St Valentine's Day, Press Night, the dancing of ENB and the songs of Gershwin - what's not to love? Sadly, for me, it was this show ... I just didn't love it and in the end I think it came down to the fact that it just had no soul. I have no real feelings against classical ballet mixing with modern or jazz music but there has to be a point, the one has to enhance the other, the mash-up has to reveal a new inner truth, or it has to be entertaining. What felt most wrong was songs of love and longing and dreams being put against dancers who were rarely face to face and never looking into each others eyes - this wasn't coyness, just disconnection. And I've said this before about an ENB production, though fortunately not in very many years, if you're going to do classical ballet at least all agree where your arms and legs are going to be and when you're going to put them there - a corps de ballet should at least try and keep it together surely?!
So now for the good bits ... essentailly those where they let the dance and the music live together. The tap routines were great and Summertime was really beautiful but Strike up the Band tried a bit too hard. I could have done without the projection but the orchestra were fabulous and I would have happily left out the dancers and just sat and listened to them and watched the highly entertaining Mr Valentine on the rostrum .. now that would have been a good night!
