Next Generation Festival: English National Ballet School

[Henry]

I saw the 2pm performance.  First was Ashton's Les Patineurs danced by students in their last year.  The sets and costumes were very impressive.  Were they borrowed from Royal Ballet or Birmingham Royal Ballet??  To my eyes, it was faultlessly danced.  I have seen this ballet a few times before and I am really not sure that I have seen it done better.  All the dancers were charming.  The Blue Boy really sparkled in a technically showy role.  

 

The middle piece was In Space and Time by Andrew McNicol.  This was danced by 1st & 2nd year students.  Very able, very pleasant, very watchable to music by Beethoven, Glazunov, Martinu & Tchaikovsky.  It's one of those pieces were a group of people rush on stage, dance fast and furious, rush off stage as another group of dancers rush on.  Is there a term/ name for those kind of pieces? 

 

The last piece was Pina Bausch's Tannhauser Bacchanal to music by Wagner.  This was danced by graduating students.  Very well done, very effective.  

 

Three people from the Pina Bausch Foundation were introduced on stage by Vivianna Durante.  They explained, taught Bausch's The Nelkin Line (Please google), inviting the audience to join in.  All the students came on stage to Louis Armstrong's West End Blue and snaked around the stage performing the Nelkin Line.  A good way to end the performance with everyone on stage - and a change from the usual defile.  

 

Congratulations to Vivianna Durante!  An excellent show, demonstrating very high standards.  Surely all the graduating students will end up in companies?  I don't know the economics of mounting these show but I wish there had been more performances.  I would have loved to see it again.  I hope it's been videoed.  
 

Edited July 6 by Henry

[LinMM]

I was going to put a report in the Younger Generation thread but glad you’ve started this specific one. 
I was at matinee too and will report later as have to dash out now but was very impressed with the show a very well chosen and enjoyable selection to show off the young dancers skills. 

[LinMM]

Yes ENBS did a delightful performance of Les Patineurs last Thursday afternoon and the blue boy So Hadano a star in the making as Blue Boy wonderfully confident performance. 
I thoroughly enjoyed all the set pieces from the White couple and blue girls etc. The costumes looked very RB but don’t know if they were but this was a very polished show of classical dancing. 
The Piece which followed by Andrew McNichol was also very good called Of Space and Time. I suppose this was in neo classical style which reminded me at times of Macmillan choreography in faster bits of Concerto or even Balanchine!
The  first section was for male dancers and then a section for female dancers wearing simple white dresses( not the  tutus) 

This section was particularly beautiful and not sure who the very first girl who came on was and who had a fairly major role in this section but she was a real artist using her whole upper body to great effect. But I had to ask who the choreographer was at the interval as I enjoyed this so much. The “tutu” section was also really well danced and the girl who pulled off all the fouettés including turning as doing them ( as in recent ENB Swan Lake at RAH) as if it was nothing at all was another little star….anybody who looks so happy doing fouettés is a winner in my books!! 
I don’t know whether this Piece was especially choreographed for these students or whether a previously performed  work but deserves to be seen more widely. 
The programme then was given over to Pina Bausch. 
The first Piece was very contemporary with basically lots of writhing bodies then engaged in some orgiastic meetings or so it seemed to

me …like some sort of Bacchanalian celebrations!   It was okay but did show off the dancers in this more contemporary style… so completely different to the previous Pieces. 
This was called Tannhauser Baccanhale Richard Wagner ( just had to look this up so guess the purpose of the Piece was communicated successfully lol) 

The final Piece was a bit of fun called the Nelkin Line. 
Viviane Durante came out onto the stage with the Pina Bausch “reps” and thanked them for their involvement with ENBS and then we all learned a few mime sequences before all the dancers came on stage (going through the mime sequences)  and through the audience in the stalls so was no way could not join in this bit of fun!  It certainly put a smile on lots of faces and was an unusual way of ending the show. 

Viviane Durante has served these pupils so very well in the last few years and I’m  sure is very proud of them all….and they  will surely miss her when she goes but hoping ENBS can continue to keep these high standards achieved today under their new AD. 
Wishing all school leavers every success in their new ventures. 
 

Edited July 6 by LinMM

[LinMM]

Am glad to see in the Links today that at least one critic has reported on this show!! 
Was about to complain that others from this Next Generation had been reported on but not ENBS! 
However Bruce Marriott has a very good review on “Lifted Leg” 

I don’t know why but this title always makes me laugh! 

[Bruce]

On 08/07/2024 at 12:51, LinMM said:

Am glad to see in the Links today that at least one critic has reported on this show!! 
Was about to complain that others from this Next Generation had been reported on but not ENBS! 
However Bruce Marriott has a very good review on “Lifted Leg” 

I don’t know why but this title always makes me laugh! 

 

Thank you and glad you liked the review - it was a fine show and so pleased I saw it. Also glad that LiftedLeg as a title makes you laugh. I actually did a piece about why the site is called LiftedLeg: https://www.liftedleg.com/2024/03/why-is-this-site-called-liftedleg