By Rebecca Martin.

Chapel Off Chapel, Melbourne
24 & 25 November 2012

Since 2007, Short + Sweet Dance has been providing a platform for dancers, choreographers and directors to present their work in front of an audience while building industry relationships.

Under the guidance of Adam Wheeler, new Short + Sweet Dance Director, artists were mentored during the creative process by former Australian Ballet dancer Tim Harbour, as well as hip hop extraordinaire Etienne Khoo.

The beauty of Short + Sweet is that it isn’t just a festival – in addition to the artist mentorship and network development, there is audience involvement, prizes, and of course, the opportunity to have new work performed in front of an audience and panel of industry professionals.

This year’s Short + Sweet Melbourne was a mixed bag, with performances from classically trained dancers and those with little training alike. There were edgy pieces, bizarre pieces, beautiful pieces and hilarious pieces.

The closing night Gala was comprised of the pieces with the most audience votes, which showed that the festival is more about audience enjoyment than technical proficiency. Personally, I thought some pieces should have made it into the final and some that did shouldn’t have been there, but a popularity contest will always be fraught with differing points of view.

Program opener Project Elvis, choreographed by Michael Ralph, was an absolute delight. With 1950s dance performed to a medley of Elvis tunes, it left everyone in the audience wanting to join in. Ralph is certainly one of Melbourne’s biggest talents.

Festival stalwart Benjamin Hancock presented By Night, a piece that elucidated his exquisite line, technique and stage presence, while Man Up and Do a Solo by Bicky Lee showed that she is another huge talent to watch. Her piece explored what gender and the idea of being a girl means and she had the audience in fits of laughter with her cleverly deconstructed solo performance.

Rain Francis, who is one of Melbourne’s biggest rising choreographic stars, gave us Whatever You Do, Don’t Panic! The piece delved into the world of anxiety and panic through fluid, contemporary dance and it was a joy to watch. Lead dancer Erynne Mulholland shone with strength and beauty and took the audience on a journey through the depths of anxiety that was entirely convincing.

Hayley Arundel, the director and founder of The Space Youth Dance Company, debuted In the Eye of the Beholder with the company. Arundel’s strong classical background was evident in the piece and there were some real moments of beauty presented in her choreography. Young dancer Samantha Booker was a stand out and is definitely one to watch.

Rubix was a brilliant fusion of Irish dance and electronic music choreographed by Charmayne Dulley. It was a perfect conclusion to a night of dance and showed that Irish dance can maintain its traditional roots while implanting itself in the modern day.

The 2012 Short + Sweet Dance Melbourne awards were presented as listed below:
– Outstanding Work in Choreography – Michael Ralph – Project Elvis
– Audacious Work by A Choreographer – Lina Limosani – Borderline
– Outstanding Work by A Female – Bicky Lee – Man Up And Do A Solo
– Outstanding Work by A Male – Jake Kuzma – Sc-Fi-Vir
– People’s Choice Award – Rain Francis – Whatever You Do, Don’t Panic!

Photo: Short+Sweet Melbourne 2012 – Dance Group B. Photography by Ange Leggas 3 Fates Media. Whatever You Do, Don’t Panic! by Rain Francis

By Rain Francis.

State Theatre
June 9, 2012

The best dance companies from all over the country assembled at Arts Centre Melbourne for The Australian Ballet’s 50^th anniversary gala, and it was an absolute treat. The variety of offerings truly showcased the depth and breadth of artistry nationwide; there really was something for every audience member – unless your thing is tutus, because there wasn’t one in sight.

The evening kicked off with the West Australian Ballet’s, Ombra Leggera, choreographed by Artistic Director Ivan Cavallari. It was performed by Daryl Brandwood and Andre Santos, two very different dancers who worked together beautifully. Quick, playful and a bit cheeky, this light-hearted duet was a superb display of technique.

By contrast, Don’t by Brisbane’s Expressions Dance Company was dark and powerful; an “exploration of the emotional power of words”. Dramatically lit and costumed in monochrome, it depicted three couples and their struggles to communicate. From the opening solo under a dappled spotlight, to the electrifying partner work, Don’t was engaging from start to finish.

Tasdance presented a short film, Momentary by choreographer Anna Smith. I was excited to see this offering from our friends across the Strait, although this perhaps wasn’t the best setting for the film. It was hypnotic and mysterious, but I think some quality was lost somewhere along the way – projecting onto the big screen did not seem to do it any justice.

