A glimpse of act ones, Don Quixote. Photo/ Supplied
A glimpse of act ones, Don Quixote. Photo/ Supplied
Coming from someone who 90 per cent of the time uses words to tell a story, the Imperial Russian Ballet had me speechless ... and penless.
Until it came to writing this review at least.
On Wednesday night I accompanied my 94-year-old grandmother and 22-year-old sister to the Wanganui RoyalOpera House to indulge in some Russian Ballet - a girls night out if you will.
Having no knowledge of ballet, apart from a brief and I mean BRIEF stint as a 5-year-old, I was blown away.
I will admit, initially, enduring three hours of ballet, beginning at 8pm, did feel slightly overwhelming. But splitting the evening into three acts made the night fly by and left me begging for more (metaphorically).
The first story, Don Quixote, was based on the Spanish novel Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. Picture red and white frilly dresses, Spanish capes and fans, bold classical music and Shakespeare-like romance.
A bit of history, Don Quixote was first performed in Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre in 1869 and since then has been showcased all over the world by Russian and other international ballet companies.
The group performance was a clever blend of humorous acts, delicate couple dancing with impressive lifts, twirls and points, and nifty synchronised movements (excuse the lack of ballet jargon).
Act two was one for the dramatic, my sister's favourite, with Bolero created by France's most popular composer, Maurice Ravel. Inspired by a visit to a large industrial factory - the story noted the crash of machines and materials. Deep, dark and powerful.
By the end of act two, my eyes were opened wider and I was intrigued by the diversity of dance composition.
But the icing on the cake, for me anyway, came last in act three.
Man impersonating a woman in act three's Can Can surprise dance. Photo/ supplied
A combination of short pieces from a humorous take on the Melbourne Cup accompanied with William Tell's famous Overture song, an out of this world dance from Swan Lake, a Can Can dance, plus a modern piece that shook things up.
The Dying Swan featured in act three.
All in all it was a night to remember and I can say without doubt I have a new appreciation for the Russian Ballet.
- The All Blacks jersey worn by the pub owner at the finale was also a nice touch by the Russians. Come back anytime I say.
