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Sarah Frater's rating
Belgians bumble in the jumble
By
Sarah Frater
20 Aug 2007
Ha-ha, what a laugh is Impressing the Czar, what cultural jokes, and what a wry, sly comment on the misleading neatness of art. The three-act completeness of theatre, the precision of ballet is not how we live our lives, nor how our memories work. There's no tidy beginning, middle and end, but a chaotic, fragmentary jumble.
This is the heart, and the means, of this three-act work by William Forsythe. Made in 1988, it has acquired an iconic status, not only for the drastic classicism of the pure dance central section, which was made on the very young, very talented Sylvie Guillem, but also for its hilarious deconstruction of balletic and theatrical norms.
Shame, then, that for its UK premier itwas danced by Royal Ballet of Flanders. This respectable troupe, led by a former Forsythe associate, lacks the belligerence, and luxuriant menace needed. The pure dance section should be a subversive display of extreme ballet, but the cast I saw (Sunday) impersonated stealth rather than understood it. They were also too junior.
They fared better with the two book-ending theatrical acts, both a gleeful riot of declamation, choreographic shrapnel, nudgenudge props (a pair of cherries), Greco-Christian knick-knacks and 40 voguing schoolgirls spoofing Madonna and the ballet Giselle.
People think Forsythe is easy. That he's just exaggerated ballet, and self-indulgent choreographic mayhem. But his work needs the best dancers and charisma. The Belgians were short on both.
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Reader views (2)
Perhaps it is no coincidence that the Edinburgh Festival was selected for the UK premiere – where art and youth are synonymous. The venue provided a stage for the revival of Forysthe’s ballet and the rebirth of the Royal Ballet of Flanders under the artistic leadership of his esteemed colleague, Kathryn Bennetts. Paralleling the rebirth of St. Sebastian this may be Forsythe’s optimistic statement for the future of ballet – in the youthful expression and energetic interpretation of his demanding work. As the story goes the widow of St. Castulus went to retrieve St. Sebastian’s body to bury it, and found he was still alive. She brought him back to her house and nursed him back to health. It will be exciting to watch this young company evolve its rendering of Czar as they mature under the skilled management of Ms. Bennetts.
- Carol Clark, Colorado, United States of America, 23/08/2007 15:23
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I don't know if you ever saw the frankfurt ballet performing this ballet but I think the Royal ballet of flanders did a fabulous job in Impressing the czar.
Not only do they have succes around the world with this ballet but also Forsythe himself was very pleased with the ballet of flanders.
- Will Peterson, Netherlands, 21/08/2007 17:00
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