NEWS
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Jan 20, 2010
Choreographer Christopher Wheeldon Speaks of Ghosts
Interview - San Francisco Chronicle
Christopher Wheeldon goes out on a limb
San Francisco Chonicle
by Allan Ulrich, Chronicle Dance Correspondent
Three years ago, Christopher Wheeldon made trouble for himself. One of the most gifted and in-demand classical choreographers of his generation, the young Englishman severed his ties with New York City Ballet, reduced his load of international commissions and, with the collaboration of former NYC Ballet principal dancer Lourdes Lopez, started his own chamber ballet repertory company.
That company, Morphoses (named after the third of Wheeldon's ballets set to the music of György Ligeti), begins its first West Coast tour Friday evening with dances by Wheeldon, Alexei Ratmansky, Edwaard Liang and Lightfoot León making up the repertoire. All but "Continuum" and the Liang pas de deux will be new to the Bay Area, and all will be performed by an array of 18 dancers, a few of whom (Rory Hohenstein, Drew Jacoby) will be familiar to local audiences.
We caught Wheeldon in Morphoses' New York office just back from a gig in Spain and in the midst of the company's final rehearsal period:
Q: I would reckon that the mortality rate for new dance companies is about as great as that for new restaurants. So what prompted you to take the plunge?
A: Many reasons. I had a desire to see what I could do helming the ship. I had an interest in programming and in testing the waters to see what would work for an audience. With Morphoses, there's the possibility of having at my disposal a group of dancers working full time (though, economically, we haven't yet reached that stage). And I'd like to make ballet performances a bit friendlier.
Q: Friendlier?
A: There's a certain stigma that ballet, like opera, can be an elitist art form. People come away from abstract dance with the feeling that they didn't connect because they had no understanding of what went into it, or what it's about. So, at every performance, I both give them the ballets and let them in on a little bit of the process in a preperformance speech. It seems to have worked wonderfully well.
Q: Was Balanchine right? Do abstract ballets even exist?
A: Not in our minds. As a choreographer, you have to know what you're trying to say. You have to be aware of the relationships you are creating onstage; otherwise, ballet is just a series of steps, and that's how people will interpret them.
Q: I read these Cassandra-like predictions of doom for Morphoses from the East Coast media. Do they bother you?
A: We've not always had the greatest press, but I can tell you that the feedback from the public has softened some of the blows. At both Sadlers' Wells in London and at New York City Center, where we are guest residents, we have built tremendous loyalty with big audiences. And we've had great success with our year-end campaign, mostly with small donations. In this economic crisis, we've had to be terribly creative.
Q: I am happy that during this crisis, you haven't compromised on live music. The two big pieces on the tour program, "Continuum" and your new "Rhapsody Fantaisie," will have the original keyboard accompaniments. Was this planned from the beginning?
A: Absolutely. Live music is another big challenge, and it makes us rather expensive if we have an orchestral program. It's a big commitment, but it's also a major selling point for Morphoses.
Q: You are reviving "Continuum," a well-received 2002 San Francisco Ballet commission. Why?
A: For practical reasons. I think it's an interesting piece musically. I put it in the touring repertoire and there just wasn't the rehearsal time to substitute another work. But it will be fascinating to see how it looks with a different cast and in a more intimate setting than the Opera House. The first time I went to the Novellus Theater at Yerba Buena, I thought that if Morphoses is ever to have our own theater, this would be the perfect place. I think we will be able to connect with it.
Q: Your next San Francisco Ballet commission, "Ghosts," premieres February 9. Can you tantalize us with a few words about it?
A: The inspiration came from a short piece for violin and piano written for me by rock musician Kip Winger. I wished it could have been longer. In a couple of months, Kip had it fully scored, extended to 25 minutes, recorded and on my desk. I was surprised at how something this lyrical and beautiful could have come from a rock musician. The ballet seems to be about a group of people who have lost their lives together and may be drowning.
Q: Ratmansky and yourself have been linked as the potential saviors of classical dance? Does this weigh upon you?
A: I'm happy to have a partner in crime, finally. Alexei and I both love ballets and both love to create them. But, if the art form is to survive, there have to be more than two of us.
