The English National Ballet (ENB) has announced a new work that interprets 10 great soccer moments through the medium of dance.
The Beautiful Game — A Football Ballet previewed last week in London ahead of its premiere in Liverpool yesterday.
It opens with five buff boys in soccer kits jogging out of an imaginary tunnel, followed by four dainty ballerinas in sporty, tight white tops and red, white and blue tutus.
After miming tossing a coin, the boys seem to be out on the town, drinking and doing a sort of laddish Zorba’s dance, but with beautifully pointed feet. Then they’re back twirling around on the pitch, and before long one scores a goal and falls into the arms of his teammates.
Another highlight comes when one of the ballerinas is hoisted into the sky, her fingertips tapping an imaginary ball, which will invoke painful memories for English fans still bitter about Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God” goal.
Other soccer memories recreated with arabesques and battements include Gordon Banks’ World Cup save against Brazil in 1970, David Beckham’s free kick against Greece in 2001 and Johan Cruyff’s nifty turn, which he debuted in 1974.
Former soccer star John Barnes said that ballet dancers train harder than their soccer counterparts.
“For most footballers, they just have to give their all for 90 minutes two times a week, and apart from a few training sessions spend the rest of the time resting,” Barnes said.
Ballet, Barnes had the grace to admit, is much more technically difficult than his sport.
“There are lots of different ways of playing football. It depends on how tall you are, what position you’re in. There is no right or wrong way of playing football. Whereas with ballet you have to be not only technically proficient, but you have to do it in a particular way,” Barnes said.
Jenna Lee, who choreographed the new piece, seemed quietly pleased to have the blood, sweat and tears of her art recognized by a former professional soccer player.
“We work very long hours, we start at half ten, if we’re doing a show that night we don’t finish until 11, and we might do two shows a day, so 10 a week, with only one day off. It’s a tough living,” she said.
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