Scottish Ballet: The Nutcracker

Having not been brought up with a very 'festive' upbringing, Christmas-sy things are still a bit new to me including Scottish Ballet's winter season offering of The Nutcracker.

Of course I knew The Nutcracker's wonderful score was by Tchaikovsky and that the story entailed a toy soldier, the famous sugar plum fairy, scary mice and a magical dolls house but for me the Christmas connection and the actual storyline didn't mean very much to me... until now.

What better way to get to know this enchanted tale (and get in the Christmas spirit) through the beauty of music and dance?!

'An enchanted dolls' house, an evil governess, and a nutcracker who may just be a handsome prince in disguise ... '

Scottish Ballet has certainly helped me enter a magical new world with their production of The Nutcracker, based on ETA Hoffmann's original story 'Nutcracker and the King of Mice'.

As always, Scottish Ballet presented a vivid retelling of the Christmas story with colourful and stunning sets and costumes that even included a representation of Tchaikovsky himself on stage.  It was a truly magical performance from start to finish and I can't believe I have missed out on this fantastical tale for such a long time.

Since discovering the beauty and joy of the art through Scottish Ballet's influence, I have actually become acquainted with many new interests and The Nutcracker is just one of them.  It is such a wonderful (and slightly mad) story that I will be making sure that elements of it is factored into my annual celebrations.  In fact, I had to make sure I had candy canes for my tree after it and a rather beautiful emerald Nutcracker prince was purchased!

Christmas might be over but there is still time to catch a performance near you and reignite the magic of Christmas:

Glasgow 
Theatre Royal 8-29 December 2012

Edinburgh
Festival Theatre 8-12 January 2013

Aberdeen
His Majesty's Theatre 16-19 January 2013

Inverness
Eden Court Theatre 23-26 January 2013

Belfast

Grand Opera House 30 January-2 February 2013

Newcastle

Theatre Royal 6-9 February 2013

I'd love to hear if you have been to see it or if you are planning on going! 

Scottish Ballet Autumn 2012

Scottish Ballet have 3 wonderful performances to wow you this autumn and there is still time to go see it.



An extraordinary triple bill tracing a line through dance from the highly physical to the seductively graceful, featuring Martin Lawrance's Run For It, William Forsythe's Workwithinwork and Hans van Manen's 5 Tangos (my favourite!).

For booking information, visit the Scottish Ballet website.

Next up from Scottish Ballet this year is The Nutcracker.



I can't wait!

Scottish Ballet: Streetcar Named Desire

This week Scottish Ballet unveiled the world premiere tour of their production of Streetcar Named Desire.

Originally a play written 65 years ago this year by Tennessee Williams (and later brought to moviescreens starring Marlon Brando and Vivian Leigh), Scottish Ballet presented their vibrant new take on Streetcar Named Desire, collaborating with theatre and film director Nancy Meckler and international choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa to create a powerful infusion of drama and dance.

I almost have no words for how incredible and how much of a must see this performance is.  It tells a tragic tale of Southern Belle, Blanche DuBois tackling her plight and fall into despair, anguish and ultimately mental illness.  We are given a glimpse of her wounded past which continues to haunt her and lead her to a situation of distress and suffering which is only heightened when she goes to stay with her sister, Stella and her brutish husband, Stanley.

The opening scene is still what sticks with me the most, Blanche underneath a naked lightbulb, delicately fluttering with moth like movements toward the light.  The light was to represent desire, which attracts but can also burn but there was just something about the movements of Eve Mutso's Blanche that was haunting, sensitive and instantly gave an insight into the mental fragility of the character.

The performance is provocative, deep and highly sexed to say the least - whether it was the cruel but needy physical passion between Stella and Stanley (played by Tama Barry) to the debauched and reckless secret life of Blanche.  Blanche's demise eventually comes when Stanley, who has set out to destroy her in a bid to have Stella to himself, engages in a dramatic, shocking and emotional performance depicting her rape.  In a strong and visually shocking performance, it takes the audience to that dark place of helplessness and all of a sudden you are lost in raw emotion for all characters involved.

