DANCING TIMES REVIEW

What a splendid gala evening this was! A delightful programme, shown at Sadler’s Wells on September 6, had been assembled, which allowed as many children to appear on the Sadler’s Wells stage as possible, from the charming Ship Ahoy! for 26 little ones, giving more than a nod to Cranko’s Pineapple Poll, to the splendid Jiggery Pokery, which closed the first half with a healthy dose of Irish dancing and demonstrated the versatility of National Youth Ballet’s performers.

The evening had opened with Colour Crazy, a four-movement, four-colour work allowing changes of mood and tempo and showcasing Guy Patel, a hugely promising dancer who not only led this piece but delivered an accomplished hip hop solo, as well as taking part in many of the ensembles. He is an engaging performer with a broad smile and a large personality.

Soldiers Three was a de Valois-esque evocation of James Wolfe, a young man who died in the King’s Service in Canada 250 years ago. Supported by The National Trust and Westerham Wolfe Weekend, it cleverly evokes the 18th century and features much “period” dancing. Set to music by Marsh and Boyce as well as traditional military songs of the time, it recalled works set in the same era by the founder of The Royal Ballet, focusing on period feel and acting rather than purely classical dancing, and is none the worse for that!

Fuego del Alma was a Spanish themed pas de dix, the dancers splendidly attired in sumptuous costumes borrowed from Tring Park, and allowed all ten their moment in the limelight. Sam Chung caught the eye in this as he did as the Prince in a revival of NYB’s hugely successful Cinderella. This is a charming work from Wayne Sleep, and while the nods to and borrowings from Ashton’s version are perhaps too frequent, it remains a vehicle for generations of young dancers; I particularly liked Chloë Shillibeer and Jack Widdowson’s grotesque Ugly Sisters, the splendid trio of Lizards, and Jack Allen’s outstanding Bootboy who metamorphoses into the Jester for the Prince’s Ball. Allen is already a highly communicative artist, adept at engaging his audience and fearless in tackling bravura steps, and had already caught the eye in what was the highlight of the evening, A Cowardly Affair by Jo Meredith, winner of the Choreographic Opportunity and Annual Award. Set to immortal songs by The Master, Meredith’s piece artfully fuses period dancing with modern movement, giving place also to hilarious mime. I cannot praise it too highly and ask for it to be seen again.

Gerald Dowler

Above, dancers of the National Youth Ballet in Cinderella. Photograph by Mikah Smillie.

NYB GALA AT SADLERS WELLS

Having been privileged to watch other performances by the National Youth Ballet we were very disappointed to find that we were unavailable for the 2009 programme, as previewed in the July/August issue. However, good always prevails and unexpected problems in our private lives decreed that we should be in London for the weekend of the 2009 Gala programme and were able to obtain seats.

The unadulterated beauty of the NYB is captured through the purity of youth performing, professional pieces, suitable for their chronological ages. It is so refreshing to see the younger children portraying the uncomplicated, innocent aspects associated with childhood, while their older counterparts take on the more realistic roles. Cinderella, along with the earlier choreographed performances, was the product of just ten days hard work at the Summer School and had all the ingredients of character, charm and humour. Wayne Sleep’s superb choreography and Jill Tookey’s magnificent costume designs only added to the brilliant production. Right down to the youngest performers, the dancers were outstandingly proficient, delighting the audience in scenes such as those including the rat and mice, whilst the main characters performed with the maturity associated with professionals.

Grateful thanks to Jill Tookey MBE for, once again, organising such a wonderful, magical production.

londondance.com

Performance: 6 Sep 09

National Youth Ballet provided talented dancers from across the country with a chance to perform at Sadler's Wells. With a cast of ranging ages this company ensured all dancers were given the opportunity to shine in front of a warm audience. The dancers, selected from nationwide auditions, all displayed strong technique with a flair for performance - providing us with glimmering hopes for the next generation of British ballet stars.
The programme, ranging in style, theme and technical demand included Wayne Sleeps’ Cinderella, Fuego del Almachoreography by Terry Knight and - proving that these dancers could handle other genres - Jiggery Pokery an Irish number by Donna Phillips.

In any show of this nature it is always the youngest of the company members who steal the audiences’ hearts. Sailors Ahoy! Choreographer Judith Harris snared mine with both movement and costuming. Dressed as immaculate sailor girls and mischievous sailor boys, the cast created intricate formations, added comedy when ‘drunken sailors’ and displayed tight unison work.

Fuego del Alma gave the older dancers the opportunity to tackle complex choreography en pointe. Despite a short amount of rehearsal time the partnering was solid, each couple looking completely at ease with each others bodies. The Spanish inspired costumes helped strike fire in the soul as the dancers performed spectacular rhythms and gravity defying jumps. A very mature performance from such a young cast.

Act 2 brought two new works to the stage, A Cowardly Affair by Jo Meredith and a hip hop solo performed and choreographed by Guy Patel. Meredith’s choreography brought the older dancers together again in a very sophisticated performance of social satire – comical choreography at its best.

The finale piece, Wayne Sleeps’ Cinderella was charming to watch and a nice way to draw the evening to a close. A children’s ballet at heart, this young cast did the narrative justice even if the choreography was a little repetitive at times. Sam Chung the story’s Prince Charming proved himself destined to play every prince in ballet repertoire. His award winning smile, easy grace and lofty jumps makes him a dancer to watch. Cinderella also gaveJack Allen a chance to shine in the role of the bootboy - a powerhouse dancer to keep an eye out for as well.

With the majority of this company continuing into vocational training this will not be the last we see of them. The National Youth Ballet contains bright, passionate and dedicated individuals who will be gracing our stages for years to come.

Libby Costello

Photos: Mikah Smillie