French and N.Z. dancers say ‘Vive La Danse’

Press, 29 July 1987, Page 22

French and N.Z. dancers say ‘Vive La Danse’

The emphasis is on the French for the Royal New Zealand Ballet’s next programme. This month three French choreographers are working with the national company in Wellington. The company will be joined in early August by two French dancers for its tour throughout the country of its “Vive La Danse” season.

The choreographers are Janine Charrat, Andre Prokovsky and Eugene Polyakov; the dancers Elisabeth Plate! and Laurent Hilaire. The dancers are stars of the Paris Opera Ballet. They will feature in a ballet, “Square Within a Circle,” choreographed by Eugene Polyakov, who is the balletmaster for the Paris company and assistant to its artistic director, Rudolph Nureyev.

The two dancers will appear in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch

before returning to Paris. The company will continue its tour.

“Square Within a Circle” features the couple in a pas de deux. Polyakov became balletmaster of the Paris company in 1985 at Nureyev’s invitation. Since then he has worked on exchange projects in China, Austria, the United States and Italy.

He has danced with the Bolshoi School of Ballet, the Novosibirsk Company, and the Venice Theatre in Italy.

Janine Charrat will present a concerto ballet in the modern neo-classical style. She has been dancing since she was a child. About 1955 she formed her own ballet and toured the world.

She choreographed her first ballet at 19 and has created several ballets. Since 1979 she has been dance councillor for the

Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris where she organises a programme that includes dance companies from all round the world.

Andre Prokovsky now works as a freelance choreographer after dancing with a number of companies and forming his own in 1972. He has created four full length ballets and many one-act ballets. In 1980 he worked with the Royal New Zealand Ballet and a season was created around his dances. For the “Vive La Danse” season he will stage his ballet "Bacchus and Ariadne” to the music of Albert Roussel and designs by Alfonso Cata.

The New Zealand company’s tour will take it from Auckland to Invercargill.

Its Christchurch season will be at the Theatre Royal from August 26 to 28.