Unsurprisingly, it was Australian Dance Theatre that brought the most innovative present to the party. They performed an excerpt of Be Your Self – an exploration of the human body and the concept of the ‘self’. Whatever combination of methodologies they are getting into over in Adelaide these days, it is a winning one – these performers are verging on superhuman. Having now seen two excerpts of this incredible work on the State Theatre stage, I hope Melbourne will be honoured with the full shebang sometime soon.

Dancenorth presented a brand new work, Fugue, choreographed by Artistic Director Raewyn Hill.   Inspired by Spanish bullfighting and the “dancing plague” of 1518 (where people allegedly danced themselves to death), Hill set out to “embody both a feeling of relentless and a communal experience.” This was achieved through the use of unison; the cast of eight moved in a constant swarm – which is no mean feat, especially in a piece so athletically challenging. The Sass & Bide costuming, although glamorous, seemed to swallow the dancers up and detracted from the intricacy of the movement. Ravel’s masterpiece Bolero, with its gradually building energy and repetitive structure was a fine choice to express the themes of the dance.

Another high point of the evening was Queensland Ballet’s excerpts from Cloudland, choreographed by Artistic Director Francois Klaus. The two pas de deux were performed flawlessly by Rachael Walsh and Keian Langdon, to Almost Like Being in Love and No Moon At All. Normally not a fan of choreography to music with lyrics, I was not bothered in this case, perhaps because I was swept up in the romance and pure beauty of the dance.

An excerpt from Rafael Bonachela’s 2 One Another, Sydney Dance Company’s contribution to the programme was, as expected, technically exquisite. The work explored human interaction, although the stimulus had been abstracted to a point where this fact became largely unrecognisable. Still, the combination of phenomenal dancers, innovative choreography, powerful music and beautiful costumes, lighting and staging made this another winner from Sydney Dance Company.

Tim Harbour’s new work for The Australian Ballet, Sweedeedee, painted a sentimental picture of a family. It was performed with grace and charm by beloved former Principal Artists, Justine Summers and Stephen Heathcote, as well as two Australian Ballet School students, Lennox Niven and Mia Heathcote, Stephen’s daughter. The stage was set (by Benjamin Cisterne) with an oversized washing line complete with white sheets, which were worked effectively into the choreography. Harbour’s movement in this piece was refreshingly uncomplicated, with clean lines and a gentle pace. Funny, sad and sweet, the stories it told were enriched by folk songs played live, with the Musical Direction of Chong Lim. Lexi George’s costumes were a standout, as was the magnificent lighting by Cisterne.

In his programme note, Artistic Director David McAllister cited David Bowie as the inspiration for the naming of this gala. Let’s Dance confirmed that dance is very much alive and well in this country. And judging by the spectrum of creativity and skill in the industry, it seems that Australian dance is set, like Mr. Bowie, to continue to reinvent itself, and only get better with age.

Top photo: Sydney Dance Company presents 2 One Another.

By Rain Francis.

This month, Australia’s preeminent dance companies will unite for a very special occasion. As part of The Australian Ballet’s 50^th anniversary celebrations, Arts Centre Melbourne will host Let’s Dance, for 11 performances only. This is a unique opportunity for dance lovers to see the very best of the best, from every corner of the country.

“In our 50th year I wanted a program that recognised that dance is a thriving part of our cultural landscape. From stages to school halls, thousands of people are dancing across Australia every day,” says Artistic Director of The Australian Ballet, David McAllister. “It was also a chance to bring the Australian dance family together to celebrate and to share the wonderful companies of our nation with lucky Melbourne audiences.”

The headliner of this un-missable gala season is the premiere of Tim Harbour’s Sweedeedee. Also presenting new works are Raewyn Hill and Natalie Weir, Artistic Directors of Dancenorth and Expressions Dance Company, respectively. Performing works never before seen on a Melbourne stage are Australian Dance Theatre, Queensland Ballet, West Australian Ballet and Sydney Dance Company. To top the evening off, Tasdance will present a short dance film.

To find out more about what is in store, I spoke to each of the companies involved in Let’s Dance.

