MEDIA INFORMATION www.dancing-times.co.uk [email protected] ASHTON IN SARASOTA See Frederick Ashton’s ballets. Get a tan. Combining those two pastimes is rarely possible in London, but, writes Leigh Witchel, you can do it in Sarasota, Florida he Sarasota Ballet will be presenting an Ashton Festival from April 30 to May 3 A PAGE Tfeaturing 11 of the master’s works. The monumental undertaking came TURNING about through the dedication and CAREER hard work of the company’s artistic director Iain Webb. Wiry and puckish, what shines through in conversation is that he’s mad about ballet, its As Ashley Page creates his history – and Sir Frederick Ashton. latest full-length ballet in “There are things as a director you Vienna, the choreographer want to do and things you have to talks to Paul Arrowsmith do – this is something I needed to do. This festival is about Sir Fred, his ballets and the man behind them.” A former dancer with both the Sadler’s Wells and Covent Garden Royal Ballet companies, Webb, with the help of his wife, former ballerina Margaret Barbieri, has spent the last seven years building an outpost for British ballet in the Sunshine State. A small city on the gulf coast, Sarasota was planned a century ago by circus magnate John Ringling as a resort community and a magnet for the arts. A city just breaking 50,000 people boasts a ballet company – 45 dancers strong – as well as a nationally known opera company, an orchestra he overdose of Viennese emerging choreographers. It was seen Clockwise from top right Ashley Page; dancers of and several theatre groups. Amy Wood as Sacred Love in Ashton’s Illuminations. Checkmate or John Cranko’s Pineapple confectionary that heralds as a latter-day Symphonic Variations. the Vienna State Ballet in costumes designed by The ballet company was founded Poll that were not standard in the Vivienne Westwood for the TV broadcast of the T each new year has been less Some debut – but the ballet was 2014 New Year’s Day Concert from Vienna; Ketevan in 1987 as a presenting organisation; it The choice was practical. Barbieri had US, and set the company apart. saccharine this past couple of Januaries performed only a handful of times. Papava and Eno Peci in rehearsal for Ein Reigen. became a performing company three a strong relationship with Ashton and the It vaulted into the national arena thanks to Ashley Page’s typically witty The winner of the first Frederick years later and past directors have ballet; she was the first dancer to perform last year when invited to participate dances. He is back in the Austrian Ashton Choreographic Award, Page included Eddy Toussaint and Robert both of the female leads, the Young Girl in the Ballet Across America showcase capital next month to unveil Ein Reigen, was frequently cast by Kenneth years away from the Royal Opera de Warren. But Webb is pushing the and the Gypsy. Webb and Barbieri had at the Kennedy Center in Washington, his take on Arthur Schnitzler’s La MacMillan. He experienced the House during its redevelopment. company from being a regional troupe just staged the work in Japan, but Webb DC. Seizing the opportunity, Webb Ronde. A bold choice. Glen Tetley’s creative process first hand in Gloria, Yet after a 27-year performing career to one with national recognition. Several was also laying the ground for the future. brought his A-game to the capital. ballet of the same sexual hokey cokey Isadora and Valley of Shadows. In with The Royal Ballet and with 18 of Webb’s principals have been with the “We knew staging it would have us in He cast Les Patineurs with his top did not add lustre to his reputation. Orpheus, as rival angels, Page and created works for them, Page was company since he arrived in 2007, and the studio all the time – and the dancers dancers, Barbieri scrupulously drilled Page’s first professional work at Wayne Eagling grappled for the soul passed over as the company’s next have developed with him. The secret would know what they were in for.” it, and the snow globe of a ballet was The Royal Ballet was 30 years ago of Peter Schaufuss. Page flexed his director. Audiences were no longer so lies almost entirely in the repertory. The ballet stretched the company to pronounced the gem of the season. this summer. Riding the popular contemporary muscles at Rambert and indulgent of the latest “New Ashley The first pair of ballets in Webb’s tenure the limit – one injured dancer would wave of Peter Greenaway’s film The for Dance Umbrella but the expectation Page.” Provocatively titled, This House set the tone: George Balanchine’s Allegro have been a nightmare. But it showed n the last few years, Webb has Draughtsman’s Contract and a score was that The Royal Ballet had found Will Burn was Page’s farewell to Covent Brillante is standard fare for US regional the audience as well what they were I stepped up the presentation of by Michael Nyman, the presciently its next choreographer. Cheating, Garden, but it was the ballet that was companies; popular with audiences and in for – top-notch dances by Ashton, Ashton works, with Valse Nobles titled A Broken Set of Rules was Lying, Stealing brought a non-dance quickly junked. Page was noticeably good for dancers. With it, Webb partnered Balanchine, Antony Tudor and Paul et Sentimentales, Monotones I the product of Norman Morrice’s audience at the Barbican to its feet absent from the roster during Monica Ashton’s The Two Pigeons, a masterwork Taylor as well as beloved bits of the and II, Symphonic Variations and enlightened encouragement of during the company’s wilderness Mason’s subsequent decade at the helm. ➣ infrequently seen on these shores. British repertory, Ninette de Valois’ Birthday Offering as well as La ➣ Photographs: Ewa Krasucka; ORF/Günther Pichlkostner; Wiener Staatsballett/Barbara Pálffy. WWW.DANCING-TIMES.CO.UK • MARCH 2014 • 29 Photograph: Frank Atura. WWW.DANCING-TIMES.CO.UK • MARCH 2014 • 45 Ashley Page - March.indd 29 19/02/2014 10:43 Ashton Festival - March.indd 45 10/02/2014 12:39 ABOUT THE MAGAZINE ADVERTISING RATES PER MONTH SPECIAL POSITIONS FOR FULL Dancing Times was established in 1910 and has PAGE COLOUR ADVERTISEMENTS SPACE DIMENSIONS (H X W) COLOUR MONO TYPESETTING* since provided an unrivalled service to the dance Subject to availability community. 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In addition, in each issue we profile Twelfth-Page 65mm x 58mm £86 £59 £14 (right-hand page facing first page of editorial) a rising dance star in our popular Dancer of the Month interview. The extensive Calendar *If the typesetting is complicated, a supplement may be charged in addition to the listed prices; we will All prices are exclusive of VAT includes performances taking place in the UK advise at the outset if this is the case. and internationally, as well as at festivals, and in Listings there is a comprehensive directory of dance schools and where to go dancing. MEDIA INFORMATION www.dancing-times.co.uk [email protected] Bavarian State Ballet II TAMARA ROJO TALKS Ballerina Tamara Rojo became artistic director of English National Ballet in September 2012. She talks to Zoë Anderson about dancing, directing and her vision for the company amara Rojo is eager to communicate. “That’s the most important part of dance,” she says, “communication between the Broeckx was well aware of the changes They participate in the main company’s who to invite to join the Bavarian State but at least she was able to witness the Taudience and the dancer.” She’s known for the drama of her that needed to be made in Munich, and performances, but also have a repertoire Ballet permanently, or how to advise a birth of Bavarian State Ballet II, the own performances – a passionate Juliet, a Manon who is both naïve AN HONEST systematically set about developing of their own that includes works by dancer who they think would be best company that she had long wished and scheming. She speaks fluent, articulate English with great Bavarian State Ballet II n a better teaching system. In the same George Balanchine, Jirí Kylián, Hans employed elsewhere. However, contracts to see established in Munich. energy. There’s a real relish to the way she says “picky”, when Jenny Veldhuis introduces the junior ballet company for young year, a collaboration between the State van Manen and Nacho Duato, as well as with the Bavarian State Ballet are entirely describing her attitude to opportunities away from her company.