The Royal Ballet’s much anticipated first visit to Taipei is still 10 weeks away (not that anyone is counting), but it’s three performances of Giselle are almost sold out.
While that must be a relief to the National Theater’s administration, given the record high top seat price (for dance) of NT$8,000, it does point to a strong conservative streak on the part of Taiwan’s ballet-going audiences since the company’s first two shows, a mixed bill program, still have lots of seats left in all but the cheapest categories.
And that’s a shame, because the mixed program is not only where most of the fireworks — and most of the principals — will be, but it is both a reflection of the 80-year-old troupe’s past and a herald of its future.
PhotO Courtesy of Johan Persson
While this may be the Royal’s first visit, some of its principals already have fans in Taipei, thanks to their performances in Wang Tzer-shing’s (王澤馨) International Ballet Star Galas. Johan Kobborg and Roberta Marquez appeared in the inaugural 2007 show, Rupert Pennefather and Sarah Lamb were here last year, and Tamara Rojo and Federico Bonelli were absolutely sizzling last weekend. Alina Cojocaru had been scheduled for the 2007 show with Kobborg, but had to pull out after hurting her back.
There will be stars aplenty in the company’s first two performances in Taipei. The mixed bill program consists of three works, Chroma, Rhapsody and DGV.
Chroma was resident choreographer Wayne McGregor’s first piece for the company, although it debuted in November 2006 just weeks before his appointment was announced. It was an instant hit, which probably helped soften the blow for classical purists of McGregor’s appointment, since he had boasted of never having attended a ballet class in his life. Chroma is set to the music of The White Stripes.
Christopher Wheeldon’s DGV, set to a score by Michael Nyman, had its debut the same day as Chroma, and also quickly became a repertory favorite.
Rhapsody (1980) was created by long-time Royal choreographer Sir Frederick Ashton in honor of the 80th birthday of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, with guest artist Mikhail Baryshnikov partnering Leslie Collier in the lead roles, and it is filled with lots of powerful leaps for the man — Baryshnikov’s forte.
The casting as of press time for the June 30 show is Mara Galeazzi, Rojo, Lamb, Lauren Cuthbertson, Edward Watson, Steven McRae, Bonelli, Ludovic Ondiviela, Eric Underwood and Jonathan Watkins in Chroma; Laura Morera and Sergei Polunin as the leads in Rhapsody; and Leanne Benjamin, Melissa Hamilton, Zenaida Yanowky, Galeazzi, Watson, Gary Avis, Underwood and Bonelli in DGV.
On July 1, the casts are as follows: Hamilton, Rojo, Lamb, Cuthbertson, Watson, Paul Kay, Bonelli, Ondiviela, Underwood and Watkins in Chroma; Cojocaru and McRae in Rhapsody; and Lauren Morera, Nathalie Harrison, Cuthbertson, Lamb, McRae, Pennefather, Ryoichi Hirano and Nehemiah Kish in DGV.
Cojocaru and Kobborg are scheduled to dance the leads in Giselle on the evening of July 2, which was the first show of the Taipei visit to sell out. Galeazzi and Thiago Soares will dance that day’s matinee, while Marianela Nunez and Pennefather will headline the July 3 matinee.
As of press time, the only seats left for Giselle are the two matinees, and they are NT$8,000.
The Royal is bringing its full complement of 92 dancers and 50 technical staff and will perform with the National Symphony Orchestra for all five shows.
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