Plenty of strength and grace on show
EM Forster once wrote ‘‘only connect,’’ and this is something all four works in Strength & Grace do supremely well. They connect us to the strength and power of women, especially when they are united by a collective cause.
These four world premieres by women choreographers are inspired by the 125th anniversary of women’s suffrage in New Zealand and the Royal New Zealand Ballet’s (RNZB) 65th birthday.
There is an eclectic range of recorded music, all costumes are created by the RNZB’s costume department under the talent of Donna Jefferis, and the imaginative lighting is by Andrew Lees.
First up, Penny Saunders’ (US) So To Speak focuses on the private struggles for equality that were fought within the home. Elegant costumes place the piece firmly in the past.
Choreographically somewhat repetitive, the angular movements and sudden lifts do well convey the duality of male/ female relationships.
Kirby Selchow’s Mother is danced with conviction and repressed longing. She is ably supported by Loughlan Prior as a rigid father and Caroline Wiley’s supportive daughter.
Then Despite The Loss Of Small Detail by Sarah FosterSproull (NZ) is accompanied by Eden Mulholland’s urgent, pulsating music.
Foster-Sproull focuses on the strength of women, their grit and determination, and then abstracts those qualities.
Equality prevails in both choreography and costumes. But what is striking and dynamic on the women sits oddly on the men. Abigail Boyle is outstanding in her vibrant solo, and women’s independence is fervently captured.
Next, from Australia, Danielle Rowe’s Remember Mama is danced to four particularly strident compositions. This tribute to motherhood spans the full circle of a mother caring for a child when young, to a child caring for the mother when she is old. It is vividly danced by all the cast. As the mother, Nadia Yanowski gives a very felt performance.
Although choreographically varied and inventive, it did not fully sustain its length, with the extended sequence for the corps, a particular longeur.
Undoubtedly, the evening’s highlight is Stand To Reason by Andrea Schermoly (South Africa). This superb work shows the RNZB at its strongest for some time, with a brilliant solo from Kirby Selchow.
Choreographically tight, Schermoly has drawn inspiring performances from all eight women, particularly Selchow, Boyle and Madeleine Graham.