Classical and Contemporary Dance at Edinburgh International Festival 2012

A World of Classical and Contemporary Dance at Festival 2012 From Brazil with Love Sexy, sizzling dance from Rio de Janeiro Sidewalk to stage New York’s young Juilliard School dancers Move to the Beat Australia’s Leigh Warren fuses music and dance 21st-Century Girl Cinderella getS the Mariinsky makeover

Photo: Walter Carvahlo

Photo: Walter Carvahlo

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Photo: Leo Aversa

Love in a Hot Climate Contemporary Brazil provides a sexy, sultry setting for Aleksandr Pushkin’s classic story of young love in Deborah Colker Dance Company’s Tatyana

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t’s eugene onegin, but not as we know it. imagine aleksandr Pushkin’s 19th century classic of russian literature reborn as sexy, sizzling, sassy Brazilian dance. this is what deborah colker, winner of the laurence olivier award for outstanding achievement in dance and the only woman to have directed for cirque du Soleil, has done to Pushkin’s virtuosic novel in verse.

‘Tatyana has been the biggest challenge of my career,’ says colker, whose exuberant company is considered one of Brazil’s most exciting forces in contemporary dance. ‘it has opened up a whole new language of movement for me. making Tatyana has changed me as a choreographer.’ it’s not the first time eugene onegin has been adapted for ballet. the legendary choreographer John cranko’s

Onegin, set to a lush tchaikovsky score, fused traditional russian steps with modernist flourishes. colker’s version, which premiered in Brazil in april 2011, uses a robust and very South american language of movement (and at one point in act 1, an enormous tree) to tell the timeless tale of passion and rejection. colker’s signature style blends colour, classical rigour, and a contemporary sense of play. when it comes to the soundtrack, think tchaikovsky meets terry riley. ‘the ideas in this story are so deep, so abstract, and so perfect for dance,’ colker says. ‘this ballet is our way of paying homage to this great tradition of russian ballet, music and literature.’

She pauses, and laughs, adding, ‘But in a Brazilian way, of course.’ Chitra Ramaswamy Tatyana Saturday 11 – Tuesday 14 August 7.30pm The Edinburgh Playhouse eif.co.uk/tatyana £10-£30 Sponsored by

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Sound & Vision Dancers and musicians share the stage in Leigh Warren’s form-fusing double bill, Breathe and Impulse

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aving spent his formative years as a dancer with worldrenowned companies such as rambert and nederlands dans theater, it’s no wonder leigh warren has an ear for music. Both companies recognise the enormous contribution live music can bring to a performance, and warren is committed to doing likewise whenever possible with his own company.

Based in adelaide, australia, leigh warren + dancers has spent the past 20 years fusing the worlds of dance, visual art and music. the two works warren is bringing to the festival highlight his love of collaboration perfectly. Breathe features one of australia’s most acclaimed didgeridoo players, william Barton, while impulse finds the dancers weaving in and out of the zephyr Quartet, who join them on stage to play michael nyman’s String Quartet no 2 (each note of which triggers a response in the lighting design). ‘music can sometimes become like wallpaper, something that’s just in the background,’ says warren. ‘what i do is bring the music into the landscape of the event, and make sure visual art is never just decorative. it’s not possible to perform Breathe and impulse without live music – or the visual element. my interest is in this real fusion of forms, that doesn’t stand independently, but leans in on each other to form a new structure. it’s not the only way of working, but it’s our way.’ Kelly Apter

Leigh Warren + Dancers Saturday 25 August 7.30pm & Sunday 26 August 2.30pm Festival Theatre, Edinburgh eif.co.uk/leighwarren £12-£30

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Photo: Tony Lewis

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Photo: Rosalie O’Connor

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Dancing in the Street The Subway and sidewalks of New York provide an inspirational playground for the students of the legendary Juilliard Dance

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t takes a lot to faze new yorkers. But even in the coolest city on earth, the sight of 23 people jumping, spinning and writhing around a subway car was enough to turn heads. the subway performance – and similar turns in central Park and on the city streets – was an integral part of the development process for the dance students of new york’s famous Juilliard School as they worked on a new piece by the Swedish choreographer alexander ekman. the resulting film footage (which can be viewed on youtube) will introduce the playful piece, episode 31, when it receives its european premiere at the festival. ‘it is very classic and highly kinetic and was well received by audiences in new york,’ says lawrence rhodes, the artistic director of Juilliard dance. the students are also bringing José limón’s The Waldstein Sonata and Gnawa by nacho duato to the festival.

