[Reviewed on 18 March 2017. This article was originally written for and published on the Straits Times (print edition).] Coppelia is a fluffy confection of a ballet, a light-hearted piece that combines comedy and pantomime with classical dance. It tells the story of two young lovers, Swanilda and Franz. Their road to the altar is threatened by Franz’s affection for a mysterious girl in the balcony – Coppélia – who turns out to be a doll. Hijinks and mayhem ensue.…
[Reviewed on 7 December, 2016. This article was originally written for and published on the Straits Times (print and web edition).] The Nutcracker has been considered one of ballet’s most beloved yet most controversial pieces. Russian audiences in the 1800s might have found it acceptable, but in a globalised, culturally aware age, its Eurocentric fetishisation of Eastern cultures has raised eyebrows. Some artistic directors have tried to argue that the ballet’s play on stereotypes is “traditional”, not “racist”. But in…
BOOGIE LIKE BARYSHNIKOV. A Baryshnikov fix is always welcome in our books. This short film from 1983 focuses on Misha during his ABT years when he was both Artistic Director and a principal dancer, as the company prepares to debut a new contemporary piece choreographed by Goh Choo San.…
As soon as Daniel Dolan graduated from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow, the British media swooped in. “What next?” everyone wanted to know.…