English National Ballet’s Daria Klimentová & Vadim Muntagirov in rehearsal

Van Le Ngoc coaches Daria Klimentová and Vadim Muntagirov in his ballet Vue de l'Autre Photography throughout : Bex Singleton

If you’ve been entranced by Agony & Ecstasy, the three-part documentary series following English National Ballet over the course of 2010, you might be surprised to discover that neither Romeo & Juliet nor The Nutcracker are currently being performed.  Instead they have innovatively scheduled, among others, a hint of Swan Lake (Black Swan pas de deux) and a World Premiere. The five performances of Black & White, a quadruple bill (don’t worry, the whole evening is shorter than Act 1 of the Royal Ballet’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland) with the Black Swan pas de deux and a World Premiere by one of their in-house dancer/choreographers, Van Le Ngoc (First Artist). He’s in demand following his first piece for the company and has been invited to create new work for the Vietnam Opera Ballet (his home country) and to re-stage his first ballet for the Shanghai Ballet.

Daria & Vadim rehearsing Vue de l'Autre

The Black Swan pas de deux will be danced (on selected performances) by Senior Principal Elena Glurdjidze, who dances in a tutu especially created for her by Giles Deacon. I published the casting for Black Swan here.

Daria & Vadim rehearse Vue de l'Autre

Bex Singleton’s photographs throughout this feature were taken during rehearsals for this programme, and feature Van Le Ngoc’s World Premiere ballet, Vue de l’Autre and Artistic Director Wayne Eagling’s Resolution. Senior Principal Daria Klimentová and First Soloist Vadim Muntagirov dance together in Vue de l’Autre.

Daria & Vadim rehearse Vue de l'Autre

Vue de l’Autre ebbs and flows in time with the music.  Sometimes you’ll see a pas de deux, sometimes it’s a group of six ladies with long wafty grey scarves (very coveted!) or a male solo and then a group of two ladies and a man. It’s probably Le Ngoc’s best work to date; it’s very engaging and he uses the space very cleverly.  A white rose is used as a prop to great effect, adding emphasis even though it’s an abstract work.  Nice touch.  Le Ngoc likes to run the piece and then give corrections, and he likes to use the word ‘accent’ a lot – so expect real punctuation of the music. He’s quietly spoken, but garners the respect of his cast who work hard for him.  It should be a great show.

Van Le Ngoc returns to dancing for Resolution, along with Max Westwell. 

Daria & Vadim rehearse Vue de l'Autre

Vue de l’Autre is an abstract ballet with music by Ludovico Einaudi, and having listened to it, I agree with Eagling that the music is cinematic.  Le Ngoc was inspired by the music and enjoys creating works which the audience, especially people new to ballet, can interpret in their own way.  The costumes have been designed by Le Ngoc and English National Ballet’s Head of Costume, Wizzy Shawyer. Le Ngoc wanted “something classic but with some twists in the front and back for a modern look. All the girls are wearing leotards in grey with bare legs and all the boys are wearing leotards, also in grey. The reason I chose this kind of costume is because I want the audience to see exactly the way dancers move, their lines, legs, arms and whole body. I’m trying to make this ballet as a pure beauty of movements.”

Senri Kou

I asked Le Ngoc what he hoped the audience would feel after watching his ballet and he said “I would like them to fall in love with these guys, with the music, with the way they move,” and he jokes “and with me!”  He finishes by adding “and that they really want to come back to see it again and again.”

Kei Akahoshi

It’s over to you… Black & White opens tomorrow evening at the London Coliseum 16-19 March 2011. Visit the Coliseum website to book tickets.

Programme details

Resolution

Choreography Wayne Eagling

Music Gustav Mahler

Design Wayne Eagling and Wizzy Shawyer

Poems Friedrich Rückert

Lighting David Richardson

Van Le Ngoc coaching Junor Souza and Elena Glurdjidze

Black Swan Pas de Deux

Choreography Derek Deane

Music Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Design Peter Farmer

Lighting Howard Harrison

Begona Cao & Arionel Vargas

Men Y Men

Choreography Wayne Eagling

Music Sergei Rachmaninoff

Design Wayne Eagling and Wizzy Shawyer

Lighting David Richardson

Max Westwell and Anais Chalendard

World Premiere Vue de l’Autre

Choreography Van Le Ngoc

Music Ludovico Einaudi

Design Wizzy Shawyer

Ksenia Ovsyanick

Suite en Blanc 

Choreography Serge Lifar

Musical arrangement Serge Lifar

Music Edouard Lalo

Restaging Maina Gielgud

The performance runs for 2 hours and 25 minutes, with 2 intervals of 20 minutes.

