The Show Must Go Online: What to watch at home - Vancouver Ballet Society
By Tessa Perkins Deneault
Those of us who spend a lot of time at the theatre are missing the experience of live dance — that excited chatter that quiets as the lights go down, the collective moment of silent anticipation and then the spark of immediacy that ignites as the dancers take the stage. But this time of physical distancing does provide an opportunity to get up close and personal online with many intimate dancer home videos, or to become familiar with previously recorded performances we may not have otherwise had an opportunity to see. Here’s a round-up of some of the best opportunities from major companies worldwide.
Dancers at home
Shelter by siblings and dancers Alexander Reneff-Olson (San Francisco Ballet) and Valentina Reneff-Olson (freelancer) is a crowd-sourced film featuring 26 dancers from companies around the world talking about how the pandemic has affected them and dancing a beautiful piece by Daniel Rowe and Garen Scribner in their homes. Another short film by the dancers of Seattle’s Whim W’Him features stories about their love of dance while they perform slow contemplative choreography.
For an even more intimate look into dancers’ lives, the National Ballet of Canada’s Dancer Diaries series shows how they are spending their time in quarantine. And corps de ballet member Nicholas Rose created a video of himself and fellow dancers performing their interpretations of Michael Galasso’s Scene 1 for the cello.
Dutch National Ballet company member Milena Sidorova choreographed Hold On from her home to perform with 24 fellow dancers. Set to a song of the same name by Dutch band Di-rect, the video shows each dancer filling their small space with angst and passion, reminding us that we need to hold on and stay strong until this is over.
For a more formal living room production, Birmingham Royal Ballet principal Céline Gittens performs The Swan in full costume, accompanied by pianist Jonathan Higgins and cellist António Novais, each from their own homes.
For intimate performances of Indian classical dance, the New York Kathak Festival’s special online event from April 19 is still online, featuring home performances from 14 dancers.
Limited-time streaming
Dance companies around the world are sharing previously recorded live shows; some are only available for a short time.
The English National Ballet’s Wednesday Watch Parties feature full productions available for 48 hours. Rudolf Nureyev’s Romeo and Juliet will be shown on May 6, and on May 13, Azure Barton’s Fantastic Beings.
Sadler’s Wells releases a new stream each Friday, available for a one-week period. On May 1, they released the 2018 Breakin’ Convention, the world’s biggest festival of hip hop dance theatre. On May 8, they will release Alexander Whitley Dance Company’s 8 Minutes, and on May 15 they will share Moon Water from Taiwan’s Cloud Gate Dance Theatre.
Each Tuesday, the Barishnykov Arts Centre releases a video from their archive for five days. Vertigo Dance Company’s One. One & One will be available May 7–12.
The New York City Ballet has put together an extensive digital season and presents a new production every Tuesday and Friday, available for 72 hours, including George Balanchine’s Rubies from Jewels on May 5, and Alexei Ratmansky’s Concerto DSCH on May 8.
Every Friday, San Francisco Ballet releases a recording from their archive. The company’s February 2020 performance of Edwaard Liang’s The Infinite Ocean is available May 1–8.
Unlimited streaming
The Royal Opera House is releasing a new production each Friday. Arthur Pita’s adaptation of Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis and Christopher Wheeldon’s The Winter’s Tale are currently available, with Kenneth MacMillan’s Anastasia premiering on May 15.
Opera Ballet Vlaanderen in Belgium is offering a few free streams of their productions, including Mea Culpa by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, an in-demand choreographer and associate artist at Sadler’s Wells. Also available are Jeroen Verbruggen’s Ma Mère L’Oye and Alan Lucien Øyen’s version of Dvořák’s Rusalka.
For a Latin-contemporary pairing, watch New York’s Ballet Hispánico in Gustavo Ramírez Sansano’s CARMEN.maquia, a contemporary version of Bizet’s classic opera about a passionate gypsy, and Pedro Ruiz’s Club Havana, Latin-inspired dance paired with conga, rumba, mambo and cha cha rhythms.
Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal (BJM) in Itzik Galili’s O Balcão de Amor is low on production quality, but the 20-minute piece is packed with energy and excitement.
Among Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s generous digital content are weekly full-length performances, including a historic 1972 video of Judith Jamison performing Alvin Ailey’s Cry (May 7–14), Robert Battle’s Mass (May 14–21), Camille A. Brown’s City of Rain (May 21–28) and Robert Battle’s The Hunt (May 28–June 4).
Slovenia’s MN Dance Company has shared their latest production, DE-SET by company co-founders Michal Rynia and Nastja Bremec Rynia, which marks the company’s 10th anniversary.
Streaming services
OntheBoards.TV features professional films of the performing arts. Available dance productions include Kyle Abraham’s When The Wolves Came In, Frédérick Gravel’s Usually Beauty Fails and Crystal Pite’s Dark Matters. Streaming for 48 hours starts at $5, and buying the film starts at $15.
Marquee.tv has been called the Netflix of the performing arts, and they have an impressive selection of ballet and contemporary dance including an exclusive of Betroffenheit, many productions from the Bolshoi and Royal Ballet, and works from prominent choreographers, including Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and Jirí Kylián. Aside from the 14-day free trial and special rate for artists and industry professionals, pricing is $8.99 per month or $69.99 per year (currently 30% off).
Ovid.tv specializes in independent films and documentaries. Dance documentaries available include Secundaria about students at Cuba’s National Ballet School, Dancing Dreams about the teenage cast of a Pina Bausch work and Ballet Boys, which follows three friends as they strive to become dance stars. After a two-week free trial, pricing is $6.99 per month or $69.99 per year.
There are also some worthwhile dance documentaries available to stream elsewhere: Restless Creature: Wendy Whelan, on Netflix, follows Whelan as she enters a new stage of her career after 30 years with the New York City Ballet. Rebels on Pointe, about all-male troupe Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, is available on CBC Gem in Canada; and on PBS, Me, Dorothy … and This Road to Oz documents preparations for the world premiere of The Wizard of Oz, a collaboration of Kansas City Ballet, Colorado Ballet and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet.