Set to Beethoven’s lively sonata of the same name, The Waldstein Sonata was premiered by the Juilliard dance ensemble in 1975 but later disappeared and was not performed for many years. ‘it’s very beautiful, classic limón. i thought it’d be great to revive this little gem and give it new life,’ says rhodes. the sounds of birdsong and water, and Spanish and african music provide the soundtrack to Gnawa. ‘it’s tribal, ritualistic and it has very beautiful and complex partnering,’ says rhodes. ‘together these pieces will give the dancers a chance to really show what they can do.’

Claire Prentice Juilliard Dance Saturday 25 – Monday 27 August 8.00pm The Edinburgh Playhouse eif.co.uk/juilliard £10-£30 Supported by Léan Scully EIF Fund With additional support from Embassy of the United States of America, London

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Out of this World In Ohad Naharin’s Hora, science fiction, martial arts and classical music collide

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ccompanied by Isao Tomita’s otherworldly melding of Debussy, Wagner and the music from Star Wars and 2001: A Space Odyssey, Israel’s Batsheva Dance Company makes a welcome return to the Festival with Ohad Naharin’s Hora. Powered by Naharin’s unique movement system, gaga, Hora pits minimal elegance against the company’s athletic excellence.

‘The soundtrack was designed during the process,’ Naharin says. ‘Tomita provided me with a universe in which we could go beyond what was familiar.’ Tomita’s pioneering, yet kitsch, use of synthesisers matches Naharin’s style: virtuosity is placed at the service of expression. And while Naharin insists that science fiction was not necessarily an inspiration, he admits that he likes it as a description of Hora ‘for the fact that the work creates, as one might say in science fiction: another world.’

Although Naharin trained with Martha Graham, his ‘gaga’ system echoes martial arts techniques: it emphasises not a particular set of movements but the direct connection between the body and emotions, pushing the dancer to find new ways to express themselves. ‘A lot of my time and skills are dedicated to the development of the dancers’ tool box,’ Naharin confirms. ‘The dancers help me to arrive at places I could not imagine.’ Gareth Vile

Hora Thursday 30 August – Saturday 1 September 7.30pm The Edinburgh Playhouse eif.co.uk/hora £10-£30

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Photo: Gadi Dagon

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And then, one thousand years of peace Photo: JC Carbonne

And then, one thousand years of peace Photo: JC Carbonne

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Helikopter / Eldorado (Sonntags Abschied) Photo: JC Carbonne

Dark before Dawn Angelin Preljocaj uses metal chains, live lambs, pumping techno and Beethoven in his searing vision of a post-apocalyptic world

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or almost 30 years, angelin Preljocaj has been one of the most sought after contemporary choreographers in the world. as a young trainee, however, he immersed himself in classical ballet, giving him a strong foundation for the captivating modern dance he would go on to make. it was this ballet heritage that Preljocaj turned to in 2010, for the creation of and then, one thousand years of peace, bringing together ten dancers from his own company and ten from the Bolshoi Ballet in moscow. in edinburgh, Preljocaj’s own dancers will perform the piece, including two ex-Bolshoi ballerinas who enjoyed the experience so much, they moved from russia to france to join the company. inspired by Saint John’s apocalypse, the work is full of theatricality. Set to a dark and evocative soundtrack by world

famous dJ laurent garnier, the work fuses such disparate objects as plastic sheets, national flags, metal chains, stainless steel head gear and, most remarkable of all, two live lambs. if you find yourself wondering what it all means, that’s just fine. ‘it’s not completely literal,’ says Preljocaj. ‘there is space for the audience’s imagination. each spectator can have their own vision and sensation of what this apocalypse is.’ along with this epic work, Preljocaj is also bringing Helikopter and eldorado (Sonntags abschied), set to the music of karlheinz Stockhausen. it’s a prospect which is as exciting for him as it is for festival audiences. ‘from the moment i became a choreographer i dreamed of playing the edinburgh international festival,’ says Preljocaj. ‘i’m very proud and honoured to be there.’

