Kenneth MacMillan, a National Celebration, Jeux/Sea of Troubles
Two short homage works conclude the Royal Ballet’s celebration of choreographer Kenneth MacMillan on the 25th anniversary of his death
Elena Glurdjidze & James Streeter, Jeux, English National Ballet, photo Annabel Moeller, c/o ENB
Royal Ballet director Kevin O’Hare has invited leading British ballet companies to perform with the company during its autumn season of dance in London, for Kenneth MacMillan: a National Celebration.
The Royal Opera House stage will host the main events in this tribute; meanwhile, in the Clore Studio there will be opportunities to see two lesser-known dance works associated with MacMillan: Jeux and Sea of Troubles.
The Royal Ballet will dance Jeux, inspired by MacMillan’s re-creation of a snippet of ballet history.
Pioneering Russian dancer and choreographer Vaslav Nijinsky devised Jeux in 1913 to a commissioned score by Debussy.
The original choreography has long since been lost, as has the choreography for Nijinsky’s riot-inducing The Rite of Spring, which premiered in the same year. However, in 1980, MacMillan reconstructed elements of both ballets, taking inspiration from photographs.
Although his choreography for Jeux was positively received, MacMillan only reproduced fragments and decided not to continue working on the ballet. It was not until 2012, when Wayne Eagling – then director of English National Ballet – decided to revisit MacMillan’s efforts, that a complete reconstruction was finally realised.
Eagling’s Jeux reimagines the on- and off-court games of a group of tennis players as vignettes commenting on the power and vulnerability of the artist.
Performances of Jeux take place on Wednesday 18 October 2017, Thursday 19 October 2017, Tuesday 24 October 2017.
Running time, approximately 20 minutes.
MacMillan made Sea of Troubles in 1988 for Dance Advance, an ensemble founded by a group of former Royal Ballet dancers. Intrigued by the relationships in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, he crafted an intimate work for just six performers which explored the tormented feelings surrounding revenge.
The piece is made up of sharp, stylised scenes in which each character is haunted by both a ghost and their own guilt. Unusually for a MacMillan creation, the dancers perform barefoot.
Dynamic contemporary ballet company Yorke Dance Project is performing this year’s revival, produced with support from the original cast and Deborah MacMillan, designer of the ballet and MacMillan’s widow. The troupe won acclaim for its commitment to presenting new work alongside the choreography of past masters.…
Performances of Sea of Troubles take place on Thursday 26 October 2017, Friday 27 October 2017, Wednesday 1 November 2017.
Running time, approximately 35 minutes.
The Royal Opera House stage will host the main events in this tribute; meanwhile, in the Clore Studio there will be opportunities to see two lesser-known dance works associated with MacMillan: Jeux and Sea of Troubles.
The Royal Ballet will dance Jeux, inspired by MacMillan’s re-creation of a snippet of ballet history.
Pioneering Russian dancer and choreographer Vaslav Nijinsky devised Jeux in 1913 to a commissioned score by Debussy.
The original choreography has long since been lost, as has the choreography for Nijinsky’s riot-inducing The Rite of Spring, which premiered in the same year. However, in 1980, MacMillan reconstructed elements of both ballets, taking inspiration from photographs.
Although his choreography for Jeux was positively received, MacMillan only reproduced fragments and decided not to continue working on the ballet. It was not until 2012, when Wayne Eagling – then director of English National Ballet – decided to revisit MacMillan’s efforts, that a complete reconstruction was finally realised.
Eagling’s Jeux reimagines the on- and off-court games of a group of tennis players as vignettes commenting on the power and vulnerability of the artist.
Performances of Jeux take place on Wednesday 18 October 2017, Thursday 19 October 2017, Tuesday 24 October 2017.
Running time, approximately 20 minutes.
MacMillan made Sea of Troubles in 1988 for Dance Advance, an ensemble founded by a group of former Royal Ballet dancers. Intrigued by the relationships in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, he crafted an intimate work for just six performers which explored the tormented feelings surrounding revenge.
The piece is made up of sharp, stylised scenes in which each character is haunted by both a ghost and their own guilt. Unusually for a MacMillan creation, the dancers perform barefoot.
Dynamic contemporary ballet company Yorke Dance Project is performing this year’s revival, produced with support from the original cast and Deborah MacMillan, designer of the ballet and MacMillan’s widow. The troupe won acclaim for its commitment to presenting new work alongside the choreography of past masters.…
Performances of Sea of Troubles take place on Thursday 26 October 2017, Friday 27 October 2017, Wednesday 1 November 2017.
Running time, approximately 35 minutes.
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| What | Kenneth MacMillan, a National Celebration, Jeux/Sea of Troubles |
| Where | Royal Opera House, Bow Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 9DD | MAP |
| Nearest tube | Covent Garden (underground) |
| When |
18 Oct 17 – 01 Nov 17, 18:30 Dur Jeux 20 minutes; Sea of Troubles 35 minutes |
| Price | £20 (TBC) |
| Website | Click here to book via the ROH website |