15 January 2010

David Bintley explains what audiences can expect from the Company's 20 years anniversary performances in March.

Why are you putting on this show?

David: It’s our 20th anniversary so it’s a celebration of the past 20 years, and looking towards the future. I’m trying to tell the story of the whole company, not just the people who appear on stage, but also all the parts of the Company that people really don’t know very much about.

How will this event differ from other gala events?

I’m trying to make something that goes beyond everybody’s concept of what a gala is. I’m seeking to avoid just having a long series of people just dropping in and doing party pieces for no apparent reason.

Likewise, guests aren’t the point of this show. The point is to look at how we can propose something new and unique using the skills and strength that already exists here within the Company and at the moment it’s a case of deciding how we do that.

How will you maintain the atmosphere of a gala over three shows?

Galas are traditionally one-offs, because lots of people fly in and you’ve got the great and the good and everybody’s dressed up and the uniqueness gives it that frisson. But I’m absolutely conscious of the fact that we’re doing it all three times and so can’t rely on the ‘one-night-only factor’ for the sense of occasion. We have to put something together that can be repeated, and which isn’t reliant on people coming together at one specific time. It has to be a fantastic show on its own merits.

How do you choose repertory for an event as ambitious as this?

Well we’ve done so much, and with a limited amount of space it’s difficult to choose one piece over another. Everything merits a place as there are so many criteria. For example, is The Two Pigeons - made on this Company 50 years ago when it was Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet - more important than all the really successful newer works that we’ve done here in Birmingham?

You would have to say that the only ballet that fulfils all the obvious criteria for inclusion - a landmark production; created in, and dedicated to Birmingham in the first year we were here and still going strong - would be The Nutcracker! But then my every instinct would be not to include it because everyone’s just seen it!

There are so many valid and interesting reasons for including every single piece of our repertory, that I can’t think of any one ballet that absolutely HAS to be in there.

Ballet Hoo! would have to be included in some form however, because the project went far beyond Romeo and Juliet, beyond our Education department, beyond Birmingham Royal Ballet as a whole – it went national if not global, and it’s the template for how to do that kind of project and why.

So how will the show tell the story of Birmingham Royal Ballet?

I’m thinking of it as a documentary, presented live, with seamless transitions from stills to archive footage, to live music, to live dance, and to try to get away from someone walking on stage with a folder and a microphone. Because that’s usually me and I don’t want to do it again!

We had a very good introduction to these ideas when we did the gala for Desmond [Kelly, ex- Assistant Director of Birmingham Royal Ballet now Artistic Director of Elmhurst School for Dance]. That event was quite sophisticated in that it included montages of stills and live footage. We had a taste of that kind of presentation so I want to go one step beyond that.

What do you hope that people take from the event?

I would hope that everyone who comes would leave at the end with a better understanding of Birmingham Royal Ballet. Even those who would think that they know us very well - I would hope that they learn even more about all that we’ve achieved. It’s easy to forget because 20 years is a long, long time, but we’ve done incredible work, especially in the community and internationally, that people aren’t so aware of.

ENDS

The celebratory performances will be held on 9 and 10 March 2010 at Birmingham Hippodrome. Click here for booking details.