Mia Heathcote, Steven Heathcote & Tim Harbour. Photo by Georges Antoni

Company: The Australian Ballet
Title: Sweedeedee
Choreographer: Tim Harbour

Australian Ballet devotees are in for a rare treat with Tim Harbour’s brand new ballet. Sweedeedee sees a return to the stage of beloved former principal artists, Justine Summers and Steven Heathcote. Himself a former Senior Artist with the company, Harbour has shared the stage with the pair, but this is the first time he has choreographed on them.

“Justine and Steven formed a partnership that was particularly cherished by audiences”, Harbour explains. “They both have a deep resonance on stage that I want to tap into. While neither is at the height of their virtuosic powers any more, they are both still beautifully vivid movers.”

The notion of the “Australian dance family” described by McAllister became the starting point for Sweedeedee. Playing the children of Summers and Heathcote will be two students from The Australian Ballet School – one of whom is Heathcote’s actual daughter, Mia.

Harbour has aimed to create something that is fun for cast and audience alike, as well as being a vehicle for this particular, unconventional cast. “I knew I wanted to create something that two dancers in their forties and two mid-teen children could deliver,” he says. “Steven, Justine and myself are all parents now and that has informed the piece too.”

Sweedeedee will be performed primarily to a collection of folk songs, including numbers by Woodie Guthrie and Leonard Cohen, played by a live band. With sets and lighting by Benjamin Cisterne, costumes by Alexis George and projections by Lily Coates and Gavin Youngs, this promises to be a sensory delight fit for a 50^th.

Dancenorth "Fugue"

Company: Dancenorth
Title: Fugue
Choreographer: Raewyn Hill

Inspired by Spanish bullfighting, performed to Ravel’s legendary Bolero and costumed by Sass & Bide, Fugue is sure to be quite a spectacle. Raewyn Hill describes it as “a relentless, trance like experience”, with seven dancers moving as one and pushed to their absolute physical extremes.

Hill researched extensively for this new work, and notes that “the bullfight is often referred to as a metaphor for a fight between mankind and death.” She has aligned this concept with the story of the ‘Dancing Plague’. This mysterious event allegedly occurred in Strasbourg in 1518, when people spontaneously began to dance and continued for days, some even to their death.

“The dancers have really embraced the challenge, and they give phenomenal performances,” says Hill. Be ready to be mesmerised by this exciting premiere!

Company: Expressions Dance Company
Title: Don’t
Choreographer: Natalie Weir

Natalie Weir’s brand new work Don’t is developed from a piece called Scripsi Scriptum, which explores the art of communication and the written word. “I thought the duet was very powerful”, says Weir, “and wanted to work further with the idea of a singular word and its emotional resonance.”

As with all of Weir’s work, which tends to explore “human emotion and connection”, the ideas presented in Don’t are ones to which we can all relate. As the choreographer notes, “sometimes we wish we could take back the things we say to each other. We forget the power that a word can have, its impact on others, and how easy it is to interpret or indeed, misinterpret.  The concept behind Don’t is very simple, but beautiful and quite sad at times.”

Australian Dance Theatre's "Be Your Self". Photo by Chris Herzfeld

Company: Australian Dance Theatre
Title: Be Your Self (excerpt)
Choreographer: Garry Stewart

Be Your Self is a work that has been informed broadly and from vastly different viewpoints. Amongst their eclectic training and development schedule, ADT often engages in meditation practice. Initial sessions were led by a Buddhist monk, who discussed with the company the nature of ‘self’ according to Buddhist principles. Garry Stewart also consulted with a professor of physiology about the ways in which emotions are connected to the body and “how the hormonal system interacts with the brain neurologically and chemically when we experience certain emotions.”

The resulting work is an “exploration of the human body as the starting point for defining the concept of self.” ADT performed a snippet of Be Your Self at the Australian Dance Awards in 2009, and Melbourne audiences were, of course, blown away. Though we’re yet to be treated to it in its entirety, I bet we’re all looking forward to getting another glimpse of this incredible creation.

Company: Queensland Ballet
Title: Cloudland (excerpts)
Choreographer: François Klaus

A sell-out at the 2004 Brisbane Festival and loved by European audiences, Cloudland takes us back in time to the iconic Brisbane ballroom that was popular from the 1940s to the 1980s. “When I was creating the ballet we were overwhelmed by responses to our calls for information”, says François Klaus. “People sent in delightful anecdotes, photographs and even CDs relating to their experiences at Cloudland. This story was very important to Brisbane life for a lot of people.”

