The London Ballet Circle - Promoting interest in dance and kindred arts

We welcomed tonight as our guest Mr. Derek Deane, known to us all as a distinguished dancer with the Royal Ballet company director and choreographer. He was introduced by Robin Key, Chairman of the London Ballet Circle.

Mr. Deane has just returned from Zagreb, Croatia. where he produced "Swan Lake", his second production for the company, having done "The Sleeping Beauty" last year. The resident company consists of 85 people, including about 42 dancers, who perform in a beautiful traditional theatre with circles of boxes rising from the stalls, like La Scala. The director of the company had been a dancer with ENB and invited Derek to produce "The Sleeping Beauty", and they rose to the challenge. When he arrived to produce "Swan Lake" the dancers were now used to working with him, and have the will to achieve results, having survived difficult times in their country. Derek is invited to produce ballets for companies around the world and enjoys the experience of working with dancers who give their best efforts and are not lazy!

He has also worked in Shanghai and described the very different ballet company set up in China, as compared to company system in Europe. He produced "Swan Lake" and "Romeo and Juliet" and was amazed by the Chinese work ethic and efficient organisation of every aspect of a production. "Swan Lake" was the ENB production, and before his arrival their costume makers had made the Czardas costumes, but in bright pink! He tactfully suggested that a darker red would be more suitable, and at the end of the following day's rehearsal he was astonished to be presented with the same 12 costumes re-made perfectly in the darker shade. The Chinese dancers are so determined to get everything right that they practise all the time in the available studios, and continue to work after the end of a day's rehearsal perfecting what they had done that day. The immaculate corps de ballet was the best he has ever seen, but he found in "Romeo and Juliet" it was very difficult to get them to express emotion. The Shanghai ballet company exists in a self-contained complex in a landscaped park, with all workshops on site and the dancers living in dormitories so that everything is immediately available. It is like an artistic city where the music from the ballet studios is played throughout the complex all day.

The efficient organisation in China is a great contrast to Italy, where Derek produced "Swan Lake" in Naples recently. He has worked in Rome, Florence and at La Scala but due to many competing unions bringing dancers out on strike, it was a difficult situation to work in. Orchestral deputies are used, so that the conductor may not have rehearsed the players who appear for the performance. Elisabetta Terabust, who used to dance with ENB, has taken up the directorship of the La Scala company and has invited Derek to return to La Scala to produce new works for the company.

He is now back in London preparing "Swan Lake" for the Albert Hall arena production and loves doing this spectacular ballet in the huge challenging space, with as many swans as possible. He was delighted to get away from working on the narrow stage (like dancing on a mantelpiece) of the Festival Hall, though at first he was doubtful about using the Albert Hall. Robin said how much we had enjoyed "Alice in Wonderland" at the Coliseum at Christmas. Derek told us how "Alice" was actually created at a time when the Company was looking for more financial revenue, and, though it is not the most challenging of ballets, he is very pleased that it is now so popular.

"Alice" is now going to Pittsburgh, where Derek has worked with the company for several years, doing one act ballets: one to music by Bruce Springsteen (who came to rehearsals and showed great interest), one to Simon Garfunkel music and another to music by Cole Porter. This small company is full of enthusiastic energetic American dancers, which is terrific for Derek, who loves their "get-ahead" mentality, so unlike British dancers! There is a company school, and he will use some students in "Alice". He spoke about the differences between European and American audiences and how they react. When he is choreographing for American companies he has to

remember that the audiences (outside New York) "like it big", do not appreciate subtle effects, and are in the theatre to have a really good time.

Derek then told us of his memories of Leslie Edwards and the Choreographic Group, which gave opportunities to young dancers to try out choreography and encouraged many of them to go on and become distinguished choreographers, e.g. David Bintley. They performed in small theatres with no scenery and basic costumes and their work was keenly supported by Dame Ninette de Valois, who came to many performances and told Derek she liked his work, but he mustn't become "too theatrical!" He has choreographed for John Curry, the ice skater, for his touring company and also worked for Robin Cousins and has taken advantage of all opportunities to develop his choreographic ideas. He commented that Ashton took very little interest in the Choreographic Group, but MacMillan was supportive.

"Mayerling" is in the current RB repertoire and Derek told us about his experience playing Prince Rudolf, at about three weeks notice! As he was not high in the list of male dancers, he never got a stage call before a performance but luckily he had a dress rehearsal for "Mayerling", with some key words of advice from MacMillan about playing the part. He saw Tamara Rojo in the current performance and compared her wonderfully emotional characterisation to that of Lynn Seymour. On contemporary choreographers, he has liked work by Russell Maliphant, William Forsythe, adores Pina Bausch, liked some early work of William Trevitt and Michael Nunn ("The Ballet Boyz") - in fact, he enjoys all types of dance as long as it's short!

In answering questions from the audience, Derek said that he does not let other people cast his ballets but always does it himself; commented on his working relationship with Agnes Oaks and Thomas Edur; he pointed out that up to the end of her life Margot Fonteyn was still asking questions and learning which makes a great artist; the inflexibility of Russian dancers; his interpretation of Giselle's death from a heart attack. On his future planned production of "Hamlet", this will be to a commissioned score and in two acts (which he prefers to three acts). When he started to work as a choreographer he knew he really wanted to do it and to direct a company, and is happy now working as a freelance on short contracts. We hope to see the Pittsburgh Company in London - possibly at Sad1ers Wells - and performing Derek's Cole Porter ballet. Regarding future ballets, Carl Davies is arranging Tchaikovsky music for "Anna Karenina" and Liszt for "Lady of the Camellias" (for Zagreb) and he is using new music and a new designer for his "Hamlet".