BRB, 26/06/2012

Matthew Hindson: Faster
(chor. David Bintley)

Birmingham Royal Ballet
Royal Ballet Sinfonia
Paul Murphy
This is not a review of a performance.  In fact, this is a brand-new ballet, and the official first night is tomorrow (Wednesday).  However, I had the opportunity to see what the company calls a Director's Rehearsal - which in this case was the first time the cast had actually performed the complete work on stage with the orchestra, and therefore the first time the dancers were hearing the complete score in its proper form.  The fact that they were doing this the night before the premiere (with the final full dress rehearsal tomorrow afternoon) is a little mind-boggling, but they all looked to be taking it in their stride.  As a result, though, I won't be commenting on the actual dancing.  There were two casts present, one of whom was going through the piece bit by bit, with frequent pauses, and the other was getting a complete run-through for the first time.  So let's call this a sneak preview of a new piece.

It's intended as part of the Olympic celebrations going on throughout the country at the moment.  Apparently it was to have been called "Faster, Higher, Stronger" but the IOC guards its slogan jealously, and refused permission (I've heard of this happening to other parties too), so we ended up with simply Faster.  The temptation to compare dance to sport, or vice versa, is frequent, and easy.  There are certainly plenty of points of apparent similarity, starting with, but not limited to, the physical fitness and versatility of all the participants.  In practice, however, the comparisons are a bit trickier.

The piece falls into three sections.  In the first, there are loose evocations of various sports, such as basketball, fencing, swimming and, most successfully in this part, a short but rather beautiful pas de trois for three gymnasts, in which the somewhat clamourous score settles down to a more reflective mood.  The central section is a prolonged pas de deux, based on a theme of injury and recovery, mostly set to a fairly high-lying cello solo.  The final section is the one that earns the piece its title, for it deals with the track events, tongue firmly planted in cheek.

Hindson's score is pretty dominated by brass and rhythm section, with hints of Penguin Café, and in the final part, a pretty solid dose of John Adams.  It's a bit noisy, but not intolerable, though I wouldn't call it memorable either.  Nor, I think, will the ballet as a whole prove to have much of a shelf-life.  It's colourful and reasonably entertaining.  It should make a decent closer for an evening's fare.  The start is a bit gimmicky, save for that elegant pas de trois, but the central section has its moments, and the last part is fun, but Bintley can do better, and certainly has.  It was, however, an interesting insight into the process of getting a new work up on stage.

[There are no fixed plans until autumn, as of this date.  However, who knows what will crop up during the summer.  21st July is a possibility.  Watch this space.]