Melbourne audiences will be treated to two lyrical pas de deux: Almost Like Being in Love and No Moon at All. “It’s a lovely production with beautiful sets, costumes, and music”, says Klaus. “The themes of love and nostalgia have universal appeal – the story is local in one sense to Brisbane, but people anywhere can relate.”

WA Ballet's Daryl Brandwood & Jayne Smeulders in Ombra Leggiera. Photo by Jon Green.

Company: West Australian Ballet
Title: Ombra Leggiera
Choreographer: Ivan Cavallari

Inspired by the lyrics from the aria Ombra Leggiera in Meyerbeer’s Dinorah, the dance evokes a dialogue with a shadow. It was originally a solo created for Daryl Brandwood, who would interact with movements projected onto a screen. “It was to have been staged in this format at the Quarry Amphitheatre”, says Ivan Cavallari, “however once we were there, it became obvious that the complex projections would be technically unachievable. Thus it became, overnight, a pas de deux!”

Ombra Leggiera is just one instalment in a trilogy of works set to arias sung by the illustrious Maria Callas. “For the moment I have choreographed the first two arias”, says Cavallari, “but I’m still undecided about the third.” So watch this space!

Company: Sydney Dance Company
Title: 2 One Another (excerpt)
Choreographer: Rafael Bonachela

Prior to a Melbourne season of 2 One Another in November this year, Sydney Dance Company brings a segment of its most recent work to Let’s Dance.

2 One Another celebrates “relationships, interactions and the sheer beauty of the human form”. Developed in collaboration with the young Australian poet Samuel Webster, it was enthusiastically received by Sydney audiences in March.

The Daily Telegraph’s Vanessa Keys calls it “an awakening, a major turning point for Bonachela”. Jill Sykes of the Sydney Morning Herald agrees, naming it the choreographer’s “best since he became Artistic Director.”

Company: Tasdance
Title: Momentary
Choreographer: Anna Smith

“Momentary is truly a short moment in time, a glimpse from what has been and an instant of what might be”, says Anna Smith. The short film is a development of Quiescence, one of Smith’s earlier works, which was born of the Conceiving Connections Research project in 2000.

An investigation of the poem Gum Trees Stripping by Judith Wright, Momentary identifies eucalyptus bark as a reflection of human experience. “[The bark is] a skin that reveals a history that often outlives our own”, says Smith. “People have wrinkles, scars and marks on their skin because they have experienced the elements of life.”

Bringing to life the rich, colourful imagery of Wright, Smith hopes that the film reminds viewers to see the beauty and wisdom in growing old, and to “appreciate and take notice of what surrounds us.”

Let’s Dance runs from June 7 to June 16 at Arts Centre Melbourne, State Theatre.
Book through www.australianballet.com.au or call 1300 369 741

Top photo: Principal dancers Rachael Walsh and Keian Langdon of Queensland Ballet perform the Cloudland pas de deux. Photo by Ken Sparrow.

Published by Dance Informa dance magazine -covering dance in Australia, dance training, dance auditions, dance teacher resources, dancewear and fashion and more.

 By Rain Francis 

This month, Year 11 and 12 students of the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School (VCASS) will take to the stage for the world premiere of Carmen and José, choreographed by Tim Harbour.

Using the themes in the original story of Carmen as a starting point, Harbour has created a fresh narrative. Set in a modern day high school, the new ballet centres on Carmen, “the coolest kid in school; beautiful and brazen”, says Harbour. When José, a new student arrives on the scene, he becomes instantly besotted with Carmen, with dramatic consequences.

The storyline is a perfect fit for the Year 11 and 12 students; the choice to adapt Carmen was inspired by them. Along with the original themes and the score, the young dancers have been the biggest influence on Harbour’s choreography. “I always want to make something that’s site-specific,” he says, “that really is about the people who are going to perform it”.

A former Senior Artist with The Australian Ballet, Harbour is now a lecturer at VCASS, and an in-demand choreographer and guest tutor. He has created several works for The Australian Ballet, The West Australian Ballet and New York’s Morphoses, amongst others. Carmen and José is his first narrative-based creation, but it’s an area he plans to work more in. “I’ve really loved everything about it. Once upon a time I thought that a story with defined characters and dramatic drivers would limit choreographic creativity, but if anything, it’s been the reverse. I’ve especially enjoyed developing the scenarios and working out how steps can bring them to life”.

