Concert Hall, Perth, 19 September 2006, and touring

Refurbished Behaviour

THE TRANSFORMATION of Scottish Ballet from a traditional classical ballet company to a much more contemporary unit under the artistic direction of Ashley Page continues in this Autumn Tour programme.

The tour will be visiting several smaller venues in the Highlands and Borders, and Page recognised that fact in putting the programme together. He said beforehand that he had tried to tailor it to the needs of the smaller venues, but in a way that would deliver as near to the full authentic experience of Scottish Ballet as possible within the restrictions of the space.

Several of the pieces he chose were either created for or have been successfully performed in restricted stage areas, although the splendid – and well-filled – Perth Concert Hall did not come in to that category. The ample stage allowed the dancers plenty of room for expansive movement, but it was possible to see how they might work in the more restricted scope of, say, the MacPhail Centre in Ullapool.

The only completely new work in the show was also the only one not made by Page (although some of the programmes will feature work by William Forsythe and George Balanchine). ‘Sirocco’ marked the debut as a choreographer for dancer Diana Loosmore, and revealed a great deal of promise.

It emerged from a choreographic workshop held within the company earlier this year, something that Page is keen to develop (he has now awarded Loosmore a commission for another piece, funded by an annual award for new work from the Peter Darrell Trust).

Her choreography in ‘Sirocco’, danced by Eve Musto and Erik Cavallari, was softer and more flowing than Page’s own more oblique and aggressive approach, and provided a pleasing contrast to the three duets by the artistic director which followed.

‘Refurbished Behaviour’, danced by Loosmore and Jarkko Lehmus, was more overtly erotically-charged than ‘Sirocco’, and was typical of his fascination with the patterns of acceptance and rejection within his always ambivalent couples.

The sultry Latin setting of ‘Walking in the Heat’, featuring Claire Robertson and Erik Cavallari, and the sinuous energy of ‘Acrid Avid Jam’, with Sophie Martin and Tama Barry, developed that theme in their own distinctive ways.

‘Room of Cooks’ is a trio in which Patricia Hines, Erik Cavallari and Paul Liburd lay out a mysterious drama in the setting of a domestic kitchen. Page’s signature style emerged in all of these works, but it was only with his ‘Divertissements’ from the 2003 production of ‘The Nutcracker’ that the company reverted to a more traditional mode, albeit still with a distinct contemporary flavour.

The 16 dancers provided a colourful conclusion to an excellent show, complete with tutus and impressive point work, and a very traditional ‘Pas de Deux’ from Claire Robertson and Erik Cavallari.

The Scottish Ballet Autumn Tour 2006 can be seen in Ullapool (21-22 September, Elgin Town Hall (24 October) and Corran Halls, Oban (26 October).

© Kenny Mathieson, 2006

Links

• Scottish Ballet