LBC Past Events -

BERN BALLET

A group of LBC members visited Bern between 26th - 29th October to support Cathy Marston, the renowned and popular British choreographer, in her new position as Director of Bern Ballet and to watch the premiere performance.  We are delighted to circulate the following report by Bob Kimber:

On the Saturday morning, we met with Cathy at the Kornhaus Café and she took us on a guided tour of the studio and changing rooms in the Stadttheater and then took us to their new facilities in a converted warehouse a couple of miles away.

This very new acquisition not only includes a bright and airy studio, changing rooms and office, but also a studio theatre and other performing areas. We watched a classical daily class and then met the Company, three of whom are alumni of The Royal Ballet School, two of Rambert School of Ballet, and one of each of the Paris Conservatoire and Central School of Ballet.

Prior to the première performance the group met at a nearby bar for champagne before going on to the theatre.

It is a very beautiful auditorium in the classic opera house style with a maximum capacity of about 750 seats.

The evening show, a triple bill, started with Hans van Manen’s Concertante, a neo-classical work set to Frank Martin’s Petite Symphonie Concertante, which was very well received by the audience and, as the applause grew in volume, it was lovely to see the dancers’ smiles grow and the understandable tensions ease. Hans stated that he was “very pleased” with the performance of his work. The second piece was Doug Varone’s Of the Earth far Below which was a contemporary work set to a score by Reich, again very well received.

The final piece received its World Première that evening and a very fine neo-classical  piece it is too. It is Feurvogelby Cathy Marston set to music from Stravinsky’s Der Feurvogel (The Firebird). It is a narrative ballet relating the period shortly before the Russian Revolution. The musical theme for Kotschei is given to Rasputin and the ballet narrates his introduction to the Royal family, his involvement with the haemophiliac Tsarevich, and his ultimate murder. The story is well told and clear and the selected music fits this story extremely well.

The audience received this final piece with great acclaim, and the Company did themselves and their Director proud throughout the evening.

All the music for the performance was provided by the Berner Symphonie Orchester and their rendering of the Stravinsky in particular was a joy to listen to.

Once the show was finished we all moved upstairs to a reception given by the theatre when the entire Company was introduced to all those present, and we, somehow, got a mention too by the theatre Director along with the various local dignitaries who were present in droves! It was abundantly clear that the city is absolutely delighted that they have been able to secure Cathy’s appointment as Director of Bern Ballet and also with her careful selection of dancers from the many hundreds of applicants who wished to join the Company.

Shortly after 11.00 we moved next door to the Kornhaus Keller for the party that we were giving for the Company and its guests. About 75 people were present for this and all were delighted to sing Happy Birthday to Hans van Manen who was 75 years of age earlier this year.

The food and wine were excellent, the restaurant did a superb job and actually the cost of the party came in slightly under the original estimate – surely this could only happen in Switzerland. The Kornhaus Keller is a very large and very beautiful space and with so many it never felt at all crowded, but still provided a very warm and welcoming atmosphere even if a bit noisy at times as we were not the only patrons!

The next day we all met again with Cathy ,who had spent the morning with the Mayor and Hans van Manen, and we walked to a restaurant for a very, very long lunch. So long that as we were leaving we met a Company member with her family entering the restaurant and they had booked for a marginally early dinner!

All in all a wonderful even if tiring weekend which was greatly enjoyed by all members of the group.