The National Ballet of Canada/Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon, Four Seasons Centre, until Mar. 17. Limited seating still available; tickets here.
Christopher Wheeldon’s full-length ballet, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, is a masterpiece, albeit a tad too long, but a masterpiece nonetheless.
Then the question arises, what to trim? When I first saw the ballet at its premiere in 2011, I was absolutely amazed by just how many episodes from the book Nicholas Wright’s scenario managed to pack into three acts. This ballet is probably the greatest Alice on the planet because it is so true to Lewis Carroll’s classic novel. So, the answer is, go with length, because almost every moment on the stage is a visual adventure.
It’s hard to believe that Alice is 13 years old, but over time, I’ve acquired distance, so I can really see the various elements that make up the ballet, rather than being overwhelmed by the grandiosity of the whole.
The technology is still stunning, particularly the remarkable innovative use of projections by Jon Driscoll and Gemma Carrington. Bob Crowley’s set and costume designs are wonderfully imaginative, while Joby Talbot’s magnificent original score fits the ballet like hand to glove. Gilding the lily is Natasha Katz’s gorgeous lighting.
The glory of the ballet, however, is Wheeldon’s choreography. He is considered one of today’s greatest dancesmiths, and Alice proves that appellation. In a word, the dancing is challenging, particularly for the men who have to execute showy classical tricks. The pas de deux, ensembles and corps de ballet pieces also have a high degree of difficulty. In short, Wheeldon has created a work whose component pieces reflect the traditional makeup of a full-length classical ballet, but with a very contemporary feel.
For those who think Alice is a work for children and is therefore, a lesser vessel, think again. The dancing required to perform this ballet demands strong technique, while the treatment of the story is sophisticated, which is why Alice can be enjoyed by adults on their own, without children in tow, although children will find it magical, given all the visual delights.
In Wright’s scenario, the first act introduces us to a garden party hosted by Alice’s parents, and all the people there, be they family members, guests or servants, appear as other characters during Alice’s adventures after her fall down the rabbit hole. Thus, for example, the gardener’s boy Jack, who is Alice’s friend, and is unjustly dismissed for theft, becomes the Knave of Hearts and Alice’s romantic interest in Wonderland. In all, there are 15 named roles of which 11 are dual.
When a ballet has been around for a while, a whole new generation of dancers get to take over the roles, and for this run, there are four new Alices.
Opening night fell to second soloist Tirion Law and she was enchanting. The ballerina is as light as a feather with gorgeous arms and a lyrical grace, and she perfectly captured the wonder of adventure that Wheeldon has embedded in the role. Her placement and positioning are exact, but rather than a crispness of attack, Law covers their execution with a sublime softness, as if she is floating in air. She is also a gifted actor and so transmitted to the audience, Alice’s many moods and feelings.
Her Jack/Knave of Hearts was principal dancer Naoya Ebe who can pull off all the showy tricks and happens to also be a sensational partner. While always acknowledging Ebe’s prowess as a dancer, I have, in the past, commented on his lacklustre acting skills. Happily, things are looking up, because Ebe was really emoting in this performance, and his pas de deux with Law was quite touching.
Making his debut as Lewis Carroll/The White Rabbit was first soloist Donald Thom. The dancer certainly made all the right moves, and danced up a storm of nervous energy, but he needed a bit more of a forceful personality. His characterization was a tad bland. I know it’s a small point, but the rabbit has to blow the crazy sounding horn to sound alerts, and I wish Thom was more co-ordinated with the orchestra member who did the blowing, because he stopped too soon.
Mother/The Queen of Hearts has to be the best role in the ballet because it is laugh out loud funny. Principal dancer Svetlana Lunkina, who has proven over the years that she can dance anything, was absolutely hysterical as the domineering, dictatorial, bad-tempered queen. Performing awkward choreography is not easy because it goes against all of ballet training, but Lunkina executed Wheeldon’s ridiculous body moves with aplomb, and got the laughs she deserved. And let’s not forget former principal dancer Rex Harrington, now a company repetiteur, as the cringing Father/King who also got his laughs.
A standout among the other roles was second soloist Peng-Fei Jiang making his debut as Rajah/The Caterpillar. The dancer has the supple body to perform all the sexy moves in the eastern motif that this role requires, and he riveted the eye. I repeat again, Jiang is on his way to principal dancer, and is one of my favourite company members. Principal dancer Siphesihle November and second soloist Noah Parets, both making their debuts as Footman/Fish and Footman/Frog, respectively, should be cited for their sheer virtuosity.
There are things in Alice that continually delight me, and I always look forward to them — the Cheshire Cat, the flamingos and the little hedgehogs at the Queen’s croquet party, the caterpillar ensemble, and the ravishing waltz of the flowers in the queen’s garden. I also love Talbot’s tuneful and evocative score which the National’s orchestra, under maestro David Briskin, played with lush perfection.
In other words, this is a ballet that the company performs with distinction. Wheeldon’s Alice is always welcome because it is ever fresh.
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