The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz
The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz |
| US star meets Soviet legend in Bolshoi fairy tale Posted: 29 Nov 2011 01:59 AM PST  US dancer David Hallberg as a Prince and Russian balerina Maria Alash as a Fairy perform during a rehearsal for a new production of Tchaikovsky's 'The Sleeping Beauty' by Russian choreographer Yuri Grigorovich at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow on November 17, 2011, on the eve of the premiere of this first full ballet production since the historic theatre reopened last month after six years of renovation. – AFP pic The turbulent build-up to the new production of Tchaikovsky's ballet "Sleeping Beauty" at Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre has often read like the most fantastical fairytale. The production is the first full-length ballet performance at the Bolshoi since it reopened late October after a six-year closure for urgent renovations to literally save it from collapsing to the ground. The tale of a princess cursed by an evil fairy, put into a long slumber and then awoken by handsome prince has been revived by the man who dominated the Bolshoi Ballet for decades in its Soviet heyday – choreographer Yury Grigorovich. As the prince, it features star US dancer David Hallberg, who built his career with New York's American Ballet Theatre and stunned the ballet world this year by becoming the first ever American to join the Bolshoi company. His bold decision to join the Bolshoi was a historic reversal of the USSR-to-West defections that marked ballet in the Cold War period. In 1961, Rudolf Nureyev threw himself into the arms of Paris police at Le Bourget airport, while Natalia Makarova defected to the West in 1970 and Mikhail Baryshnikov requested asylum while on tour in Canada in 1974. Any collaboration between an American dancer and Grigorovich – a hero of the USSR who epitomized Soviet ballet – would have been unthinkable in those years. At the premiere of "Sleeping Beauty", Hallberg electrified the audience from his first entry, bounding across the stage with fearless jumps – his legs seemingly effortlessly extended to 180 degrees in midair. He appeared sublimely at ease with his partner as the Princess Aurora, Svetlana Zakharova, the Bolshoi's long-legged prima ballerina recently returned from maternity leave and dazzling with her trademark body extensions. "Working with Grigorovich and Zakharova – for me it's a milestone in my career," Hallberg recently told reporters at the theatre. "I am very honoured to be at the Bolshoi theatre and I respect its traditions. I feel that when I dance, I bring a mixture of my style of dancing, but I am very open to learning the techniques of the Bolshoi Theatre." The blond dancer – the first ever principal from a non-ex-Soviet state to join the Bolshoi -- said he was adapting to the challenges of living in a new country and grappling with an unfamiliar language. "For me it was a huge sacrifice deciding to come to the Bolshoi Theatre, I was very happy in my life in New York but it was an offer that I could not turn down. "I am learning day by day – I am learning Russian, a new technique of the Bolshoi Theatre and I'm learning how to grocery shop in Russia. It's a completely different life for me." Russia's ballet critics applaud his marriage of American style with respect for Russian tradition in a ballet whose choreography goes back to the original version made by Marius Petipa in 1890 for the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg. "Zakharova and Hallberg merge Petipa's era with modernity," said daily newspaper Vedomosti. Hallberg's performance was a welcome boost for the Bolshoi, still reeling from the news that its most celebrated young duo – the real-life couple of Natalya Osipova and Ivan Vasiliev – were deserting it for the less well-regarded Mikhailovsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg. An extraordinary war of words followed with the Bolshoi sniping that the Mikhailovsky's businessman boss Vladimir Kekhman lured the two with promises of big money and then accusing him of blackmailing the Bolshoi. While praise for the dancing in "Sleeping Beauty" has been universal, the same cannot be said for the production itself, showing the new Bolshoi still has some work to do. The monumental decor created by an Italian team led by designer Ezio Frigerio is colourful to the point of kitsch while the jewel-encrusted costumes threaten to overshadow the performances. The Bolshoi ballet's director has admitted the dancers are still getting to know the gigantic stage, most having spent their careers dancing in the smaller replacement theatre during the Bolshoi's closure. "The fabled capacities of the reconstructed stage about which so much was written before the opening were not evident at all in this fairy tale," the Kommersant daily said. Noting that the premiere was attended by President Dmitry Medvedev, his wife Svetlana and Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev, the newspaper's critic noted acidly: "This ritualistic, parade-like 170-minute Sleeping Beauty could be a very effective diplomatic weapon if our high-ranking guests need suddenly to be sent to sleep in the interests of our state." – AFP Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