First Night casting as follows :

Resolution

Fernanda Oliveira, James Forbat, Begoña Cao, Arionel Vargas, Jia Zhang, Junor Souza, Anaïs Chalendard, Zhanat Atymtayev, Van Le Ngoc

Guest singer

Elizabeth Sikora

Black Swan Pas de deux

Odile – Erina Takahashi

Prince Siegfried – Dmitri Gruzdyev

Men Y Men

Yat-Sen Chang, Junor Souza, Vadim Muntagirov, Stephen Wilson, Esteban Berlanga, Juan Rodriguez, Max Wesstwell, Daniel Kraus, Anton Lukovkin

Men Y Men is dedicated to the memory of David Ashmole

Vue de l’Autre

Daria Klimentová, Vadim Muntagirov, Elena Glurdjidze, Arionel Vargas, Seo-Yeon Yu, Fabain Reimair, Senri Kou, James Forbat, Kei Akahoshi, Laurent Liotardo

Suite en Blanc

Pas de deux – Erina Takahashi, Esteban Berlanga

Sieste – Kerry Birkett, Ksenia Ovsyanick, Alison McWhinney

Mazurka – Dmitri Gruzdyev

Flute – Erina Takahashi, Estenab Berlanga

Pas de Cinq – Crystal Costa, Anton Lukovkin, Van Le Ngoc, Laurent Liotardo, Yonah Acosta

Pas de Trois – Laurretta Summerscales, Junor Souza, Vadim Muntagirov

Cigarette – Elena Glurdjidze

And for the rest of the run :

