Millicent Hodson, Kenneth Archer: Balanchine

Carla Fracci, chief of the ballet company of the Opera di Roma, invited Millicent Hodson and Kenneth Archer to re-stage two almost forgotten Balanchine titles, “La Chatte“ and “Le Bal,“ as well as “Apollon“ in its complete version, with prologue (see also their contribution in ballet-tanz 01/04). “La Chatte“ (1927), to music by Henri Sauguet, clearly draws on George Balanchine‘s avant-garde experiences in early post-Revolution Russia, featuring plastic dance with an ancient Greek flavour.

The dance, by an all-male troupe of strong warriors, excepting the sweet female cat, was choreographed to suit the Construc­tivist stage set and costumes by Naum Gabo, built out of glamorous geometric shapes and transparent elements. The Roman dancers did their best to be believable in the role of two-dimensional bas-relief silhouettes in a sort of Hellenic gym but lacked conviction and accuracy. The guest couple performing the two leading characters, Anik Bissonette and Mario Radakov­­s­ky from Les Gands Ballets Canadiens, where “La Chatte“ was revived in 1991, on the other hand, turned out to be really charming. This short piece, which has also been re-staged in St. Petersburg‘s Mariinsky ...