| Taiwan films reach out to Asia and beyond Posted: 29 Nov 2011 12:50 AM PST  This year's hit film in Taiwan, 'Night Market Hero' depicts street vendors standing up against ruthless developers, while 'Jump Ashin' tells the true story of a struggling gymnast-turned-coach. – All rights reserved Box office revenues for local films as of mid-November had already set a new record of Tw$1.5 billion (RM159.30 million) – triple the 2010 full-year figure, and up a staggering 200-fold from 2001. Once best known for its arthouse films, the island has recently produced blockbusters with broad appeal thanks to themes that resonate with large swathes of the public. "Monga", which topped the local box office in 2010 and was screened at the Berlin film festival, portrays a brotherhood of five boys and touches on social issues such as gang violence and teenage bullying. This year's hit "Night Market Hero" depicts street vendors standing up against ruthless developers, while "Jump Ashin" tells the true story of a struggling gymnast-turned-coach. "Previous directors tackled profound issues such as destiny and history – issues that seemed distant to many," said influential film critic Steven Tu. "The new generation of directors address current Taiwan issues and sentiments that strike a chord with the audience." Tu, who is also the curator of the Taipei film festival, noted that the number of productions has picked up, with a new movie released as often as every two weeks, up from every three or four months a few years ago. "In the past some directors might only get one shot at making a movie. Now the market is bustling and new investors are coming in, so directors and actors can move from one production to the next at a faster rate," he said. Taiwan's premier film event, the Golden Horse awards, saw a record submission of 182 films, which organisers said reflected the renaissance of Chinese-language film and the island's rising cinematic clout. The biggest surprise this year was arguably the teen romance "You are the Apple of My Eye", which has topped box offices in Taiwan and Hong Kong and generated buzz in Southeast Asia. The movie, which grossed Tw$400 million in Taiwan, marked the directorial debut of popular novelist Giddens – the pen name of local author Ko Ching-teng – and is based on his personal story of love and friendship. "I like the movie because it is realistic, funny, and touching," said Sam Lau, a 16-year-old Hong Konger who saw it with 30 classmates after school this month. "Many students at my age want to start dating and it is what we often talk about, so we can easily relate to the movie," he said. Giddens said he was overjoyed by the film's success in Hong Kong, where it had raked in about US$7 million (RM22.30 million) as of November 20 and is poised to become the territory's best-selling Chinese-language film this year. "I truthfully and sincerely shot the story of my youth and I think that's why people from different places find it moving," he said. Giddens said he now "faces pressure every day" to produce his next work, but intends to take time to write a brand-new script to shoot, as he sees filmmaking as primarily about "seeking happiness and self-fulfilment". Taiwanese films have also won critical acclaim overseas, with nearly 20 titles scooping various awards at festivals in Asia, the United States, Europe and South America this year, according to the Government Information Office. Director Wei Te-sheng – who holds the local box-office record of Tw$530 million for his 2008 romance "Cape No. 7" – has outdone himself with the epic "Seediq Bale", about aboriginal hunters battling Japanese colonial power in the 1930s. The film drew attention abroad as a contender for the prestigious Golden Lion award at the Venice film festival earlier this year. It is scheduled to be released in the United States in February, and rights have been sold to Australia and New Zealand as well as to European and South American countries. But it remains to be seen how much reach outside Asia the new wave of Taiwanese films will have. Giddens is cautiously optimistic. His agent is expected to close a deal soon for the sale of his movie to Europe and the United States. "In the east, love is more ambiguous, and one might not dare to ask or take action for the object of his affections," he said. "(But) even though we have different ways of expressing them, I think feelings and emotions can be understood." – AFP Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
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