For as dark as the performance could be at times, there was still plenty of buzz, beauty and effervescence in abundance on stage.  The score by Peter Salem did a wonderful job of representing a jazzy New Orleans and even at times got a little 'dancey' (as my  husband described it ... as in disco dancey!).  As ever the fashions of the 40's/50's on stage left me salivating for more.  The Scottish Ballet wardrobe must be a fabulous place to be!



Seriously, watch the trailer, you will not be disappointed and you will want to see more!

Out of all of the Scottish Ballet productions I have seen to date, this really has to be my favourite.  It was just all manners of mesmerising and wonderful!

I honestly cannot recommend it enough.  If you are interested in going to see it, the venues and dates are as follows:

Theatre Royal, Glasgow
11 - 14 April 2012
Tickets from £10
Box Office 0844 871 7647*

Festival Theatre, Edinburgh
18 - 21 April 2012
Tickets from £16.50
Box Office 0131 529 6000*

Sadler's Wells, London
26 - 28 April 2012
Tickets from £12
Box Office 0844 412 4300*

His Majesty's Theatre, Aberdeen
2 - 5 May 2012
Tickets from £13.50
Box Office 01224 641122*

Eden Court, Inverness
9 - 12 May 2012
Tickets from £17
Box Office 01463 234 234*

Grand Opera House, Belfast
16 - 19 May 2012
Tickets from £9.25
Box Office 028 9024 1919*

Scottish Ballet - The Sleeping Beauty

Christmas time is probably best known as the season of pantomime and while Sleeping Beauty - the panto has been ripping up a storm at the Kings Theatre in Glasgow, I let go of tradition this year,  in favour of something a little more decadent and cultured in the form of Scottish Ballet's very own performance of The Sleeping Beauty.

Performed to Tchaikovsky's acclaimed and iconic score, Scottish Ballet presented a cutting edge and contemporary version of the original Sleeping Beauty adding in their own elements of comedy and the unconventional.

As usual the costumes were outstanding with quite a traditional tutu clad Princess Aurora to a stunning Red Riding Hood in her 1940's esque hooded dress in the final scenes.  The sets themselves were not to be outdone by the fashion with stunning backdrops, a Victorian glasshouse, a Russian garden party and art deco bar/club.  In every scene, there was something to capture your attention, not just the main characters but the acting from the ongoing scenes in the background but nothing was too much to divert your concentration from the story and the music that created the magical atmosphere in the theatre.

Photo taken from Scottish Ballet 100 days of sleeping beauty Blog

Somewhat scary the villainous witch Carabosse and her evil daughters brought an expected dark side to the performance juxtaposed perfectly with humour.  With their pointed ears, egg heads, swirly tails, trotters and multiple nipples (yes, nipples!), they were the perfect picture of mischief makers.  Their antics on stage were both hilarious and excitedly terrifying!

The Sleeping Beauty is the longest of any ballet performances I have been to see but I was so fascinated with the magic happening on stage, the time passes within the blink of an eye, quite literally in Aurora's case.

The tour is now very much in full swing and is travelling across Scotland and Newcastle, if you are interested in soaking up the enchantment of The Sleeping Beauty, you can book tickets at the following locations and dates:

Glasgow Theatre Royal (17-31 December)
Festival Theatre Edinburgh (11-14 January)
His Majesty's Theatre Aberdeen (18-21 January)
Eden Court Inverness (25-28 January)
Theatre Royal Newcastle (1-4 February)

Next up for Scottish Ballet in spring 2012 is Streetcar Named Desire.  I am so looking forward to it!

x

Scottish Ballet Autumn 2011

So my obsession with ballet continues.  On this occasion I went along to Scottish Ballets production of Kings 2 Ends by Jorma Elo and Pennies from Heaven by Ashley Page.

Rather than bore you with how amazing I thought it was, why not take a look for yourselves:


Scottish Ballet - Autumn 11 Part 2: Kings 2 Ends Trailer from Scottish Ballet on Vimeo.



Scottish Ballet: Autumn 11 Part 1 - Pennies from Heaven Trailer from Scottish Ballet on Vimeo.


If you have never been to the ballet before, I urge you to give it a try.  There is nothing more moving than watching a story translated into dance and when you see the strength and ability of the dancers ... well, it just makes you want to get off the couch and get active!

x

Blythswood Square Spa

You might remember a few months ago I attended a blogger event hosted by Scottish Ballet at Glasgow's 5 Star Blythswood Hotel & Spa.

