Robert Tanitch reviews ENB’s Modern Masters at Sadler’s Wells, London EC1
English National Ballet’s Modern Masters are three one-act ballets by Jiri Kylian, John Neumeier and William Forsythe, and they offer an exhilarating start and finish to an evening’s entertainment.
Kylian’s Petit Morte, performed to two Mozart concertos, is stylish swordsmanship rather than erotic orgasm, though couples do couple. It all goes with a swish from its dramatically silent opening. There is an amusing joke with cut-out crinolines on castors. The manipulating of the fencing foils looks fiendishly difficult. Kylian has a palpable hit. Touché.
Neumeier’s Spring and Fall, set to Dvorak’s Serenade in E, is an innocent, joyous, dreamy-romantic piece, all in white silky pyjamas and bare chests, and very, very light-weight.
Forsythe’s dynamic, deconstructive, off-kilter In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated is more interesting. The dancers respond to Thom Willem’s rhythmic, electronic, industrial, bang-wallop score with a sharp and cutting, high kicking edge and exciting bursts of virtuoso, two cherry, movement.
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