Southern Ballet

Press, 18 March 1985, Page 6

Southern Ballet

A season of comedy ballets presented by Southern Ballet at the Southern Ballet Theatre, March 16 to 30 Tuesdays to Saturdays. 7 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays 2 p.m. Running time: IVi hours. Reviewed by Heather Campbell. This opening season by the Southern Ballet for 1985 is highly entertaining. “Facade,” although to poems by Edith Sitwell, is reminiscent of Edward Lear. It is frothy, funny, satirical and valid. In Edith Sitwell’s poems there is an ebb and flow; choreographically the rhythmical pattern of the spoken word is contained in the dance pattern. It is transportive. To a total of 17 poems the dancers move with coquettish charm to tangos, waltzes, and polkas. Lisa Brereton with her vivacious style of dance, epitomises the “gay young thing” of the 19205. David Peake and David Burgess, with a studied nonchalance, “hoof” their way through “Popular Song” — one could be on the pier at Torquay. It was a most successful amalgam of words, dance, and music. “The Three-cornered Hat” was a brilliant and magnetic work complemented by effective stage design and lighting.

The principals — Peake, Julie Gare, and Russell Kerr — leave no stone

unturned in giving depth and credibility to their roles. Based on a play by the Spanish poet, Alarcon, “Le Tricorne” is the story of a Spanish miller, his beautiful and flirtatious wife and her reaction to the forced attentions upon her of the governor of the province — the Corregidor. There is much activity and dancing in the village. The corps de ballet in exotic dresses pay homage to the miller and his wife. Their dancing is sensuous, gay, and stylised. It is against this background that Peake commands and sustains the attention of the audience with his farrua dance, bringing forth spontaneous applause. Kerr’s interpretation of the Corregidor is impeccable — with his innate sense of timing and with great wit he evokes in his audience both derision and sympathy. He is quietly outrageous. In an all-too-brief passage of dancing, he shows himself to be more than adequate in the intricacies of Spanish dance. Julie Gare as the miller’s wife is superb. In a closely contoured dress, she shows a marvellous sense of style in her dancing. She has thought her role through. Every movement and gesture are in character — sparse and meaningful. As a dancer she continues

to grow in maturity. She is pleasingly slender and uses her technique to highlight the emotional content of her dancing; for instance, the joyous upward lift of her torso and distinctive lengthening of the limb in a simple arabesque. Add to this her obvious musicality and the result is as it should be — a beautiful dancer in the making. There is need to pay attention to the intensity of facial expression which can occasionally intrude upon her performance. Lisa Brereton is beautiful as the young wife of the Corregidor. Unfortunately the role offers her little opportunity to dance. Judith Froude enchants as always with her lyrical dancing.

Costumes by Mary Ferigo are an important feature of this production. “Ye Gods!” is a favourite ballet for many, and it continues to entertain and amuse audiences. I have no empathy with the work; however, one cannot fail to appreciate the quality and stamina the dancers bring to their performance. With an obvious regard to technique, dancing constantly for 25 minutes is no mean task.

I would suggest the dancers could be more objective in their acting — underplay in mime can be desirable.