THEATRE REVIEWS

The real star of the evening is Antonio Vivaldi's sacred music, which lends itself admirably to balletic interpretation, but gives us the contradiction with the story to which choreographer David Nixon has set his ballet "Dangerous Liaisons" by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos. The rich, Baroque music is almost shrouded by the very big, but uninspiring scenery. It would have been nice if the orchestra, dressed in period costume, could have been built in so that we could watch as well as hear Vivaldi's delightful music. John Pryce-Jones gave a masterful interpretation of the composer's music with the precise playing of this superb Northern Ballet Theatre Orchestra.

So what of this new ballet? The story is of a man, the predatory Vicomte de Valmont, danced with smouldering enthusiasm by Jimmy Orrante, and a woman, Marquise de Merteuil, vivaciously danced by Natalie Leftwich. Together they engineer sexual encounters fashionable in their set in the France of the 1700's. Friends enter into the merriment and the rather complicated story unfolds with the help of the narrator, Patricia Doyle. Chiaki Nagao, as Madame de Tourvel, shows us beautifully the different nuances of the character with her delicate portrayal of a woman caught up in the cruel games. Much of the action was in the form of duets, some of which lack the verve of what they are meant to portray. However, the music supplies the atmosphere needed to give a picture of sexual liaisons. The male dancers tend to prance, but this may have been a sign of the times. The story was crying out for more dramatic inventive situations for the dancers, but the overall impression was pleasing to the eye.

The audience sat quietly and gave great applause for the music when those involved took their bows. Try it. © BA

“Dangerous Liaisons” is in Leeds on the 3rd to the 11th September, 2004 and then touring.