The Ballet Nice-Méditerranée spellbinds its public
"Aspire to your ideals and fight for your beliefs"
On 27 May 1840, Paganini died in Nice. 170 years later, Niccolo Paganini lives again in the ballet La Campanella featuring principal dancer Eric Vu-An and the refined and upbeat choreography of Giorgio Mancini. A fiery production of passion, virtuosity and artistic verve.
The Ballet Nice-Méditerranée has executed a magnificent pirouette. At the end of May 2010, Eric Vu-An made his mark as the new artistic director by proposing a programme as varied as it is ingenious: La Campanella by Giorgio Mancini, Cantate 51 by Maurice Béjart and Viva Verdi by Luciano Cannito. A wonderful homage to Italy, but above all a celebration of the annexation of Nice to France, exactly 150 years ago. It is in La Campanella that Eric Vu-An, former dancer with Béjart and at the Paris Opera Ballet, proves so astounding. Dressed all in red, as hypnotic as he is seductive, with the grace of his stepsand arm movements Eric Vu-An guides and orchestrates the three dancing couples as in the past Paganini conjured the notes from his violin The Canon.
When Paganini meets Mancini
The production by Giorgio Mancini, commissioned by Eric Vu-An for this homage to Paganini, enthrals the senses as it undeniably and irredeemably spellbinds every spectator who cannot fail to be captivated by its charm. A charm experienced through the eyes (the flamboyant red of the costumes and of the Harlequin HI-SHINE™),the ears (the feverish music of Paganini) and the amazing interpretations of the dancers and of a Paganini-Vu An.
It took the lightness and sensitivity of touch of an Italian to make a success of this production and to translate Paganini's complex relationship with the music and the notes that compose it. A relationship that lies somewhere between attraction, bewitchment, distraction and fascination. It has certainly been achieved by Giorgio Mancini, former dancer with the Ballets du XXe siècle and appointed artistic director of the Grand Théâtre de Genève when still very young. The bright red of the Harlequin HI-SHINE™ surface was a clear choice for this daring Italian choreographer.
"Aspire to your ideals and fight for your beliefs" is not only the maxim of Eric Vu-An but one shared by this great family of artists, whether Vu-An, Béjart, Verdi, Paganini or Mancini.
The black magic of Wonderland: without code or reference
"I had to break with the language, the movements and the vocabulary of dance."
Wonderland, the latest creation by the Ballet Victor Ullate - Comunidad de Madrid, met with a resounding success. A success all the more noteworthy as it was far from guaranteed for in this work the Spanish choreographer tackles a taboo: mental illness.
Dedicated to his sister Marisol who has been an in-patient at a psychiatric centre for the past eight years, Wonderland immerses us in a world without reference or social codes. It takes a master such as Ullate to stage this difficult and disturbing world of the mentally ill and to create from it a world full of light and hope. But Wonderland does even more than that: it is a personal homage to all these special people who live in a world apart. For the audience, the sensitive interpretation by the dancers sketches the outlines of a world at first perceived as foreign and remote.
"I had to break with the language, the movements and the vocabulary of dance because a 'madman' has no rules", explains Victor Ullate. An original aspect of this work is the way he approached the ballet as a work of danced theatre.
Dancing on the grey surface of the Harlequin STUDIO™ reinforces this sombre almost achromatic atmosphere that changes as the work gains in intensity. Progressively filling an absurdist world with meaning through the action of dance and emotions alone is an act almost of magic that Victor Ullate has achieved for his public. Finding a Wonderland there where one would least expect it! What a wonderful lesson in humility and openness.
Allegro andante at the Milan DanceHaus
The Accademia Pier Lombardo, a former industrial site converted for dance, has a new name. On 24 September, in Milan, the 1, 200 m2 DanceHaus was born: under the management of the famous dancer and choreographer Susanna Beltrami.
Alongside members of the press and many representatives from the worlds of dance and fashion, Patrick Lesage, Senior Sales and Marketing Manager with Harlequin Europe, was present to celebrate what he described as "the generous gesture by Susanna Beltrami to the students and teachers of the DanceHaus. By fitting the studios with the Harlequin ALLEGRO™ dance floor, the DanceHaus has invested in the health of its dancers. An active and responsible commitment to preventing injury."
Living the dance experience to the full
Known in Italy in particular for her participation in the TV programme Italian Academy 2, shown on Rai 2, Susanna Beltrami is a dancer who has worked with some of the greats: Rosella Hightower and Merce Cunningham, among others. As a director she is as atypical as the new concept of the DanceHaus.
A "house" where in every room (kitchen, bathroom, etc.) old items of furniture painted white hang suspended from the walls. A space with a soul. A symbolic and familiar cocoon where the act of creation is intensified, where it becomes possible to dance better, to interpret better, and to live the dance experience to the full. It is Harlequin's wish that, for its inhabitants, this house may become a house of happiness, allegro andante!
Diamonds are forever
Green, red and white are the colours of the trilogy Jewels, an original work by Balanchine in homage to the three countries that marked his life: France with Emeralds, the United States with Rubies and Russia with Diamonds. Dresden's SemperOper has revived this highly personal autobiography of the famous Mister B.
The trilogy began in 2009 with the ballet Rubies, danced to the music of Stravinsky. It is a work dedicated to the glamour, the energy and the humour of the Broadway musical comedies. On 20 June 2010, the Dresden SemperOper Ballet performed Diamonds at an evening entitled Three White Colours. The surprising programme was composed of A Sweet Spell of Oblivion by David Dawsons, followed by Spazio-Tempo by Jacopo Godani.
As the climax, the public was able to rediscover Balanchine's Diamonds, set to the music of Tchaïkovsky. A ballet in which Balanchine surrenders to the spirit of his Russian origins as he delivers a dance of intense emotion.
From the jewel to the ballet
The dancers, dressed in white tutus with inlaid crystals, shone like a thousand lights on the Harlequin CASCADE™ floor. The production captivated the Dresden public with its constant interplay of light, grace and sparkle. Harlequin is proud of having been a part of this brilliant homage to Balanchine, to dance, to the dancers and also to the capital of Saxony.
Interview : Jason Beechey
Gret Palucca has remained famous for her vertiginous jumps that expressed exuberance and the sheer joy of life. The 2010 version of the Palucca Schule, located on the Basteiplatz, is also the first and to date, the only higher independent school of dance in Germany.
1st Dance Medicine and Science Conference in Luxembourg, 29 May 2011
An IADMS/Trinity College London SAFE AND EFFECTIVE DANCE PRACTICE information day
This conference addresses all dance related professionals including physicians, physiotherapists, movement specialists, alternative health-care practitioners, company directors, choreographers, teachers, and dancers.
This conference is dedicated to improving dancers health, well-being and performance, by promoting safe and effective dance practice, body/mind friendly training, and injury prevention strategies.
Topics will include fitness, eating disorders, psychological and physical issues in training today, hyper-mobility, turnout, imagery and somatic training, breathing, core stability, abdominal strength, injury prevention and management. Information will also be provided about the IADMS/Trinity College London Certificate in Safe and Effective Dance Practice and the conference’s content will provide valuable learning for those wishing to take this qualification.
The conference will be hosted during the Danz Festival Lëtzebuerg, a contemporary platform for local and international dance companies.
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