At the event Blythswood kindly gave us some complimentary passes to their Spa's Thermal Experience so a few weeks ago, I got round to booking a girly day at the spa with my 2 sisters in law, Esther and Katie.

First of all, when you enter Blythswood Hotel, it is impossible to escape how gorgeous it is.  It previously was home to the Royal Scottish Automobile Club which is reflected in it's contemporary decor while keeping many of the traditional and somewhat breathtaking aspects of the building.

We were directed down to the spa level which feels like entering another world in comparison to the glitz of the main hotel, plush yet zen like furnishings, dimmed mood lighting, relaxing scents and friendly informative staff greet you as you enter.  The staff couldn't be more helpful, directing us to the changing rooms where you have your own personal locker equipped with towels, flip flops, robe and a bottle of water for your convenience.  They have thought of everything!

As we wanted to make a day of it, we had also booked treatments but that wasn't before experiencing the exclusive Thermal Spa.

The Thermal Spa was a true chill out experience, with various rooms taking you from wet to dry, hot to cold, awakening the senses whilst refreshing the skin.  I loved the Saunarium - basically a sauna with a viewing window over the pool.  The crystal steam room, Laconium and Trepidarium where all favourites of mine as they smelled utterly gorgeous and had to be nearly snoozing on the tiled benches.

The hydro pool brought us a bit of fun with pink, green and blue froth bubbling up from behind and beneath us, while the vitality pool provided some cool down time.

We then moved on to our treatments.  Mummy to be Katie went for the special Ila mother-to-be package while Esther and myself went for the Anne Semonin Anti Stress Back Therapy.

Well, I tell you, I have never had my butt cheeks pumelled before so this was a first, I did mention I had some pain in my lower back so I guess it only made sense for the therapist to really go at it.  Odd at first, eventually I realised the benefit as I slowly felt the tension releasing.  As for Esther, this treatment went down as one of the best massages she has ever had, and she is a seasoned spa junkie so she is in a good place to judge.

Katie felt suitably chilled after her treatment and was pleased not to be driving so she could snooze all the way home given her state of utter relaxation after he mummy to be package.

And that's where it all ended, we left the spa quite late in the day with a cumulative decision to make the most of our pampered state and head home to bed.

It was the best sleep I have had in a long time!

I am already looking forward to my next visit to the spa but if you are in Glasgow/Edinburgh I definitely recommend a visit to Blythswood Spa.

x

Scottish Ballet: Alice

If any of you follow any Scottish bloggers you may have already read a wee bit about a lovely event that took place on Saturday where we all got to view Scottish Ballet's production of Alice.

Well before I post my ode to the day I really wanted to address the actual performance since it deserves it's pride of place in it's own post.

Alice is Scottish Ballet's choreographer Ashley Page' adaptation of Alice in Wonderland as seen through the camera lens (instead of a rabbit hole) which is a metaphorical projection inside the mind of Charles Dodgson (a.k.a Lewis Carroll).  In this production we see Charles a character in his own plotline guiding Alice through the bewilderment of Wonderland.

A veritable feast for the senses, Alice is both surreal and fantastic and a big bit trippy at times.  With a storyline that doesn't stick strictly to the traditional children's Alice, it was bizarre and hypnotic leaving me feeling slightly entranced and sometimes a little lost only to be awoken by each dreamlike scene.  I almost wanted to join Alice on her trip through Wonderland to make sense of the strange characters she met, sensing her confusion and journey of discovery simultaneously.

From the Dali-esque Caterpillar who tangoed his way around the set with Alice, the scarily evil Queen of Hearts, a sexy Cheshire Cat to the creepy but cute Humpty Dumpty who bore a raving resemblance to Leigh Bowery, the psychedelic efforts of the set design, characters, choreography and costumes captivated me from start to finish.   The duets between Alice and Charles were particularly moving with more than a touch of romanticism about them however when you remember the characters and their relationship, I won't lie, it was a little disconcerting but looked through an innocent eye, the duets were tender and moving and that I believe is what we are supposed to translate from this portrayal of a very special relationship.