One of Harbour’s aims with Carmen and José was to create plenty of opportunities for different students to have featured roles, with character development they could really sink their teeth into. They have certainly risen to the challenge, exceeding their choreographer’s expectations: “There have been some really exceptional students, as good as anyone I’ve ever worked with in terms of fulfilling a character and getting concept across through characterisation”, shares Harbour.

The role of Carmen requires not only outstanding technique, but the maturity and stage presence needed to carry the story. As Harbour says, “if Carmen is not confident, then it just doesn’t work. It was never going to be the quintessential ballerina doing that role; it had to be someone with real guts”. That challenge has fallen to both Amanda Mitrevski and Latisha Sparks, who appear to handle the role with a sophistication which belies their age.

Similarly, José is a role demanding partnering skills that are “well beyond what you’d expect from a 17 year old, at their stage of training”, explains Harbour. The two dancers cast in this role, Calvin Richardson and Michael Ramsay have, over the course of the rehearsal period, reached a level of expertise that has impressed their choreographer and other teachers at VCASS.

“They’ve been terrific,” says Harbour, of all the students involved in the production. “They have brought great vitality and humour to our work in the studio, and have really surpassed my expectations in regard to the calibre of dancing they’ve achieved. Choreographically, there are some challenging moments. They are very accomplished artists”. 

Despite dancing with The Australian Ballet for 13 years, Harbour has not danced in Carmen himself, and so was not particularly familiar with the story before beginning work on Carmen and José. However, he recalls being moved by Mats Ek’s 1992 version for the Culberg Ballet, saying “it was the first thing of his that really captured my imagination”. Harbour is in fact using the same version of music that Ek used; Rodion Shchedrin’s Carmen Suite for String Orchestra and Percussion. It is quite different from Georges Bizet’s opera, in that “it is a bit slower and heavier, with a large emphasis on the rhythm, making it awesome for dance”. 

A week prior to opening night, an excerpt from Carmen and José will be performed at the Victorian State Schools Spectacular at Hisense Arena. VCASS has been particularly fortunate that the organisers of the event – the Department of Education’s Performing Arts Unit – had a large budget for costuming. Consequently, they have designed and produced the costumes for the entire ballet and will let VCASS keep them after the Spectacular. As Harbour says, costume designer Isaac Lummis has created a wardrobe which “really lifts the production value of the whole show. We were really lucky”. 

Carmen and José will be presented with supporting works by Matthew Thompson, Jenny Purcell, Megan Ellis, Stacy Mitchell, Tim Storey and Barbara Warren-Smith. It promises to be an evening of superb dancing, vivacity and humour, from some of Australia’s most promising young performers. As Harbour says finally of his new ballet, “if nothing else, it should be terrific fun. I’ve tried to put a few surprises in there and to keep as much of the high drama that the original story and music implies. I think too, that if you were new to a VCASS show, you would be surprised at how great these dancers are”.

Carmen and José takes place at the Merlyn Theatre (The Malthouse), Melbourne from September 22-24.

Top photo: Tim Harbour. Dancer Photos by Jo Duck.

The Arts Centre, Melbourne.
Saturday August 28^th

By Brian Nolan.

At The Edge Of Night              
Choreography Stephen Baynes
Music by Rachmaninov         

Solo pianist Duncan Salton, along with Orchestra Victoria, emotionally captured the thirst of the Sergei Rachmaninov seven preludes used by choreographer Stephen Baynes in the opening ballet At The Edge Of Night.

The set, which was rather epic and abstract, assisted in conjuring up the illusion of nostalgic longings and events depicted by the dancers. The ballet, which recalled the tender memories of people and events of lifetimes past, was set at dusk where their reminiscences were revealed. Here Baynes’ choreography allowed the dancers to tell their stories with quiet abandon and tempt us to immerse in their memories.

The pas de deux, performed by Olivia Bell and Damian Welch was danced skillfully, enabling Olivia to exhibit her superb facility. There were some lovely lifts, entwining the two dancers’ shapes and permitting attractive transitions, with tempting lines and structure. However, the interaction and identity between the two was lost as they were dancing in the dark. The lighting for me was too dim for this ballet, making the rest of the cast, who danced very well with only with a few timing and spatial errors, appear somewhat sullen throughout each of the sequences.

Memories can occupy our thoughts at any time and I feel if the stage was a little lighter it would have enabled us as the audience to immerse into and be a part of the work.

