Here we go lovely people! On today’s menu: La Bayadere! I love this ballet, it’s got pretty much everything I like in a ballet. My favourite thing, however, has to be Nikiya’s variation, the music is lovely, the choreography too, and it’s so tragic!! Anyway, I love it too because  I loved dancing it (for my exams!! among other occasions).
Ok, so you’re clear now that I love everything about it. My choice of “perfect moment” is not exactly in the variation, and is the reason why I have this particular version (apart from the fact that Isabelle Guerin is absolutely exquisite)… It’s the death, my moment, it’s the way it’s done in this version, the way she bends back and is off balance just enough so that it looks like he’s getting her before she falls, and then the way her whole body is kind of “whipped” back with the impulse, and then she falls… (I warned you I liked the tragedy). You can see it here from 6:45, but I wouldn’t miss all the variation before 😉

And… because not all is tragedy, and we’re being lucky and we’re getting a couple more of his pieces in London in the next months, the contemporary choice today is… Itzik Galili. You will all remember him as the master behind the stunning A Linha Curva, that Rambert Dance Company danced not long ago. Here is Ud, Us and Hiccups, a collaboration with music band NO blues. If the piece before was tragedy, this one is ease. Two such amazing movers, lovely music and a style that makes you want to sway along! My pick is the partnering sequence from 2:14 till the lift on his back, but really it’s all a delight. And I’m not one for dedicating things, but can I make an exception and give this one to our lovely co-director Sara Accettura? Not only does she love Galili, she was the person who showed me this video. And she’s such a gorgeous dancer I really wish I get to see her dancing his work one day! 😉