Personally, I thought this production was just fabulous and really appealed to my quirky sense of humour and love of the alternative.

You can still see Alice at Edinburgh, Inverness, Cardiff and Aberdeen .... you can book here.

x

Cinderella Cinderella ...

Last night I had a delightful evening at the Theatre Royal in Glasgow for Scottish Ballet's opening night performance of Cinderella.

I was really excited for this performance mainly because the costumes had been described as Galliano meets Westwood meets Warhol ... eye candy for sure. And of course, Cinderella is the ultimate fairytale that all us girls grew up with ... it was a must see.

I met up with fellow bloggers Rani (http://www.cupcakecouture.co.uk/), Ayden (http://mydollface.blogspot.com/), Kirsty (http://fortyfoursunsets44.blogspot.com/) and of course Ann (http://www.girlinthecityglasgow.com/) who made the whole event possible. Thank you!

I took along my husband who I was sure would fall asleep as he was a stand in for my friend who had worryingly been hospitalised with pneumonia (not to worry, she is doing well) but incredibly he absolutely loved the performance and raved about it througout it and after.

It was a colourful and humorous performance which was brought to life by an amazing cast of dancers, especially the Ugly Sisters who made the show for me. The set was also amazing with numerous backgrounds taking us from the slum kitchen where Cinderella scrubbed the floors, to the ballroom to the clock striking midnight.

It was truly a magical show which I am sure these images convey to you.

Something I found out today from Ann is that instead of having a make up artist for the dancers, a look is created and the dancers themselves copy it and apply their own make up at each performance. Some of the looks for this show were fabulous so I was very impressed to know it was all the dancers own hand.

If you are interested in seeing this wonderful performance of Cinderella ... you can get tickets for the following cities & dates;

Glasgow14th –31st December

Edinburgh 12th-15th January

Aberdeen 19th-22nd January

Inverness 26th-29th January

Belfast 2-5th February

x

Scottish Ballet: Geometry + Grace

On Thursday evening I had my very first taste of going to the ballet.

I have always wanted to go to see a ballet performance so this was very exciting for me especially as I had been invited along courtesy of Scottish Ballet for their press evening.

Ashamedly, I turned up late as I got myself a bit lost, this meant that I missed the first performance and had to sneak in after the first interval.

When we did eventually get to our seats ('we' as in the hub and I) ... which were pretty much the best seats in the house ... there was a great buzz in the audience so judging by the atmosphere I knew that we were in for something good.

Geometry + Grace is made up of a trio of performances influenced by the grace of geometry, contemporary classical music and the chic styles of the 1940s. The first piece Scènes de Ballet choreographed by Frederick Ashton was the one I sadly missed and was the most traditional of the 3. I was disappointed to miss this, dancing aside, the costumes looked amazing!
We made it in after interval in time for the second piece Still Life by Val Caniparoli. This is when it became apparant to me just how contemporary these 3 pieces were. You see, there is no narrative within Geometry + Grace like most traditional ballet and in many ways this made it easier to watch and become lost in the shapes and intertwining of bodies before our eyes. Still Life was a sensual performance that captured your attention not only through dance but intrigued the audience with it's choice of stage prop and background set and interesting use of lighting.

Before the third piece there was another interval to be enjoyed. Scottish Ballet had put on a lovely drinks reception with delicious macarons to be devoured (mainly by my husband! Can't take him anywhere). At the interval we had the chance to mingle and realised that I was in fact sitting beside a lovely blogger from Edinburgh, Rani from Cupcake couture. It was lovely to meet Rani and her friend Virginia as well as catching up with the adorable Ann from Girlinthecityg.

The final piece was titled Fearful Symmetries which is an award winning piece by Ashley Page. This was my husbands favourite piece mainly down to the music, I actually caught him bopping about in his chair to it! By this point it was almost exhausting to watch as the power and stamina of the dancers is just breathtaking.

So, that's my rundown of my first ever ballet experience. It's certainly wetted my appetite and I plan on going to see more wonderful performances. So far, all the reviews for Geomety + Grace have had a 5 star rating which it definitely deserves.

Geometry + Grace will be touring Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness throughout the month of September and October, you can find out more about ticket purchase here.

x