Staatstheater Nürnberg International Ballet Gala

Staatstheater, Nuremberg
July 22, 2023

Arranged by the Ballet Friends of the Staatstheater Nürnberg (Förderverein Ballettfreunde Staatstheater Nürnberg e.V.), the 4th International Ballet Gala in Nuremberg proved a fine evening. There was plenty of variety among the fourteen pieces danced by thirteen guests invited by Staatstheater Ballett artistic director Goyo Montero, and his own company; and quality all the way too.

Galas in Germany are noted for their length. Not so here where it was kept to under three hours even with a few introductory speeches. Thankfully, and while they have their place, it was also one not dominated by 19th-century fireworks.

Diana Vishneva appeared in two works by Montero, also the evening’s genial host. She was incredibly expressive in Interval, a new duet that came with a sense of her remembering things past, the feeling helped by the black costuming and black background. Staatstheater Nürnberg Ballett’s Lucas Axel was an athletic and sensitive partner.

She also performed in an excerpt from Maria, a work about Mary Magdalen co-produced with the Diana Vishneva Foundation in St. Petersburg. After starting with one dancer writhing on the floor as if cuffed, a group held flashlights surrounding two and then three others who dance. It was sort of haunting, but much sense of meaning was lost out of context.

The Staatstheater Ballett also performed two excerpts from Montero’s Goldberg. The first, which opened the evening, came with a restrained energy, starting quite still but with clever use of blackout made to alter facings. Although later becoming more dynamic, it remained quite considered. A later extract brimmed with a different sort of energy and featured several fast-paced solos with lots of leaps.

There were two contributions from Stuttgart’s Gauthier Dance, both very enjoyable. Alejandro Cerrudo’s Pacopepepluto is a trio (the title is three names run together: Paco, Pepe and Pluto), set to songs popularised by 1950s crooner, Dean Martin, danced here by Giovanni Visone, Shawn Wu and Luca Pannacci. With the performers appearing only in dance belts (the first covered his front for a while provoking a few ‘is he’ or ‘isn’t he’ thoughts), it was beautiful and athletic. It really felt like the threesome were just dancing for pleasure, enjoying the moment. The choreography, never literal to the words of the two songs performed to, is at times quirky, at times whimsical. I’m sure I saw a kiss blown at one point, and there was certainly some fun wiggling and circling of butt and hips.

Later came Eric Gauthier’s own ABC. It opens with a warning that the following presentation is performed by a professional and that we shouldn’t attempt what we see at home. Cue eight minutes of utter delight as the audience is guided through the “A, B, Cs of dance, each briefly illustrated. They are stitched together very cleverly as in the early sequence, “Agon, Albrecht, Ali, Afternoon [of a Faun].” There is fun along the way too. ‘Renversé’ causes consternation, ‘Second cast’ surprise as another dancer briefly appears. But Shiori Yamamoto showed some really impressive technique too. It’s perfect gala fare. I’m just surprised I haven’t seen it before.

Two pieces also from Les Ballets de Monté Carlo director Jean-Christophe Maillot. Alessandra Tognoloni and Francesco Mariottini gave a spirited pas de deux from La mégère apprivoisée (The Taming of the Shrew). The pair may tease each other but it is still quite playful, even when fists are raised or her legs fly like arrows towards their target. You have to have some sympathy because he is pretty annoying, although he does get his kiss in the end!

The couple reappeared later in a rather more sleek and chic pas de deux from Cendrillon (Cinderella), although again, not without its sense of fun.

Elena Vostrotina and Cohen Aitchison-Dugas from Ballett Zürich danced the pas de deux from Christian Spuck’s Nocturne. Danced to a Chopin nocturne, it was like being let in on a private moment. Legs fold and extend so beautifully. Classical yet utterly modern. Which also goes for the demanding duet from William Forsythe’s In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated, which the pair returned with later, delivering all the required precision, attack and sharpness.

While pleasant, the balcony pas de deux from Michael Corder’s Romeo and Juliet, danced by Luiza Lopes of the Royal Swedish Ballet and Lucas Lima of Norwegian National Ballet failed to catch the attention in the same way. Their other contribution, from Christopher Wheeldon’s melancholic This Bitter Earth was better, coming with a distinct feeling of lost love.

Not so much something lost as something about to be lost. That was the powerful impression gained from Ben Stevenson’s End of Time pas de deux, danced by Céline Gittens and Brandon Lawrence. Based on Stanley Kramer’s post-apocalypse film On the Beach and showing the two people on Earth, it has that written into it anyway. But with Lawrence about the leave for Zürich, it somehow gained extra meaning. Not quite ‘end of time’ but ‘end of chapter,’ perhaps. I got a powerful sense of them not wanting it to end but knowing that it must.

It fell to Gittens and Lawrence to bring things to a close with the one 19th-century classic pas de deux of the night, the Black Swan from Act III of Swan Lake.

They gave it their all. It was as technically superb as one has come to expect from the partnership. But while steps are incredibly important, they are not everything. It was striking that, even out of context, just how much Gittens manages to say so much with her face. It really was beautifully danced. A fine way to end a fine evening.

The Ballet Friends in Nuremberg do a fine job supporting the company, funding things that cannot be provided out of the State Theatre’s budget. In particular, they have supported young dancers with guest engagements in their transition to professional life, and helped Montero to invite guest choreographers to build up the company’s repertoire. The first International Gala back in 2013 may have been a massive financial risk but it makes make no secret that it’s now the highlight in its programme. The long and loud applause and cheers said it all. The Friends should be very proud.