The Royal Ballet: Chroma/Multiverse/Carbon Life (November 19th, 2016)

The Royal Ballet

Chroma

Multiverse

Carbon Life

Nov. 19th, 2016

Rarely have I ever been so excited to see a ballet. And a contemporary ballet at that! I have to admit: I'm a bit of a classical ballet snob. I love a simple, romantic story with beautiful and clean choreography. I've pretty much always condemned contemporary as glorified writhing on the floor with a few pirouettes thrown in. Thankfully, the Royal Ballet's works have been doing a good deal to dispel this opinion. I don't think I'll ever really understand contemporary ballet (I don't even try to comprehend the 'stories' or inspiration behind the pieces), but I've gotten to the place where I can really appreciate the dancing, choreography, costuming, lights - I could go on. 

But back to the excitement; I decided to attend this ballet for one purpose: Olivia Cowley (aka my favourite ballet dancer ever) was dancing in the latter two pieces, and I'd seen a rehearsal video for Carbon Life shortly after I'd discovered her as a dancer, and it was part of the reason I'd wanted to see more of her dancing. A year plus later, she's my absolute favourite dancer, so I was beyond excited for tonight. Plus, I got to sit in the stalls with my best friend, which I've never gotten to do before (day seats are my usual thing). So yeah, excited. Very. I was literally bouncing in my seat before it started.  

I'm going to write about each ballet individually; any general notes will be dispersed throughout. There's no way I won't miss details, so apologies to anyone/anything I've left out! There was too much I loved to write about it all. Please keep in mind that I rarely read the introductory 'story' summaries, as I prefer to watch the piece and draw my own conclusions. This is also very delayed, as I had a dance show and teaching to do - of course what finally enabled me to have enough time to finish this review was an injury that's taken me out of dance for the foreseeable future. So hopefully I have not forgotten too much!

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Chroma

Chroma was the opening ballet of the night. Weird as this may sound, I actually don't have a lot to say about it. I liked Chroma, a lot, but there aren't too many particular details I felt the need to highlight. Probably what I liked most was the set; it was very open and airy, with lots of clean lines. I'm not sure what colour it was, because the lighting enabled the background to shift and change colours, while also creating or removing shadows that added a completely new dimension to each section of dance. It felt very much like being in a modern art gallery, and the dancers were the subject of a painting coming to life. I'm not sure if the costumes really added to that; some blended with the complexions of the dancers (Sarah Lamb's peach outfit) while others didn't (Luca Acri's - I believe - green costume). I guess it fit with the modern art theme in that it didn't make a lot of sense, and it didn't necessarily detract from the piece - it was just an odd little detail that I couldn't quite make sense of.

It was interesting having the combination of Alvin Ailey dancers with Royal Ballet dancers. There was certainly a huge difference in style; the AA dancers were more muscular, more dynamic, while the Royal dancers were slimmer, more flexible, and had cleaner technique. The latter also had a more lyrical quality to their movements, while the former was often quite jerky and abrupt. I'm not saying one or the other was better; they were just different. It was a bit awkward watching the trios or group numbers, as the AA dancers seemed more focus on individual performance rather than completing the group. It may have just been a lack of rehearsal time, but where two Royal dancers and an AA dancer were together; the AA dancer was a beat behind. Legs weren't at the same heights, arms weren't in the same places on lifts - it was the only moment when Chroma felt chaotic. As individuals, every single dancer was incredible. But the group dynamic was off, something I felt further rehearsal or a cast of dancers from a single company - or two more similar companies - would have resolved this problem.

Based on McGregor's choreography, he really likes using the flexibility of the dancers (and has a fondness for tilts and penches). It didn't really surprise me, as he seems to particularly enjoy working with dancers like Sarah Lamb and Olivia Cowley, known for their flexibility. This proved a problem for other dancers though (particularly the men); while clearly excellent technicians and very flexible from the average person's point of view, some of the dancers clearly struggled with the extreme amount of flexibility required, and this showed in the absence of 'ease' in the dance. Many of them have to make other adjustments in their body positions to achieve the desired effect, which, from my perspective as a dancer and gymnast, looked off. But on a more positive note, I adored the use of strength and classical technique - which all dancers have in abundance. The lifts were very cool and intricate, and
Another highlight of Chroma was the music. It was what really drew me in right off the bat, and made the oddness of the choreography (it's something I don't think I'll ever get over about contemporary dance) more palpable. I got definite Alice in Wonderland vibes off of it, which is a good thing as I loved that music. Considering both the music and choreography, my favourite duet of this piece was a very quiet, yet intense, lyrical duet about midway through. I unfortunately cannot remember the dancers involved (I believe it may have been Lauren Cuthbertson?), but it was a stunningly presented duet. 

A review of National Ballet of Canada's production of Chroma called it a "delirious frenzy of movement," a statement which I feel summarises the piece quite nicely. It has its calmer moments, but all in all, its a busy, but well-crafted, frenzy of dance and motion. I really, really enjoyed Chroma, and I'd definitely be looking to see it again. It was such an intricate piece, I'm sure I missed a lot of details. 

Multiverse

Multiverse was the newest piece of this triple bill, so new that when I bought my ticket a few weeks ago, it didn't even have a name. No new work is ever going to be perfect, even from an experienced choreographer like Wayne McGregor, and that was certainly the case here. I think the concept was interesting, and the backdrop was very cool, but in terms of visuals, I didn't really understand the costumes. The variance between pointe and soft shoes didn't make any sense, first of all. Also, the costumes seemed to be quite organic; stained, earthy colours, styled into leotards with looser skirts/tops. This contrasted confusingly with the very modern, technological background (Think Curious Incident, with less lighting) and techno-style music. Speaking of music, I wasn't overly fond (quite in contrast to Chroma); instead of complimenting or instigating the dancing, it proved an overloud distraction. I guess it went with the chaos of the dancing, but I found it very difficult to listen to, and it was giving me a bit of a headache. That, combined with trying to follow four different pieces of choreography at once just made the piece overwhelming and difficult to watch and enjoy.

Multiverse was the piece where I liked the choreography the least. It was too chaotic; there was too much going on at once, and brief moments of symmetry and unity were far too fleeting. I liked the steps themselves, I just didn't enjoy the chaos. You don't know where to look, so you end up missing almost everything because your eyes are darting all over the place. When Olivia Cowley was onstage, I watched whatever section she was doing, but otherwise, I sort of had to pick a dancer and watch only them (and their partners; I mostly watched Sarah Lamb, Lauren Cuthbertson, and Francesca Hayward), which meant I probably missed a lot of action. It was the only way I could actually process a small segment of what was happening onstage. I also didn't like the duet at the beginning; as far as I understand it, the two dancers were supposed to be following each other, so not perfectly in synch. However, because the second dancer was only a split second behind, it looked too much like he was just off time rather than this being a part of the choreography. I think that distinction needs to be more clearly made. That said, I can't fault the dancers at all. Every single performer clearly gave every ounce of energy to create as dynamic and exciting a piece as possible.

To me, this was a piece about contrast, especially in the world as we know it. The transitions between modern war (?) and historical (represented as a fractured painting on the screen), and the uneasiness of the dancing itself communicated that theme. However, the dancing itself was just too chaotic, and not balletic enough, for my liking. Overall, I felt that Multiverse was more of a performance art piece rather than a contemporary ballet, more at home performed in a gallery, not the Royal Opera House. 

Carbon Life

Carbon Life was the final piece of the evening, and might just have knocked Connectome out of the top spot for favourite contemporary ballet piece (which is odd as they're very different pieces). I got very cirque-du-soleil vibes from it; the music, the dance, the lighting, and the costuming all came together for that effect. It was a true performance. I really liked that the music and dance worked so seamlessly together; one could easily have overwhelmed the other, but McGregor skilfully weaved the two together to create a whole, such that you couldn't picture one without the other. Having the live band and singers proved quite useful; the piece had so many different tones and emotions involved, and having singers and musicians coming on and off stage worked well at communicating these transitions. I also liked the combination of vocal and instrumental music, it added a nice variety to the piece.

I really loved the choreography of Carbon Life; it was the perfect combination of classical steps and beautiful technique with a modern quality of movement. The turns and the legs and the arms were so clean and precise, but the body waves and rolls and general 'reckless abandon'-esque quality of movement gave it that more visceral, raw feel. It was a great combination. Speaking of combinations, I loved that synchronised tendu-port de bras thing that was going on in a large V and in the background of a duet for a while (confession time: I didn't realise there was a duet going on until my friend told me later. I was enjoying watching the synchronicity of the tend-ptb bit). I may or may not have stolen that combo and used a slowed-down version in my ballet class… Anyway, I don't have much else to say about the choreography other than that I loved it. It was just a wonderful, aesthetically pleasing combination of classical and contemporary.

