Right, now I have something to displace the slightly scary vision of Jack Black in baby blue tights and Luchador cape.
Last Thursday and Saturday I had the good fortune to see Compania Nacional de Danza perform at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. I saw two different programs of work choreographed by Nacho Duato, the first being: Castrati (very educational program notes there; did you know that the male sopranos were considered “on-stage heroes” in 17th century Italy?), Rassemblement, and White Darkness. This is the first time I’ve seen CND and only the second time I’ve seen any of Duato’s choreography (I saw Hubbard Street perform “Duende” several years ago).
This is “Farinelli,” uber-star of opera in the 1700s and a castrato:
(photo from the NY Times, picture from the Royal College of Music)
So:
The dancers are AMAZING! They have particular and individual ways of moving, but they all have the most astonishingly mobile backs. They articulate the entire length of their spines as if they are one long swish of muscle. The movement is very creature-like (Eel? Snake? Sea cucumber? So not the image I’m looking for…), but the effect is more human. It’s as if the dimension and depth that they get at somehow makes them more vividly people.
They can also rock the unison. Everyone on stage moving so fast and so huge at precisely the same time? Thrilling.
I read the program notes before the performance for the first program, which I think was a mistake. All three pieces were very much about something: castration, slavery, and drug addiction, respectively. Once I had that list in my head, I couldn’t get it out and it distracted me from the dancing. The movement is beautiful and interesting, but having all those meanings in my head made me feel uncomfortable with the drama.
Favourite moments:
A lush pas de deux in Rassemblement, danced by (I think) Marina Jiminez and a great man who I couldn’t pick out in the program.
The huge spills of white sand that poured onto the stage in White Darkness (CND has a brief video of this effect on their website).
Program two was Gilded Goldbergs, Gnawa, and Por Vos Mueros. This time I didn’t read the program notes and was much happier. My favourite piece was Gnawa, mostly for the exciting, rhythmic parts that swept all of the dancers across the stage. This was the piece that made me most jealous of the people on the stage. They were all caught up in this amazing dance and I was sitting on my bum in a chair (in an orchestra pit. The pit was covered and filled with more seats. My sister and I felt a bit like we were smashed up on the stage, but we got over it).
Whew. That was a lot of blather.
I don’t have any pics of the fun Yerba Buena theater because it was gloomy and wet, but to make up for it here’s one of Hattie instead:
Ah the cuteness!
Other random oddments:
I started barre a couple weeks ago. I feel at once doddering and babyish, but who knew that plies and tendus could be so exciting?
Interviewed Thomas McManus for the Conservatory’s latest newsletter. He talks a bit about working with William Forsythe and is generally his smart, wonderful self.
With Thomas during the summer:
I hope you are all getting excited for Leap Day! An extra day in the year… Anyone have thrilling plans for it?
xx. Megan
Gwenny
You kidding?! Castrati were the rock stars of their day. I read the most awesome novel based on Faranelli’s life. It is an interesting bit of history…
Feb 29, 2008 @ 04:05
philip
Megan & Gwen, I hope you have both seen the film FARINELLI…sexy, colorful and it captures the adulation that the castrati inspired as well as their power of sexual attraction. To create the imagined sound of a castrato voice the film morphs a counter-tenor with a female high soprano.
Two of my favorite novels deal with castrati: CRY TO HEAVEN by Anne Rice and THE VIRTUOSO by Margriet de Moor.
Feb 29, 2008 @ 12:03
carla korbes
Megan,
I am going to see them dance tonight here in Seattle. I can’t wait!!
Thursday I got to meet the company and watch a little bit of their rehearsal. They are truly amazing.
I will let you know what I thought about it later!
Thanks for the post!
Feb 29, 2008 @ 19:41
megan
I’ll definitely have to look up that film, and those books… Gwenny, what is the title of the novel? (also, have you seen “Torchwood,” the BBC show? the main character is named Gwen!)
I hope you enjoy the performance, Carla! So amazing that you got to watch rehearsal! Can’t wait to hear about it.
Feb 29, 2008 @ 22:41
Cathy
oh nacho’s works are FANTASTIC, aren’t they?? I loveit!
Feb 29, 2008 @ 22:41
jennifer
dang it, i knew i shouldn’t have skipped the duato performance at yerba buena…truth be told, the rain kept me away
thanks for the review. hattie is adorable!!!!
Mar 01, 2008 @ 02:09
carla korbes
Megan, and everyone at the Winger,
I just saw the CND last night, and Megan is right, they were unbelivably fluid and amazing to look at. What is so nice about their company is that they are all so commited to the work, they never look like they could be doing anything else at that moment. They are also so confortable with their bodies (it seams from the audience), one minute they are up dancing around and the next they are on the floor doing some amazing things.
They performed Castrati, Gnawa and White Darkness. The last piece was my favorite, the dancers, the music, the white powder (sand?) was all very intense and beautiful.
Does anyone know what they use for the effects on White Darkness? Is it sand?
Mar 01, 2008 @ 23:11
Shannon
WAHAHAHA I have joined and can now embarrass you in before the online dance community by leaving my usual evil comments. Ditto about the program notes…however infinitely less annoying than pre-performance lectures by stuffy people who believe that they are the end all be all of dance criticism. Any ways, lovely pic of the rather large castrati. See you soon!
Mar 08, 2008 @ 10:48
Cristalle Irons
Megan
This is Cristalle from lululemon. I lost your phone number and would love to contact you. The store number is 650.347.5858 please contact me
Cristalle
Apr 30, 2008 @ 17:14