Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – Matthew Bourne’s THE RED SHOES: Thriving at the intersection of dance and theater

• By drediman
• November 9, 2017
• No Comments

Sara Mearns in Matthew Bourne’s “The Red Shoes” at New York City Center.

One of my “aha” moments in dance was when I first encountered Matthew Bourne’s bold interpretation of Swan Lake nearly two decades ago in London. Using a corps of all-male swans, Bourne created a dance-theater piece that defied – and even at times polked fun at – the conventions of classical ballet. Bourne’s aesthetic rebuffed classical ballet by firmly placing irreverent, theatrical storytelling over the choreographic beauty of the form’s restrictive steps. Indeed, his adaptations of ballet’s most cherished story ballets, including vivid reimagining of Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker, have all employed a character-driven, almost cinematic approach to their storytelling. Not surprisingly, Bourne’s works have been embraced by both dance and theater lovers alike (like myself), to the somewhat dismay of dance purists.

Over the last two weeks, Bourne’s dance adaptation of the iconic ballet film The Red Shoes had been packing them in at City Center. This fast-paced version is vintage Matthew Bourne – psychologically astute, yet not taking itself too seriously ALL the time. His longstanding collaboration with brilliant designer Lez Brotherston has yielded some breathtaking stage pictures over the years. In this production, a menacing, ever prowling proscenium stalks the stage, continuously blurring the boundary between reality and art, particularly in the increasingly surreal second act. Yet despite the efficiency and stylishness of the staging, I left the theater somewhat less than fully satisfied (could it be the aural two-dimensionality of the canned music?).

The New York engagement, which just ended its run, featured two principal casts. Ashley Shaw and Dominic North returned to the piece after having originated the roles of Victoria Page and Lucian Crasta in last year’s London premiere. In addition, two luminaries of the New York dance scene – Sara Mearns of New York City Ballet and Marcelo Gomes of American Ballet Theatre – also took on the roles. Ms. Shaw and Mr. North are gorgeous dancers with fabulous chemistry and were a pleasure to watch. But it was Ms. Mearns and Mr. Gomes who truly took my breath away. Ms. Mearns, in particular, was on fire; her dancing and acting became one, and it was truly thrilling to behold (she seemed to have even surprised herself with the dramatic power of her work). Sam Archer, another holdover from the London premiere, played the moody Lermontov at all the performances, effectively.

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THE RED SHOES
Dance / Theater
New Adventures at New York City Center
2 hours (without an intermission)
Closed