Romeo and Juliet (Royal Opera House)
Careless approach
Giannandrea Poesio
The artistic genius of Kenneth MacMillan will be celebrated with a series of events, starting in October with an international dance conference and continuing with performances by the major British ballet companies. The news was officially given shortly before the opening night of the Royal Ballet's new run of Romeo and Juliet, arguably MacMillan's most popular and internationally known creation, The announcement could not have been more timely and welcome, given that the performance I saw indicated clearly that the way the MacMillan repertoire is presented today desperately needs some serious rethinking.
As a choreographer, MacMillan was not just the creator of pretty steps and technically demanding sequences aimed at displaying the ballerina's virtuosity. A true man of theatre, MacMillan wanted his work to carry messages that went beyond the limits of the often naïve and preposterous ballet narratives; he was thus one of the few 20th-century dance-makers to make the four-centuries-old ballet idiom speak effectively to 20th-century audiences. His choreography demanded and still demands a great deal of dramatic participation that transcends the characteristic balletic acting most dancers are used to. And, what is more significant, all members of the company, whether they be principals or members of the corps de ballet, must delve into a deep reading of the work's dramatic essence in order to bring it alive.
Despite his modern, expressive and, in some instances, expressionistic approach to dance-making, MacMillan never betrayed the well-established canons of the classical theatre dance form; in every creation, therefore, a complete understanding and rendition of the narrative must be complemented by the same technical 'diamond' perfection 19th-century classics such as Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty require.
Alas, this is not what I saw the night I went, for I was confronted with a dramatically mushy and choreographically messy rendition. The theatrical drive of the 1965 work, which stems from a well-balanced alternation of choral scenes and intimate passages as well as the seamless blend of acting and dancing mentioned above, was thwarted by a stylistically, technically and theatrically careless approach to the original text. On the one hand, the corps de ballet lacked co-ordination and overacted; the so-called mandolin dance in Act II was a fine example of what ballet should not be and the opening dance at the Capulets' ball had none of the captivating thrill it should have. On the other hand, the solo parts stood out for being dull and expressionless. I had never seen a Mercutio who fails to move the audience at the moment of his death, namely one of the finest examples of dance-drama and one of MacMillan's most compelling choreographic/dramatic inventions. Yet Martin Harvey left me and others totally unimpressed — a pity, for he could easily be exceptionally good in that role, given his handsome Italian-looking figure and his potentially expressive face. Similarly, Bennet Gartside provided us with an unbelievably non-villainous, couldnot-care-less Tybalt.
As for the two principals, they were fairly disappointing, too. Johan Kobborg, as Romeo, was obviously having a bad evening, for he did not seem capable of ending a pirouette or landing from a jump without some embarrassing wobbling. His dramatic interpretation, moreover, was limited to only two facial expressions, which became rather tiresome. AlMa Cojocaru, whom I raved about only a few weeks ago in Giselle, did not shine as I expected her to. She should bear in mind that being young and beautiful as she is, she is Juliet by default and does not need to act like a young girl. Apart from one or two sublime moments, such as her first dance at the ball, the final run in the balcony pas de deux and the death scene, she was constantly over the top.
One can only hope that the forthcoming conference and all the other events will lead to a more faithful and lively preservation of MacMillan's artistic legacy. Above all, it is hoped that the celebrations will teach the new generations of dancers as well as those responsible for coaching them that there is more to his choreography than getting the steps right, for each of his ballets is a complete theatrical experience.
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