With only the sound of falling water and a single cello, The Australian Ballet and Orchestra Victoria’s second video in this series combining music and dance is a most poignant one. Celebrating the delicate wonderland of Melbourne, the National Gallery of Victoria has this time been chosen as the backdrop in a series of videos to inaugurate the 2016 season.
This melting of music and ballet against arguably the most telling image of the NGV, the Waterwall, is striking in its simplicity. There is a beautiful fluidity, as both ballet and sound ebb and flow with the trail of water, blackened silhouettes move with grace and fluency against a light-filled setting. Like watercolour, the blurred backdrop of iconic trams whizzing past and the bare trees of The Botanical Gardens make for a magical Melbourne vista.
As one of the best representation’s of Melbourne’s cultural milieu, the NGV is fitting for this masterful meeting of music and dance.
The emotive sounds of principal cellist, Melissa Chomsky, are a feast for the ears, whilst visually, ballet takes centre stage. Again under the clever choreography of Alice Topp, dancers Callum Linnane and Jasmin Durham engage in an intimate routine evoking pathos and romanticism.
The piece resonates deeply with George Balanchine’s quote, “See the music, Hear the dance”, as we are taken on a hauntingly beautiful experience.
CREDITS:
Choreography: Alice Topp
Dancers: Callum Linnane and Jasmin Durham
Principal Cello: Melissa Chomsky
Music: Langsam. From Five Pieces in Folk Style for Cello
If you liked it, you must watch the video below:
