In one of the very first posts on this blog, I said that there are certain things that lead me on a trail of obsession. It is like a ripple effect: consuming one piece of content and then being led by the themes, platform or genre to further new discoveries. Some people might refer to this as going down the rabbit hole, but I think the ripple effect sounds much more curious.
Ballet has been part of my life since I was a small child. I think that in the mainstream, ballet is often presented as sitting at two extremes; either being all glittery, pastel costumes (think Angelina Ballerina or any ballet shown at Christmas) or being so psychologically damaging that dancers routinely have severe mental health issues and exist in a world of over-sexualisation and exploitation (think Black Swan or Tiny Pretty Things). In the past few years the Royal Ballet has lifted the curtain on what life is really like for the company members and although there are glittery costumes, what they really showcase is that this is a career built off the back of long hours, physical grit and the desire to create true artistry.
What started the ripples of my recent Royal Ballet obsession was BBC Two’s Dancing the Nutcracker- Inside the Royal Ballet. The documentary first aired back in 2017 and marked ballet dancer, Francesca Haywood’s first season as the ‘Sugar Plum Fairy’, in that year’s production of The Nutcracker. When Lockdown 1 hit, I found myself re-watching the documentary for a cosy sense of familiarity, and wanting more of that wrapped up feeling, I found myself on the Royal Opera House’s YouTube channel which has hundreds of videos of the company at work. Some of these were originally live-streamed as part of their yearly World Ballet Day celebrations, and some are stand-alone events to highlight a specific production or celebrate a body of work.
With some of the streams lasting up to an hour and a half, I have watched more hours than I would care to admit, staying up until the early hours letting myself be led by the algorithm, even though I know the more I feed it, the more it thinks it knows about me. I love watching the dancers work with the coaches and the approach taken when working with artists of this calibre. I revel in watching the dancers take notes on tiny changes that maybe wouldn’t be noticed by the untrained eye and at the combination of artistry, physical strength and a specific kind of intelligence where they are able to comprehend a correction and put it in their body immediately. The passion and the true love of the craft is palpable from everyone in the room, from pianist, to coach to dancer and it is witnessing that love and care of the craft that keeps me following the ripples.
The Wind– choreographed by Arthur Pita, danced by Francesca Haywood, Ed Watson, Matthew Ball and male artists
As part of World Ballet Day in 2017, rehearsals were live-streamed and we got to watch choreographer Arthur Pita work with the company on the world premier of his new work. In the twenty minute segment we understand the way Pita’s choreography interacts with music, the way the two are in conversation and the organic responses to sound that Pita wants to cultivate.
In the extended evening special with a live studio audience, we see work on two pas de deux sections. It is in these sections that we see how Pita works with the dancers on their character. He spends time exploring the relationship between the characters and how this informs the movement. You can watch the whole rehearsal here and I would recommend watching from 4:50 to 33:00 for an insight into how Pita works on the intimacy of a duet and then skip ahead to 1:15:57 to watch a truly stunning pas de deux, danced to Frank Moon’s haunting original score. I’ve watched this pas de deux so many times, I just love the characterisation in their bodies at the end of the piece and how much we find out about their relationship in their subtle looks and the way they move together with the score.
Rubies– choreographed by George Balanchine, danced by Steven McRae and Sarah Lamb
I’ve loved Rubies ever since it was featured in ‘dark’ ballet drama Flesh and Bone (which definitely might get it’s own blog post one day). It has a contemporary feel, fast leg work and a really satisfying playfulness with rhythm. This rehearsal is great because both of these dancers are seasoned artists, Sarah Lamb has stunning legs and flexibility, and Steven McRae is such a showman and can’t help but do the most because there is an audience in the room. What we get to witness is how their coach Patricia Neary brings her straight talking New York-ness to the rehearsal room and begins to hone in on tiny technical details to refine the work of two incredible artists.
The Royal Ballet Company Class for World Ballet Day
Finally, this is the one that probably falls into the category of true obsession because these videos are literally just a live stream of the company taking a ballet class! They start at the barre, then move to centre and finish with allegro. It shouldn’t be that interesting to watch… it’s a class, but there is something incredibly soothing about the methodical nature of it all. Maybe it is from my own history of ballet but I found that I would often have these classes on while I was doing admin or pottering around the house and it would be incredibly relaxing.
If I had to choose a favourite Company Class video it would be 2018. The class is led by guest coach Olga Evreinoff who hits the perfect balance of holistic but hard. She gives copious notes throughout the class, calls dancers out by name and pulls people aside for corrections, she is a fantastic teacher who pays attention to each individual, no one is invisible in her class. Also the pianist is obviously a big musical theatre fan because at one point the whole company do a tendu exercise to Hey Big Spender!
Perhaps from the engagement over the last few years with live streams and documentaries, the young stars of the Royal Ballet who we saw starting out as soloists or stepping into principle roles for the first time are now figureheads for the company. Dancers like Francesca Haywood, Marcelino Sambe, Matthew Ball and Alexander Campbell have huge social media followings and over lockdown it was really insightful to see how they adjusted to classes in their kitchens and found ways to perform while theatres were closed. What’s also encouraging is how the company is slowly moving towards greater diversity, with more dancers of black and mixed heritage, I just hope this continues and we see dancers who are dark skinned, with appropriately coloured tights and shoes as a result.
As theatres re-open and the lights are turned on at the Royal Opera House, the Royal Ballet are offering a blended programme of in person and online events including a contemporary choreography showcase, a Balanchine and Jerome Robbins Mixed Bill and even the opportunity to watch the morning company class live on stage, so maybe it’s not just me watching those videos on repeat!
To check out what’s on this season and to find out more about The Royal Ballet, head to their website.
Midnight Culture 