The Royal Ballet in UK was always known for its exquisitely staged traditional ballet classics as part of the legacy of its founding choreographers, Frederick Ashton and Kenneth MacMillan, with a board of governors assigned as custodians of the traditions set by Dame Ninette de Valois, an Irish-born dancer, teacher and choreographer and director of classical ballet, once a member of the legendary Ballet Russes of Sergei Diaghilev.
Given that background, the ballet company was traditional as traditional gets.
But in 2006, for the very first time, the famed traditional ballet company hired its first resident choreographer, Wayne McGregor, who had not an ounce of classical ballet training in his veins, but instead, was inspired in his youth after seeing actor John Travolta in the movie Grease, citing the ease of his movements and his spontaneity.
Although McGregor eventually studied dance at Bretton Hall College of the University of Leeds and in New York, he nonetheless pushed forth his vision on dance, eventually developing a technology-driven contemporary genre that has taken the lead in extensive learning, artist development initiative, research, with partnerships in science and technology. Through collaborations with people from these different fields, it enabled each to contribute a brand of intelligence into various creative processes.
His obsession with communicating ideas through the body defined his choreography as one of “physical thinking.”
Autobiography, a full-length dance abstract meditation, which had its Philippine premiere at the opening of this year’s International Dance Festival at Samsung Performing Arts Theater, featured 10 dancers from the Wayne McGregor Company. It was originally a collaboration between the choreographer and his dancers, a practice McGregor often employs for many of his pieces. Conceptually, he used his own genetic code as the narrative source; the 23 sections of the piece represented 23 pairs of chromosomes. The process was entirely technology-driven, as most of McGregor’s works are, and in this case, was a choreographic imprint over personal memoirs and a genetic code dubbed in continuous re-imaging.
It is an abstract ballet that scratches beneath the surface and proceeds to meditations on human interactions
In dance terms and images, the intricate and unconventional vocabulary translates to a performance that combines classical ballet techniques and contemporary moves. It is an abstract ballet that scratches beneath the surface and proceeds to meditations on human interactions, performed with undeniable physical strength and projection, whether the dancers perform in twos or threes or as a group as they either come together or burst apart. Their movements are quick, crisp and either angular or fluid, sometimes swooping, sometimes choppy, but nonetheless accurate and always well executed. In movie lingo, call it action-packed.
In a YouTube video, McGregor demonstrates his thought process with two of his dancers to interpret the letters TED. Through movement, the dancers move sometimes shaping the letters through body movement or on a deeper scale, demonstrate their sentiments that are dictated to their subconscious by the letters.
From Wayne McGregor’s ‘Autobiography’: Ballet into meditation
The staging of Autobiography, as all his numbers are, was meticulously designed to synchronize with the dancers’ movements utilizing well-timed light changes, be it in chiaroscuro or bright red lights, back lighting or dazzling frontal illuminations; the light design not just supports but even drives and enhances the narrative as well as deepens the emotions of the viewer.
There is no set to speak of save for the blank proscenium. But with the music, the dancers’ movements and technical artistry with lights in synch, it is a wholistic visual experience using the language of movement rather than just dance.
Apart from his current position as resident choreographer of the Royal Ballet which he has held for at least 18 years, he was also appointed in 2021 as the Dance director of the Venice Biennale. This position has been extended to 2025 and 2026. He is also a multi-awarded choreographer internationally.
From Wayne McGregor’s ‘Autobiography’: Technology and light design deepen the viewer’s involvement.
Wayne McGregor’s opening salvo for the 2nd International Dance Festival is more than sufficient proof that dance as an art form has moved on globally by leaps and bounds into territories other than romantic pas de deux, pretty princesses and nostalgic sentimentalities.
The grit, the expansion of ideas and concepts to push forth a narrative no longer has to have the necessary happily-ever-after denouement. It is an encouragement to naturally talented Filipinos to move forth beyond tradition.
Wayne McGregor’s ‘Autobiography’ is an encouragement for the Filipino dance artists to move beyond tradition.
The International Dance Festival which takes place annually around the world, was established in 1982 by the Dance Committee of the International Theater Institute, usually on April 29 to honor the birthday of Jean George Novere, father of Modern Ballet. In the Philippines, the Festival is on its second year and is a cultural initiative of Ayala Land with the intent of making arts and culture more vibrant in the Filipino community.