Kelly Apter

And then, one thousand years of peace Friday 17 – Sunday 19 August 7.30pm The Edinburgh Playhouse eif.co.uk/preljocaj1 £10-£30

Helikopter and Eldorado (Sonntags Abschied) Wednesday 22 August 7.30pm The Edinburgh Playhouse eif.co.uk/preljocaj2 £10-£30

Supported by The Bacher Trust

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Photo: Dinesh Khanna

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Perpetual motion Classical Indian dance is given a contemporary twist by the Aditi Mangaldas Dance Company

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or aditi mangaldas, tradition is like a moving river - and within that river, her interpretation of the classical indian dance style, kathak, is a dynamic, radical current. the programme her company is bringing to the festival succinctly reflects the creative journey that mangaldas has been on in recent years. Uncharted Seas showcases her mastery, as choreographer and dancer, over the forms and content of ‘classic’ kathak while Timeless takes those forms – the distinctive spins, the percussive footwork, the intricate rhythms - and allies them to a contemporary movement vocabulary in episodes framed by a strikingly dramatic lighting design.

Both pieces share a profound impulse to connect with something cosmic and intangible, and to share, in the moment of dance, that search for beauty or for the wonder of space and time-scales beyond our everyday clocks. nothing stays still, nothing stays the same. mangaldas brings an intense understanding of that to her artistic vision, recognising and respecting kathak’s centuriesold heritage, but adding ‘i look at it as a modern woman of today. for me, this is a chance to show western audiences something new that is happening, now, in india, something that is different to contemporary dance abroad. and yes, different to what people usually expect.’ Mary Brennan Aditi Mangaldas Dance Company The Drishtikon Dance Foundation Saturday 18 & Sunday 19 August 7.30pm Royal Lyceum Theatre eif.co.uk/aditi £10-£30

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21stCentury Girl The Mariinsky Ballet gives Cinderella a thoroughly modern makeover

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nce upon a time, a fairy tale ballet like Cinderella would have arrived on stage in a flurry of tutus, tiaras and a swish of wand-waving magic. the dazzling version danced

by St Petersburg’s mariinsky Ballet (formerly the kirov) is still the old, familiar rags-to-riches love story but choreographer alexei ratmansky has put a compellingly perceptive new spin on cinders and her story. and who better than cinderella’s Prince (danced by alexander Sergeyev) to give us a clue to ratmansky’s updated concept. one of the mariinsky’s rising stars, Sergeyev describes his character as “the son of an oligarch! and he’s a bit of a play-boy. if i get tired of my own party, my red ferrari is just outside.” But before he can reach for his car keys, cinderella arrives. and in so many

ways, she’s a breath of fresh air in a world where being ‘on trend’ – knowing what’s in fashion and what the latest dance moves are – is of prime importance. cinders doesn’t have any of this artifice. But ratmansky has ensured that she and her Prince have some of the most meltingly romantic (and technically brilliant) duets any ballet-goer could wish for. ratmansky, who is currently artist-inresidence with american Ballet theatre, has a flair for weaving in witty details of other dance styles and quirky references to popular culture. if this gives a modern twist to the tale, his response to Prokofiev’s captivating score nonetheless keeps vital faith with the finest traditions of classical ballet, traditions that are the very essence of the mariinsky’s repertoire and legendary standards. Mary Brennan

Cinderella Thursday 30 August – Saturday 1 September, 7.30pm & Saturday 1 September 2.30pm Festival Theatre, Edinburgh eif.co.uk/cinderella £12-£46

Supported by Harold Mitchell Esq, AC Production Sponsor Mariinsky UK tour supported by BP

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Photo: Valentin Baranovsky

Photo: Valentin Baranovsky

Photo: Natasha Razina

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And then, one thousand years of peace Ballet Preljocaj Photo: Michel Bazerbes

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Front cover: The Waldstein Sonata Juilliard Dance Photo: Rosalie O’Connor