How Green Was My Valley |
| Independent Ballet Wales , Riverfront, Newport , September 27, 2009 |
Surely 'How Green Was My Valley' should have a question mark after it? No-one ever seems to ask that. But less of the grammar, more of the dance...Independent Ballet Wales choreographer Darius James continues to reach and innovate. In choosing Richard Llewleyn's famous novel he certainly sets himself a challenge. A detailed plot with complex character relations, this is not so easy to translate into the medium of contemporary dance. Just how successful this adaption may be rather depends on whether or not you are already familiar with the novel. If (like this reviewer) you have never read the original text or caught the BBC screenplay then the exact intricacies of the plot may sometimes leave you little mystified. A little bit of mystification in the face of such an aesthetic feast is no bad thing however. While few faces from last year's remarkable under Milk Wood remain the young dancers here are equally impressive. Just where does the company find such talent so regularly? The opening salvos to the show, replete with miners' lamps and boots, are quite something- invoking an immediate sense of toil, claustrophobia, and human dignity. The sadness, violence, aspiration, and passion that stains and colours the lives of all the characters is emoted throughout. The exact interplay between individuals, as it propels the narrative, is at times a little hazy/abstract. This was of course the risk inherent in the choice of text, but it was a risk worth taking regardless. There is a degree of detail and texture to the choreography, and the dancers meet these demands with precision. The depiction of the paralysed young Huw was of particular note. The Victorian period detail is brought vividly to life with the help of the Newport Male voice choir who sang live and presided over affairs ever present, like a venerable Greek chorus. The warmth, resonance, and comfort of their tones added an extra level of authenticity to proceedings. Thomas Hewitt Jones' moody and heartbreaking score, performed live together with the choir, is demonstrable proof of his award winning talent. There is of course a fine tradition of cellist composers (Bach, Debussy, Prokofiev, Stockhausen). No comparison is useful at this juncture, but just considering the cross reference should be sufficient. The set, with its projected back and side drops, at times captured the suffocating intimacy of urban industry, at others the expansive freedoms of the rural Welsh countryside. This opposition would seem to be a theme realised in the nature of the characters, and played out dramatically throughout. How Green Was My Valley may not be the most successful of Independent Ballet Wales productions ever- but in order to remain a relevant and innovating art form ballet requires more than just Swan Lake. The fact that this performance disappointed only very slightly is witness to just how high a bar Darius James and co have set themselves. They have become, and are surely set to remain, standard bearers of Welsh culture. From a traditional approaches and canons they demonstrate great originality and take considerable risks. Praise be. |
Reviewed by: Chris Paul |
This review has been read 1010 times |
