Post by tonyloco on May 7, 2018 12:33:53 GMT
I enjoyed the two ballet programmes on BBC 4 last night: the old programme about how the Second World War was the making of what is now the Royal Ballet and the new programme about the work of Kenneth MacMillan. Here are just a few very random thoughts that occurred to me:
1. There was almost no mention whatsoever of the work of Marie Rambert and her company the Ballet Rambert which was the main contender alongside Ninette de Valoi's Sadler's Wells Ballet to move into Covent Garden after the war and become the national company. Dame Marie deserved better than that!
2. Anthony Dowell was referred to always as a principal dance although he was actually director of the company for several years. In fact, the role of director of the company was very much underplayed throughout both programmes.
3. The clips of Ashton's 'Symphonic Variations' clearly showed the horrendous surface of the stage at the Royal Opera House on which the performers had to dance in the early days after the war with the wooden slats and the gaps in between caused by the fact that sections of the stage could be raised or lowered in several blocks for opera productions. It was a miracle that they could dance on it at all!
4. The MacMillan programme was extremely interesting as regards the contributions from his wife and daughter. I agree that the Royal Ballet would be much the poorer without the MacMillan repertoire and, as Monica Mason said regarding 'Song of the Earth', it was all very much 'serious stuff'! Ashton was pretty much responsible for creating a unique British dancing style for the company but none of his works have the weight or dramatic impact of almost everything MacMillan ever produced.
1. There was almost no mention whatsoever of the work of Marie Rambert and her company the Ballet Rambert which was the main contender alongside Ninette de Valoi's Sadler's Wells Ballet to move into Covent Garden after the war and become the national company. Dame Marie deserved better than that!
2. Anthony Dowell was referred to always as a principal dance although he was actually director of the company for several years. In fact, the role of director of the company was very much underplayed throughout both programmes.
3. The clips of Ashton's 'Symphonic Variations' clearly showed the horrendous surface of the stage at the Royal Opera House on which the performers had to dance in the early days after the war with the wooden slats and the gaps in between caused by the fact that sections of the stage could be raised or lowered in several blocks for opera productions. It was a miracle that they could dance on it at all!
4. The MacMillan programme was extremely interesting as regards the contributions from his wife and daughter. I agree that the Royal Ballet would be much the poorer without the MacMillan repertoire and, as Monica Mason said regarding 'Song of the Earth', it was all very much 'serious stuff'! Ashton was pretty much responsible for creating a unique British dancing style for the company but none of his works have the weight or dramatic impact of almost everything MacMillan ever produced.
