Out on the road
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CHRISTOPHER WHEELDON |
I have been out and about recently working with some more spectacular dancers. A recent trip to Sydney, Australia was a highlight and although the travel was brutal, I found every moment worth the neck cramps and jetlag. I also discovered that, although far away, Australian Ballet are a company of the highest order.
Sydney is a glorious city. Fantastic weather, amazing architectural and natural surroundings and plenty of people to share a cold beer and a chat with. Then there is of course the magnificent Sydney Opera House. Perched in majestic splendor on the end of a bluff jutting out into the harbor. I don’t think my walk to work has ever been more pleasant. Watching the bright colored ferries crossing the bay, walking passed aboriginal groups performing old favourites on the Digereedoo.
I took class with Aussie Ballet every day under the watchful eye of Matz Skoog, the ex-director of London’s English National Ballet and a dancer I had enjoyed watching as a student. I remember fondly his Romeo opposite the exquisite Trinidad Sevilliano as Juliet in the old Ashton production. His classes were thoughtful and he really taught, meaning that there was a dialogue that made sense that wove his combinations together. A real development of ideas from the beginning to the end of class. He was not afraid to correct the dancers and follow with a clear explanation for his corrections. He was demanding yet nurturing. These are all qualities I find missing from most company classes. Class needs to be treated as more than a warm up. It is a refinement of our technique that allows us the freedom to be artists rather than just technicians on stage. I really appreciated Matz’s class.
The company are beautiful, spirited and athletic. They have a work ethic and an understanding of one another that reminds me of San Francisco Ballet. Rehearsals were a pleasure and it seemed to me that whomever it was in the front of the room, the dancers gave them their full energy and attention. Edwaard Liang had been down there for 5 weeks before my arrival and had set my ballet ‘After The Rain’ immaculately. The dancers fully embraced his personality and the ballet was so well set, my working week was easy. The only pain of it all was in my neck, having put it out on the plane trip. Lucky their physio was fab and she soon sorted me out. Not so comfy for the first couple of days though.
One of the joys of the trip was catching up with my friends Matt Trent and Lucinda Dunn. Luci and I danced our graduation performance at The Royal Ballet School together as Sweethearts in Kenneth Macmillan’s ‘Elite Syncopations’. One night at dinner she shared with me a video her mum had shot of us flailing around as teenagers in that very pas de deux. Luci is now a ballerina of extraordinary qualities at Australian Ballet and she danced two roles in ‘After The Rain’. In the first cast she was one of the first movement couples and in the third she danced Wendy Whelan’s role in the pas de deux .
I couldn’t believe how well Ed had prepared the three casts for me. The company perform upwards of 35 shows between their Sydney and Melbourne seasons . Three casts are a necessity and I have heard recently that Luci is the only pas de deux girl still standing.
Matt Trent is a great friend . He left Australian Ballet as a principal dancer last year and is now teaching in Sydney and will be taking a role in ‘Billy Elliot’ the musical when it arrives there in the fall. Matt and I go back to White Lodge together and like so many of my friends from that era we have remained close. I guess bonding really happens when you are thrown together with other kids for five years in such a highly competitive environment.
The opening night of ‘After The Rain’ was bittersweet as it marked the final performances of the company’s leading man Steven Heathcote. Steve chose to dance my ballet, which was an honor and very touching considering his long standing relationships with other more local choreographers. His performance on opening night was met with rapturous warmth . I couldn’t help but feel the power that I am blessed with . That I can at times find it in myself to create works that not only launch careers but also help with seeing them to an end. I guess ‘After The Rain‘ will not just be exclusive to Jock Soto although of course his beauty and spirit as a dancer and as the creator of the role will always be there. It was nice to see this work danced by other dancers who made it their own tribute . I understand now that it is a ballet about dancers and their unique relationships with one another. An unspoken love affair that is consummated only onstage.
Sydney was a remarkable experience as was my weekend stoppover in San Francisco to say farewell to the incomparable Mark Morris choreographed for a shorter dancer, to a comedienne in Macmillan’s ‘Elite Syncopations’ to a sculptural goddess in ‘Agon’ pas de deux. She did all of this on her farewell program proving that the San Francisco Ballet has now lost something so rare in this day and age. A true Ballerina.
THANK YOU MURIEL AND WE WISH YOU LOVE AND SUCCESS IN WHATEVER DIRECTION YOU CHOSE TO FOLLOW.
I hope you will all follow my progress with Morphoses/ the Wheeldon Company. We are gearing up for our summer season ,the details of which are on our webpage www.morphoses,org. Soon to come will be a website of magnificent proportions that will follow our progress and provide you with insight to our rep and dancers.
Thats all for now .
Keep dancing, its what you love and do best !
Chris
