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A fond farewell to a tremendous talent
DARCEY BUSSELL FAREWELL
Sadler's Wells
AS the curtain rises she is a lone figure in a darkened upstage. She strode downstage into the light and I was struck first by her muscular, sinewy body – much more that of a finely honed athlete or gymnast than a ballerina.
In the intimate interviews with her, projected onto a big screen during the performance, we learn that Darcey was “obsessed” with gymnastics as a child and gave it up when she became too tall. With her mother’s encouragement, the ballet she had done on the side to improve her gymnastics routines continued, and she applied to the Royal Ballet School. The rest, as they say, is history.
Her ballet technique is quite gorgeous – lithe, athletic and musical. She commands her body and really knows how to use it to pretty much perfect effect. The provocative Tryst, for example, takes full advantage of her ability to bend, stretch and balance into demanding positions requiring great physical strength. Johnathan Cope’s powerful presence sculptures the artistry between them beautifully.
She wisely chose not to dance Frederick Ashton’s Cinderella Act II variation, again projecting her solo onto a big screen. The audience gave an audible sigh when Bussell ended the first half with Sylvia, dancing the pas de deux of Frederick Ashton’s classic with Roberto Bolle. I found this, though, less a highlight than William Forsthye’s In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated, a piece that again gives full expression to Bussell’s eloquent body.
The second half is entirely devoted to Kenneth MacMillan’s Winter Dreams, based on Chekhov’s Three Sisters.
It’s perilously close to hubris to invite another darling of the ballet firmament, Tamara Rojo, to dance with her in this piece. The dainty and dynamic Rojo takes not one but two solo rounds of applause and dominates the stage before Bussell and Bolle sweep all before them with a captivating and dramatic pas de deux. Pianist Phlip Gammon is outstanding.
Bussell has it all – technique, rhythm, style, pace and energy. The only slight anomaly is the frying pan fingers of an almost contemporary port de bras. Presumably, though, this is an idiosyncrasy of Bussell’s style that serves only to endear her further to her public. A fond farewell to a tremendous talent.
May 15-18
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