17^th March

Resolution

Fernanda Oliveria, James Forbat

Begona Cao, Arionel Vargas

Jia Zhang, Junor Souza

Anais Chalendard, Zhanat Atymtayev

Van le Ngoc

Black Swan

pas de deux

Odile

Erina Takahashi

Prince Siegfried

Dmitri Gruzdyev

Men Y Men

Yat-Sen Chang

Junor Souza

Vadim Muntagirov

Stephen Wilson

Esteban Berlanga

Juan Rodriguez

Max Westwell

Daniel Kraus

Anton Lukovkin

Vue de l’autre

Daria Klimentova, Vadim Muntagirov

Elena Glurdjidize, Arionel Vargas

Seo-Yeon Yu, Fabian Reimair

Senri  Kou, James Forbat

Kei Akahoshi, Laurent Liotardo

Suite en Blanc

Pas de Deux

Jia Zhang, Junor Souza

Sieste

Kei Akahoshi, Desiree Ballantyne

Senri Kou

Mazurka

Vadim Muntagirov

Flute

Fernanda Oliveria, Vadim Muntagirov

Pas de Cinq

Nancy Osbaldeston

Anton Lukovkin

Van le Ngoc

Laurent Liotardo

Yonah Acosta

Pas de Trois

Elena Glurdjidze, Zhanat Atymtayev

Max Westwell

Cigarette

Anais Chalendard

18^th March

Resolution

Fernanda Oliveria, James Forbat

Ksenia Ovsyanick, Arionel Vargas

Jia Zhang, James Streeter

Anais Chalendard, Zhanat Atymtayev

Van le Ngoc

Black Swan

pas de deux

Odile

Begona Cao

Prince Siegfried

Junor Souza

Men Y Men

Yat-Sen Chang

Junor Souza

Vadim Muntagirov

Stephen Wilson

Esteban Berlanga

Juan Rodriguez

Max Westwell

Daniel Kraus

Anton Lukovkin

Vue de l’autre

Daria Klimentova, Vadim Muntagirov

Elena Glurdjidize, Junor Souza

Seo-Yeon Yu, Fabian Reimair

Senri  Kou, James Forbat

Kei Akahoshi, Laurent Liotardo

Suite en Blanc

Pas de Deux

Fernanda Oliveria, Fabian Reimair

Sieste

Stina Quagebeur, Ksenia Ovsyanick

Alison McWhinney

Mazurka

Yonah Acosta 

Flute

Erina Takahashi, Yonah Acosta 

Pas de Cinq

Shiori Kase

Anton Lukovkin

Van le Ngoc

Laurent Liotardo

Daniel Kraus

Pas de Trois

Laurretta Summerscales, Junor Souza

Vadim Muntagirov

Cigarette

Elena Glurdjidize

19 March matinee

Resolution

Fernanda Oliveria, James Forbat

Ksenia Ovsyanick, Arionel Vargas

Jia Zhang, James Streeter

Anais Chalendard, Zhanat Atymtayev

Van le Ngoc

Black Swan

pas de deux

Odile

Begona Cao

Prince Siegfried

Junor Souza

Men Y Men

Yat-Sen Chang

Junor Souza

Vadim Muntagirov

Stephen Wilson

Esteban Berlanga

Juan Rodriguez

Max Westwell

Daniel Kraus

Anton Lukovkin

Vue de l’autre

Daria Klimentova, Vadim Muntagirov

Elena Glurdjidize, Junor Souza

Seo-Yeon Yu, Fabian Reimair

Senri  Kou, James Forbat

Kei Akahoshi, Laurent Liotardo

Suite en Blanc

Pas de Deux

Jia Zhang, Junor Souza

Sieste

Kei Akahoshi, Desiree Ballantyne

Senri  Kou

Mazurka

Vadim Muntagirov

Flute

Anais Chalendard, Vadim Muntagirov

Pas de Cinq

Chantel Roulston

Anton Lukovkin

Van le Ngoc

Laurent Liotardo

Yonah Acosta

Pas de Trois

Elena Glurdjidize, Zhanat Atymtayev

Max Westwell

Cigarette

Begona Cao

19^th March eve

Resolution

Fernanda Oliveria, James Forbat

Ksenia Ovsyanick, Max Westwell

Jia Zhang, Junor Souza

Anais Chalendard, Zhanat Atymtayev

Van le Ngoc

Black Swan

pas de deux

Odile

Elena Glurdjidize

Prince Siegfried

Arionel Vargas

Men Y Men

Yat-Sen Chang

Junor Souza

Vadim Muntagirov

Stephen Wilson

Esteban Berlanga

Juan Rodriguez

Max Westwell

Daniel Kraus

Anton Lukovkin

Vue de l’autre

Daria Klimentova, Vadim Muntagirov

Elena Glurdjidize, Junor Souza

Seo-Yeon Yu, Fabian Reimair

Senri  Kou, James Forbat

Kei Akahoshi, Laurent Liotardo

Suite en Blanc

Pas de Deux

Erina Takahashi, Esteban Berlanga

Sieste

Kerry Birkett, Ksenia Ovsyanick

Mazurka

Dmitri Gruzdyev

Flute

Erina Takahashi, Esteban Berlanga

Pas de Cinq

Crystal Costa

Anton Lukovkin

Van le Ngoc

Laurent Liotardo

Yonah Acosta

Pas de Trois

Laurretta Summerscales, Junor Souza

Vadim Muntagirov

Cigarette

Elena Glurdjidize

Van & Elena

l-r Begon Cao, Anais Chalendard, Fernanda Oliveira

Fernanda Oliveira and Junor Souza

Begona Cao & Arionel Vargas

l-r Junor Souza, Fernanda Oliveira, James Forbat

l-r Zhanat Atymtayev, Van Le Ngoc, Max Westwell

Max Westwell

Wayne Eagling coaches Max Westwell in Resolution

Wayne Eagling demonstrates how the lift should be performed l-r Zhanat Atymtayev, Wayne, Max Westwell with Van Le Ngoc in front

Ksenia & Max with Fernanda & James Streeter in the background

dancers rehearsing for the upcoming Black & White programme

Senri Kou

dancers rehearsing for the upcoming Black & White programme

Daria Klimentová and Wayne Eagling