Lighting, set design, and costuming/makeup of Carbon Life are definitely worth noting. Unfortunately, since I'm writing this so belatedly and don't have pictures to remind me, I can't actually remember why I liked the set. But I did like it! The lighting I do remember; it was dusky and 'smoky' and dark, but there was still enough light that you could actually see what was happening. It was kind of cool with the black costumes and smoky atmosphere at the end, you almost felt as if you were in this industrial coal mine or something. It was a very Silent Hill-esque vibe. I wasn't hugely fond of the makeup; yes it suited the them, but it aged the dancers, and the invisible eyebrows and lips thing make it so much harder for them to use their facial expressions. If you weren't front row, you missed a lot. I'll talk a bit more about the costuming below, but I liked the simplicity and uniformity of the costumes. I don't want to call them androgynous, but to a certain extent the men and women were dressed very similarly, such that it was only by body shape that you could tell them apart. The skimpiness of the opening costumes meant you could focus a lot more on the shapes and lines the dancers were creating with their bodies and the quality of movement rather than any loose bits wafting distracting (like in Multiverse).

As much as I loved the piece as a whole, the highlight for me was the duet between Olivia Cowley and Matthew Ball (covering for Edward Watson). It was fierce, dynamic yet fluid, and utterly captivating - you couldn't tear your eyes away even for a second. Olivia and Matthew have incredible chemistry, particularly considering this was a fairly recent partnership, due to Watson's injury. I saw a whole new dimension of Matthew, whom I'd previously only seen playing fairly youthful, innocent roles. He certainly showed his capacity to execute darker characters. I also thought he and Olivia had an excellent emotional and physical connection; apparently this duet was meant to be about a certain kind of love - my friend theorised it's about that dysfunctional, violent, yet passionate love, which made sense to me from the way the two dancers interacted. And then there's Olivia Cowley herself. Just everything about her performance was perfect. The effortless flexibility in her back and hips (her tilt gave me seriously flexibility envy) made everything she did look easy - which is, ultimately, the goal of most dance pieces. Although she's a technically stellar dancer, my favourite part about Olivia in this piece was her emotional expression. She makes all of her emotions and facial expressions big without overdoing it. Everything looks and feels so genuine, and because of this, I find it far easier to connect to her dancing. There's no disconnect between the steps and the acting, and she doesn't prioritise one over the other. It's a very rare skill to have (most of the dancers in this triple bill, as talented as they all are, were clearly focusing more on getting the steps and choreography rather than letting the audience feel the raw emotion), and I think it's what made her stand out so much onstage, and particularly in this duet. Although I've loved everything I've seen her dance so far, Carbon Life was certainly a standout (up there with Raven Girl and Afternoon of a Faun).

Although I loved Carbon Life to bits, there were things I just didn't get. The angular black costumes that appeared later in the ballet were a cool effect, but they left me confused as to the purpose, especially when most of them were removed for curtain call (for practical reasons, of course, but it didn't make sense to have a complete costume change for five seconds). Especially the men in the tutu and Lady Gaga-eqsue outfits. I just didn't get it, and it detracted from the conclusion of the ballet. I also thought the rap element of the music felt a bit out of place; the rhythmic beat was good for the dancing it accompanied, but the political notes of the song and ill-conceived Trump joke detracted. These are just a few small issues in an otherwise excellent performance, and Carbon Life really is one of my new favourite contemporary ballets. 

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Part of my enjoyment of triple bills comes from the variety of choreographers' work you can see; they're all so different that you don't get the chance to get bored or too used to anything. Because of this, I expected that seeing three works by the same choreographer in quick succession would be tiring and monotonous, but although McGregor has a definite style (all of the body rolls - I swear he's been watching AGG. And he seriously overuses the cat walks - not sure what the technical term for those are), each of the pieces was just different enough to maintain my interest. Whether it was loud and dynamic like Carbon Life, quietly brilliant like Chroma, or so confusing you were forced into intent focus, for Multiverse, everything kept your attention. I'd certainly be happy to see this triple bill again, and I look forward to seeing more of McGregor's work in the future.