more in the second part of the linked article

Scottish Ballet
"Episodes", "Middlesexgorge", "Suite From Artifact"
March 30, 2006
Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Edinburgh


Returning to the Festival Theatre just months after entertaining Edinburgh ballet fans with a new "Cinderella", the Scottish Ballet erased any notions of fairy tales and tutus with a trio of edgy ballets. In George Balanchine's "Episodes", Stephen Petronio's "Middlesexgorge" and William Forsythe's "Suite From Artifact", the company shows off its new image - sleek, powerful and unafraid. It's a program which deftly disguises any weaknesses and lets the company trumpet how far it's come in the last few years.

The most 'traditional' of the evening's offerings, "Episodes", set to a score by Anton Webern's, entered Scottish Ballet's repertory for the 2005 Edinburgh Festival. Six months later, the ballet is once again on an Edinburgh stage, this time - like the company itself - cleaner, sharper and sleeker. Balanchine's choreography demands a fine-tuned balance between flow and sharply accentuated, but the dancers met the challenge with a cool confidence. Supported by a cohesive corps, the three lead couples all were in top form, but the finest performance came in '5 Pieces, Opus 10' pas de deux, with Robert Doherty and Eve Mutso. Dressed in stark white and illuminated by a lone spot, Mutso oozed her way through a contortionistic pas de deux with her black-clad, near invisible partner. Though still a soloist, she is without a doubt the 'prima ballerina' of this company, a fact made clear in this powerful performance.

Best known as the ballet with the bare bums, "Middlesexgorge", is chance to see Scottish Ballet in a decidedly high-octane, contemporary mode. There is a certain refreshing feeling about the piece's non-stop power and unabashed, cool eroticism. And without a doubt it is well-suited to displaying the company's collection of fine contemporary talents, especially Paul Liburd, Patricia Hines, Martina Fioroso and Jarko Lehmus. But Petronio seems to have fallen into the trap of thinking that the louder the score, the more powerful the dancing. He would do well to remember that some of the most powerful pieces of dance - brought to use by choreographers like Balanchine and Mark Morris, are done in complete silence. And, in fact, "Middlesexgorge" is strongest in the quieter, percussive sections where the music enhances the dance instead of distracting from it.

In "Suite From Artifact", which William Forsythe restaged for Scottish Ballet in 2004, the company has found it's signature piece. For in its blend of classical and modern, the ballet is epitomizes the new face of Scottish Ballet. It's also a smashing way to end an evening. From the lines of unitard-clad ballerinas sweeping their legs through simple tendus to the syncopated clapping to the stunningly lit pas de deuxs, the piece has a breezy, refreshing energy with every changing patterns that catch the eye. The grand finale, with rows of dancers moving their arms in synchronization, the then beckoning the curtain downwards, was one of Scottish Ballet's finest moments. This was power, talent, and most of all confidence - confidence that said "Scottish Ballet has arrived".

Buoyed by this uplifting ending to the evening, one hopes that Scottish Ballet will continue this forward momentum. The three ballets showcased a company full of talent, and quite pleasingly, a visible improvement in the male corps. However, with the departure of the Vivancos brothers and the announcement of an ambitious 2006 Edinburgh Festival program, the company needs to bolster it's top male talent. A smaller, streamlined company is not a bad thing by any means, but resting so much on one (or a few) dancer - as the company did with Eva Mutso for the 2005 Festival, is risky business.

This is a short article I wrote for the Estonian newspaper “Postimees”:



Eve Mutso, Photograph by Andrew Ross
From the Scottish Ballet website


Eve Mutso in London

Scottish Ballet visited London in March, the first time since their new Artistic Director, Ashley Page, took command. Thus, it was a chance for audiences in the capital to assess his new approach with more contemporary ballet and higher technical standards. Their Estonian soloist, Eve Mutso, was kept busy through the week, with two major characters in Page's dark version of “Cinderella”, and leading roles in two of the works in a triple bill.

I saw her as the Fairy Godmother in “Cinderella” and her sunny disposition and elegant line suited the role admirably. For her second role, Kate Snedeker for “Ballet-Dance Magazine” wrote of the premiere in Scotland: “As the domineeringly sexy stepmother, Eva Mutso once more showed off the presence that makes her Scottish Ballet's real prima ballerina.”

The opening work in the triple bill, Balanchine's “Episodes”, featured Eve in an extended duet, one of four sections. The duet is one of this choreographer's more radical dances, with deliberately tottering pointe-work and difficult contorsions for the ballerina and Eve put her individual stamp on the movement.

In William Forsythe's thrilling “Suite from Artifact”, Eve plays a master of ceremonies, directing the corps de ballet in gestural display, leading a line of dancers around the stage and other “non-dance” movements. At the end, she finally gets the chance to dance with hip-swinging movements, her legs spread wide. Throughout the work, she commands the stage in this unusual and unforgettable performance.

Eve's contribution was as great as any in the resounding success of Scottish Ballet's London season.

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Here is the link to the newspaper article, translated into Estonian by Tiit Tuumalu:

http://www.postimees.ee/070406/esileht/ ... 197273.php