Arts
Return of a native
Julie Kavanagh
Lindsay Kemp described as the original aim of Facade: `to (Sadler's Wells) obtain an absolute balance between the volume of the music and the sound of the The Royal Ballet words. . . and to eliminate the personality (Royal Opera House) of the reciter', has been ignored but for no apparent gain.
T indsay Kemp went into Mediterranean Nijinsky, by contrast, is compelling and la exile to escape the English critics six successful. Kemp as Nijinsky wisely does
Facade, which began the second pro- erect carriage and firm centre, these remarkably accomplished performance, caught Odile's duplicity exactly, estab- lishing a chilling rapport with Rothbart while melting into her pas de deux with Siegfried. She combined a splendidly osten- tatious technique (spunky double attitude turns and a faultless fouette sequence en- ding with a double) with constant allusions to Odette's gentle wilt. It was an achieve- ment I have seen only Makarova surpass.
Manon is another role that incorporates opposites. Alessandra Ferri making her debut, not only mastered the complexity of the drama — conveying almost simulta- neously covetousness and tenderness, voluptuousness and innocence, predatori- ness and submission — she seemed to validate its translation into dance. No description of Prevost's can measure the rapture and abandon of Ferri's initial en- counters with de Grieux (Wayne Eagling); her exquisite line and physical looseness seeming in itself an articulation of sexual ecstasy. Her last act, when abject and lifeless she still reserved a manic rhythmic momentum for the climactic pas de deux, was almost too tragic to bear. Ferri's youth alone (she is just 20; Manon when she met de Grieux was 16) made her performance definitive.
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