New Romantics Ballet

Last night was part two of our ballet subscription (part three I will not be able to attend - The Nutcracker - since I will be in Europe *sniff*). And it was a double event to celebrate because after twenty-odd years, Steven Heathcote is retiring and the New Romantics bill was to be his swansong.

Except he wasn't bloody performing the night we had tickets! Arrrrgh! My reaction was just like the one I had for Pirates. No matter *sigh*.

The New Romantics is promoted as a showcase of neoclassical ballet, but I thought it more like making nice shapes out of human bodies. It had all the trappings of modern ballet - something usually akin to modern art in my mind - unflattering flesh coloured leotards (above), flexed hands and feet ruining the lines, simulated birth....but despite all that, I really enjoyed it!

The first was Balanchine's Apollo which had perhaps the nicest shapes (e.g. left) that showed to the best advantage from our seats in the heavens. Then was Stanton Welch's Constant Variants which I found the most entertaining - it was full of action and had nice maroon/blue leotards. The final piece was After the Rain (featuring the flesh leotard) which was supposed to feature Heathcote. Instead we got Matthew Lawrence (right). Male ballet dancers have such nice musculature, and Rain really needed them cos there was a lot of lifting the ballerina around and balancing her on various limbs!

Actually, I think that's what I liked best about Romantics, there was an excess of acrobatics compared to other modern ballets which made it fun.
(Photos from Australian Ballet website)