The Ballet ‘In the Spirit of Diaghilev‘ at the Sadlers Wells last night was breathtakingly beautiful and incredibly powerful. I especially enjoyed Wayne Mc Gregor’s ‘Dyad 1909‘ about Antarctica and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s ‘Faun‘, which was an adaption of the Ballet Russes’ original L’apres-midi d’un faune, a tale about sexual awakening (pretty scandalous in 1912), danced to music by Debussy. I think I fell a little bit in love with the main dancer James O’Hara and his extraordinary limberness and expressiveness (and his mob of bleached white hair…!).
Vaslav Nijinsky as the Faun
James O'Hara as the Faun
I think the only contemporary dance show I’ve seen so far that topped last night’s was ‘Amjad’ by Lalala Human Steps, a modern adaption of the classical ‘Swan Lake’, which I saw last year with my old flatmate Luke. I nearly cried when I saw it, it was that amazing (whilst Luke was finding it hard to keep his eyes open..!.)
I also discovered another very interesting artist, Rachel Kneebone, who designed the poster for ‘In the Spirit of Diaghilev’. She is known for her intricately crafted and and highly detailed porcelain sculptures of strangely apocalyptic worlds inhabited by sensual hybrid contorted beings. Just how on earth does she make them??
Rachel Kneebone
Rachel Kneebone, The Descent
Rachel Kneebone, The Descent (Detail)
