Post by joem on Feb 15, 2023 0:13:01 GMT
Despite having done some dancing myself when Nureyev was a household name I must admit dance is the least interesting of the performing arts to me and the one I know least about.
The only reason I went to this special Valentine's Day performance by the Ballets Jazz Montreal was that it consisted of a series of choreographies by three choreographers (Andonis Foniadakis, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and Ihsan Rustem) aimed at bringing to life some of the songs of Leonard Cohen - my favorutie musician whose career I followed avidly and enthusiastically until his sad passing a few years ago. Given that I've always said I would have chosen to be him if I couldn't be born as myself, I obviously had to go and watch this.
I know little of the language of dance to understand whether there was an intention of a cohesive narrative here (I don't think there was it was more about feeling and emoting Cohen's songs and work in dance and movement), there were a few moments when the dancing seemed to be following the lyrics, but it was certainly energetic, colourful spectacle with some wonderfully fluid movements by the 14 strong cast. Plenty of amusing and pertinent details - the dancers wearing the suits and fedora Cohen sported, typewriting on the screen, moving references to the last communications between Cohen and his erstwhile muse Marianne and even some pretty good singing in a couple of pieces including, of course, the inevitable "Hallelujah".
Fine fare for an occasional visitor to this temple of dance. Would be interesting if someone on the forum with more knowledge of dance actually went and could give a more competent verdict.
The only reason I went to this special Valentine's Day performance by the Ballets Jazz Montreal was that it consisted of a series of choreographies by three choreographers (Andonis Foniadakis, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and Ihsan Rustem) aimed at bringing to life some of the songs of Leonard Cohen - my favorutie musician whose career I followed avidly and enthusiastically until his sad passing a few years ago. Given that I've always said I would have chosen to be him if I couldn't be born as myself, I obviously had to go and watch this.
I know little of the language of dance to understand whether there was an intention of a cohesive narrative here (I don't think there was it was more about feeling and emoting Cohen's songs and work in dance and movement), there were a few moments when the dancing seemed to be following the lyrics, but it was certainly energetic, colourful spectacle with some wonderfully fluid movements by the 14 strong cast. Plenty of amusing and pertinent details - the dancers wearing the suits and fedora Cohen sported, typewriting on the screen, moving references to the last communications between Cohen and his erstwhile muse Marianne and even some pretty good singing in a couple of pieces including, of course, the inevitable "Hallelujah".
Fine fare for an occasional visitor to this temple of dance. Would be interesting if someone on the forum with more knowledge of dance actually went and could give a more competent verdict.
