Christopher Wheeldon's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland returns to the stage of the Four Seasons Centre after a hiatus of four years. That lapse of time gives a distance from the original impact of this unique ballet, and a chance to appreciate anew and in more depth the level of genius which the entire creative team brought to this project.
Alice was originally staged by the Royal Ballet in London in 2011, and by the National Ballet as co-commissioner and co-producer later the same year.
The spectacular visual effects remain spectacular. Wheeldon's imaginative dance equivalents to the often-bizarre dialogue of the book remain imaginative. Joby Talbot's scintillating original score gives every bit as much insight into the characters as I had remembered. The artists of the National Ballet have outdone themselves in bringing the entire performance to vivid, electrifying life. The entire show has, if anything, even more energy, get-up-and-go, and sheer comedic flair than I recall from earlier stagings.
What has come clearer to me than ever before is the heartfelt depth and truth of this ballet, the number of thought-provoking and emotional moments waiting to be discovered behind the spectacular visual effects and comedic insanity.
What has come clearer to me than ever before is the heartfelt depth and truth of this ballet, the number of thought-provoking and emotional moments waiting to be discovered behind the spectacular visual effects and comedic insanity.
Once again, I found myself able to take in two performances, with two different casts. Many of the dancers were making their role debuts in this cycle of performances.
The title role is probably among the most tiring endurance tests ever conceived for a ballerina. If it lacks the sheer technical ferocity of, say, Petipa's Sleeping Beauty, the role of Alice is daunting in other ways. She is on stage for all but a mere few seconds here and there of a performance time of two hours (not counting intermissions). In almost every scene she has to dance with the various Wonderland characters, and plenty of that dancing is high-energy and high-stakes -- thanks to the dizzying speed with which the madness unfolds before the audience.
On Friday night, the role was taken by Elena Lobsanova. Her prior experience in the role told to great effect, especially in drawing the distinction in physicality between the girlish Alice of the opening scene and the more mature woman at the end. A highlight of her performance came with her thoughtful, introspective reading of Alice's long, meditative solo in Act 2.
Saturday afternoon brought a first-ever performance of the role by Miyoko Koyasu. Her first act was a little underplayed, giving a by-the-book feeling, but in Act 2 she hit her stride, dancing with joyous abandon at the Mad Hatter's tea party and with beautiful purity and line in the solo. Her performance rose to an authoritative and moving peak with her intervention in the trial scene of Act 3.
The dual role of Jack, the garden boy (in the opening scene) and the Knave of Hearts was a role debut for both dancers I saw. The part was taken on Friday by Harrison James. As Jack, he brought a winning, youthful air to his dancing. Once he was transformed into the Knave, fear ruled his performance more -- the fear of the temperamental Queen and her ever-ready headsman. The trial scene brought a touching transformation as Alice's declaration of love inspired him with more assurance and confidence.
On Saturday, the role was taken by Skylar Campbell. His Jack seemed a bit more tentative, but once he transformed into the Knave he displayed much more sparkle. Campbell's performance of the various chase scenes had a flair and elan that made it look like he was positively enjoying the game of keeping out of the Queen's clutches. His partnership with Koyasu soared in the final pas de deux, danced here with more ardour and feeling of emotional involvement than I've ever seen it.
The dual role of Lewis Carroll/The White Rabbit is another intriguing challenge -- and again, I saw two role debuts. On Friday, this part was taken by Brendan Saye. As the Rabbit, he soared on the multiple leaps and navigated the wicked cross-rhythms of the music with easy assurance in the criss-crossing steps (I haven't seen the score, but I think that a number of passages are written in 10/4 time, a nasty challenge to a 2-footed dancer). His frequent gestures to Alice to stay put, not move, don't go there, and the like, were all forceful in an ideal way.
Saturday's White Rabbit was Siphesihle November. Obviously, this young man is moving up in the company, to judge by the number of prime roles he's been given this year while still ranked in the corps de ballet. If his leaps didn't soar as high as his colleague, his performance overall had more bounce and spring to it, and that kind of light-footed execution is desirable in this part. So is a strong case of nerves every time the Queen appears, and November's nervous tension was clear as a bell.
The role of Alice's Mother/The Queen of Hearts is one of those nasty challenges that force a skilled and graceful ballerina to dance very ungracefully, indeed clumsily. Not only that, but at the same time she has to act the villain of the piece -- a subdued villain as Mother, and a full-out melodramatic villain as the Queen. This means that her mime scenes have to be overplayed to the hilt, and some dancers are just a little too hesitant to throw themselves fully into this role.
I felt that was the case with Svetlana Lunkina on Friday night. Although her dancing was memorably bad, her mime scenes were all just a little too muted, one might even say a little too nice. On Saturday, Heather Ogden (in her role debut) all but stole the show with her outrageously comical performance in Act 3. I almost expected to see her twirling her villain's moustache (she doesn't have one, but that's how her mime work came across). Both performed memorably in the Queen's two solo dances, the Tart Adagio and the tango, but it was Ogden whose adagio tickled my funny bone more. That's simply because I've never seen anyone outdo her assured, rock-steady performance of the fiendish Rose Adagio from Sleeping Beauty -- and here she is, quivering at the knees, teetering on pointe, flopping onto the stage, and generally dancing like a reject from a toddler ballet class.
(For those not familiar, the Tart Adagio is an outrageous parody of the Rose Adagio -- similar music, and even some borrowed choreography -- in which the Queen's flunkies have to stuff her mouth with jam tarts instead of giving her roses.)
The title role is probably among the most tiring endurance tests ever conceived for a ballerina. If it lacks the sheer technical ferocity of, say, Petipa's Sleeping Beauty, the role of Alice is daunting in other ways. She is on stage for all but a mere few seconds here and there of a performance time of two hours (not counting intermissions). In almost every scene she has to dance with the various Wonderland characters, and plenty of that dancing is high-energy and high-stakes -- thanks to the dizzying speed with which the madness unfolds before the audience.
On Friday night, the role was taken by Elena Lobsanova. Her prior experience in the role told to great effect, especially in drawing the distinction in physicality between the girlish Alice of the opening scene and the more mature woman at the end. A highlight of her performance came with her thoughtful, introspective reading of Alice's long, meditative solo in Act 2.
Saturday afternoon brought a first-ever performance of the role by Miyoko Koyasu. Her first act was a little underplayed, giving a by-the-book feeling, but in Act 2 she hit her stride, dancing with joyous abandon at the Mad Hatter's tea party and with beautiful purity and line in the solo. Her performance rose to an authoritative and moving peak with her intervention in the trial scene of Act 3.
The dual role of Jack, the garden boy (in the opening scene) and the Knave of Hearts was a role debut for both dancers I saw. The part was taken on Friday by Harrison James. As Jack, he brought a winning, youthful air to his dancing. Once he was transformed into the Knave, fear ruled his performance more -- the fear of the temperamental Queen and her ever-ready headsman. The trial scene brought a touching transformation as Alice's declaration of love inspired him with more assurance and confidence.
On Saturday, the role was taken by Skylar Campbell. His Jack seemed a bit more tentative, but once he transformed into the Knave he displayed much more sparkle. Campbell's performance of the various chase scenes had a flair and elan that made it look like he was positively enjoying the game of keeping out of the Queen's clutches. His partnership with Koyasu soared in the final pas de deux, danced here with more ardour and feeling of emotional involvement than I've ever seen it.
The dual role of Lewis Carroll/The White Rabbit is another intriguing challenge -- and again, I saw two role debuts. On Friday, this part was taken by Brendan Saye. As the Rabbit, he soared on the multiple leaps and navigated the wicked cross-rhythms of the music with easy assurance in the criss-crossing steps (I haven't seen the score, but I think that a number of passages are written in 10/4 time, a nasty challenge to a 2-footed dancer). His frequent gestures to Alice to stay put, not move, don't go there, and the like, were all forceful in an ideal way.
Saturday's White Rabbit was Siphesihle November. Obviously, this young man is moving up in the company, to judge by the number of prime roles he's been given this year while still ranked in the corps de ballet. If his leaps didn't soar as high as his colleague, his performance overall had more bounce and spring to it, and that kind of light-footed execution is desirable in this part. So is a strong case of nerves every time the Queen appears, and November's nervous tension was clear as a bell.
The role of Alice's Mother/The Queen of Hearts is one of those nasty challenges that force a skilled and graceful ballerina to dance very ungracefully, indeed clumsily. Not only that, but at the same time she has to act the villain of the piece -- a subdued villain as Mother, and a full-out melodramatic villain as the Queen. This means that her mime scenes have to be overplayed to the hilt, and some dancers are just a little too hesitant to throw themselves fully into this role.
I felt that was the case with Svetlana Lunkina on Friday night. Although her dancing was memorably bad, her mime scenes were all just a little too muted, one might even say a little too nice. On Saturday, Heather Ogden (in her role debut) all but stole the show with her outrageously comical performance in Act 3. I almost expected to see her twirling her villain's moustache (she doesn't have one, but that's how her mime work came across). Both performed memorably in the Queen's two solo dances, the Tart Adagio and the tango, but it was Ogden whose adagio tickled my funny bone more. That's simply because I've never seen anyone outdo her assured, rock-steady performance of the fiendish Rose Adagio from Sleeping Beauty -- and here she is, quivering at the knees, teetering on pointe, flopping onto the stage, and generally dancing like a reject from a toddler ballet class.
(For those not familiar, the Tart Adagio is an outrageous parody of the Rose Adagio -- similar music, and even some borrowed choreography -- in which the Queen's flunkies have to stuff her mouth with jam tarts instead of giving her roses.)
Alice includes the most unique number I've ever seen in any ballet -- Christopher Wheeldon's insanely-inspired tap dance for the Mad Hatter. This number originally happened, by the way, simply because one of the Royal Ballet's principal dancers, Steven McRae, could tap dance -- and Wheeldon decided to take advantage of his skills. Every time the National mounts this show, the call goes out for any dancers in the company with tap experience to jump in and try their luck.
This unique requirement led to a most unusual role debut on Saturday afternoon. For the first time ever, anywhere, the role of the Mad Hatter in this ballet was performed by a woman. Chelsy Meiss tapped her way through her scenes with flair and energy to burn, adding a nice sense of insanity to her mime moments. At one point her tapping fell just fractionally behind the orchestra -- but at that speed it's a minor miracle if everyone arrives at the same time. The Friday night Mad Hatter was Donald Thom, and his performance brought plenty of fire and precision in tapping. Thom's mime moments ideally need to become a bit larger than life to really carry across to the audience.
Friday night's Caterpillar was Felix Paquet, and he remains unrivalled among the National's dancers for the sheer sinuosity which he brings to this role. Harrison James on Saturday was also good, but notably less flexible and bendable than Paquet.
It would take too long to detail the excellences among the numerous dancers portraying other characters such as the Duchess, Cook, Frog, Fish, March Hare, Dormouse, and Executioner.
But I have to close with words of praise for the corps de ballet. In the final act, Wheeldon created a rapid-fire scherzo for the playing cards which has the dancers running from place to place and snapping instantly from position to position, all at top speed. This has to be tough work for the dancers' bodies, as many of the snapping motions involve sizable amounts of limb movement or waist bending. The precision and unanimity of the corps throughout this high-energy number was noteworthy indeed, the mechanistic effect being realized virtually to perfection.
To contrast with that, the corps also gave a totally graceful, sweeping performance of the glorious flower waltz in Act 2.
For all the scenic spectacle, hyperactive comedy, beautiful dancing, and not to forget the final Keystone Kops chase scene, the memory I've taken away from this staging of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is the heart-tugging ending of the last pas de deux, as danced on Saturday by Miyoko Koyasu and Skylar Campbell, that beautiful moment when the two dancers bend towards each other and with their arms form a stylized heart together. I don't think I've ever seen that vignette unfold so naturally and organically, as if the characters' love was destined since before the beginning of time.
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland continues onstage at the Four Seasons Centre in Toronto until March 17.
This unique requirement led to a most unusual role debut on Saturday afternoon. For the first time ever, anywhere, the role of the Mad Hatter in this ballet was performed by a woman. Chelsy Meiss tapped her way through her scenes with flair and energy to burn, adding a nice sense of insanity to her mime moments. At one point her tapping fell just fractionally behind the orchestra -- but at that speed it's a minor miracle if everyone arrives at the same time. The Friday night Mad Hatter was Donald Thom, and his performance brought plenty of fire and precision in tapping. Thom's mime moments ideally need to become a bit larger than life to really carry across to the audience.
Friday night's Caterpillar was Felix Paquet, and he remains unrivalled among the National's dancers for the sheer sinuosity which he brings to this role. Harrison James on Saturday was also good, but notably less flexible and bendable than Paquet.
It would take too long to detail the excellences among the numerous dancers portraying other characters such as the Duchess, Cook, Frog, Fish, March Hare, Dormouse, and Executioner.
But I have to close with words of praise for the corps de ballet. In the final act, Wheeldon created a rapid-fire scherzo for the playing cards which has the dancers running from place to place and snapping instantly from position to position, all at top speed. This has to be tough work for the dancers' bodies, as many of the snapping motions involve sizable amounts of limb movement or waist bending. The precision and unanimity of the corps throughout this high-energy number was noteworthy indeed, the mechanistic effect being realized virtually to perfection.
To contrast with that, the corps also gave a totally graceful, sweeping performance of the glorious flower waltz in Act 2.
For all the scenic spectacle, hyperactive comedy, beautiful dancing, and not to forget the final Keystone Kops chase scene, the memory I've taken away from this staging of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is the heart-tugging ending of the last pas de deux, as danced on Saturday by Miyoko Koyasu and Skylar Campbell, that beautiful moment when the two dancers bend towards each other and with their arms form a stylized heart together. I don't think I've ever seen that vignette unfold so naturally and organically, as if the characters' love was destined since before the beginning of time.
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland continues onstage at the Four Seasons Centre in Toronto until March 17.
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