Brett Simon & Robyn Hendricks in At The Edge of Night. Photo Jeff Busby

Halcyon
Choreography Tim Harbour
Music by Gerard Brophy                   

The second ballet, by Tim Harbour, told of Greek wind goddess Halcyon who fell in love with a mortal man, Ceyx.  As with most Greek mythologies, this love angers the gods and tragedy results. 

Madeleine Eastoe was simply superb and perfectly cast in the role of Halcyon. Her beautiful legs and feet were exquisitely presented within the stylish and the provocative choreography, allowing her to flaunt her mesmerizing ability. Her mortal lover, Ty King-Wall, more than just assisted Madeleine. He presented her with passion and intent, enabling their skills to combine, creating exceptional dancing. Their first pas de deux had wonderful sculptured shapes and forms with some rather nice lifts evolving and transforming into detailed lines and images.

I enjoyed the 3D effect reflected in the heavens as it made the imagery of the gods more understandable and the storyline more realistic throughout.

Kevin Jackson dancing as Zeus and Danielle Rowe as Hera both gave commanding performances as did the entire cast.

I really appreciated the choreography and would be intrigued to see if Halcyon could be presented as a two or three act ballet with grander sets and better lighting. Like with At the Edge of the Night, I felt that this ballet lacked expression and interaction with the audience as it was in general too dim. I was straining to see faces. This was proven when the dancers did their curtain calls and I was astounded to see the lovely detail and colour in their costumes which had been hidden by the lack of lighting.

The Australian Ballet in Molto Vivace. Photo Jeff Busby

Molto Vivace                         
Choreography Stephen Baynes
Music by Frideric Handel

Molto Vivace is taken from the fetes galantes or gallant festivals of 18^th century France, where rich aristocrats enjoyed much leisure and grand parties. Two painters of the time, Fragonard and Watteau, who captured these festivals in their paintings, showed us different sides of human nature in their work and were the starting point for Bayne’s concept.

The ballet was bright (thank heavens) and the choreography was evocative, bawdy and erotic, with humorous comedy. It was very entertaining and one can only ponder at what artist Fragonard must have really been like. The set was a jigsaw of irregular shaped panels with secret doors opening and closing, revealing dancers standing, squatting, lying, entering and exiting in hilarious pandemonium.  

The cupids who ran the show danced around casting little spells (not unlike puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream), with at times hilarious effect.  The two male cupids, Daniel Gaudiello and his deputy Brett Chenoweth were wonderful. Their eccentricity, especially Daniel’s strut, and effected antics combined to give us some very fine dancing. Both cupids were ably supported by Dana Stephenson and her deputy Eloise Fryer. The Sarabande and the Vivace couples stole the show with their witty, animated and communicative telling of what was really going in their propinquity of France during that period.

Abstract shapes and forms as dancers were carried or lifted along with playful aberrant choreography enabled the cast to project themselves in an array of anomalous and comic representations which helped to create a satire of 18^th century France.  Continuous peeking by the dancers, at who was going with or doing what to whom, was the thread that assisted in joining the whole ballet together.

The costumes were bright, colourful, and perfectly suited to the ballet with the exception of Adam Bull’s opening white jacket, which appeared far too oversized and made him look somewhat out of place. However, later in the ballet he returned without the jacket and then looked perfectly at home.

Artist Watteau, on the other hand, had completely different sensibilities to Fragonard. Here Bayne’s pooled the Lady, played by Amber Scott with her suitors Adam Bull and Brett Simon in a sophisticated alluring and idyllic trio with both boys vying for Amber’s attention.

Adam Bull won Amber’s affections and in the pas de deux that followed the two combined to give justice to the meaning of poetic perfection! The two were as one. Simple gestures such as a hand under the chin and glancing into each other’s eyes with ardent devotion really brought us into the pas de deux. Exquisite line, beautiful feet and rotated legs, displaying a technique envious to most, enabled Amber to be presented so skillfully by Adam. The only disappointment with the pas de deux was that Adam did not do anything except partner (a little more reminiscence of the 19^th century). One does have to ask, “could this be the next great partnership?” Only time will tell!

The ballet was wonderful. Although I could see many similarities with several other ballets, and it was a little predictable at times, I commend Stephen for putting more comedy in dance – an element that surely draws us all in. I hope that Stephen continues to explore this arena. Bravo!

Top photo: Madeleine Eastoe and  Ty King-Wall in Halcyon. Photo: Jeff Busby

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