to the warnings of the ancient Egyptian god of the dead, Anubis. The story culminates in Sphinx turning into an inanimate statue. This is a beautifully done piece by three supremely gifted dancers.

The last piece The Rite of Spring focuses on a rite, supposedly performed by a 'primitive' people in which a young girl is sacrificed to bring in a bountiful harvest. The idea behind the choreography itself raises questions as to what is considered 'primitive' and why it is depicted with jerky broken movements? The piece begins in an energetic way, but it gets too heavy, as there is hardly a solo break to bring out the contrast. After all, for how long can one see nearly forty dancers in bodysuits repeating similar movements over and over again? Here is a perfect example of what could have been a strong piece being turned into a monotonous one (I noticed that the lady sitting next to me had dozed off for a short while!). The triple bill does give a feel of the various styles that have developed in ballet over the years. I would encourage the lover of ballet and modern dance to go see the performance, especially, for the lovely rendition of the Sphinx!

Vibha Joshi