DVD Videos

+Bonus: interview with Tory Dobrin, Artistic Director

Founded in 1974 by a group of ballet enthusiasts for the purpose of presenting a playful, entertaining view of traditional, classical ballet in parody form, Les Ballets Trockadero first performed in the latelate shows in Off-Off Broadway lofts. By mid 1975, the Trocks' inspired blend of their loving knowledge of dance, their comic approach and the astounding fact that men can, indeed, dance en pointe without falling flat on their faces, was being noted beyond New York.Articles and notices in publications such as Variety,The Daily Telegraph, as well as a Richard Avedon photo essay in Vogue, made the Company nationally and internationally known. The original concept of Les Ballets Trockadero has not changed. It is a Company of professional male dancers performing the full range of the ballet and modern dance repertoire, including classical and original works in faithful renditions of the manners and conceits of those dance styles.The comedy is achieved by incorporating and exaggerating the foibles, accidents and underlying incongruities of serious dance.The fact that men dance all the parts, heavy bodies delicately balancing on toes as swans, sylphs, water sprites, romantic princesses, angst-ridden Victorian ladies, enhances rather than mocks the spirit of dance as an art form, delighting and amusing the most knowledgeable, as well as novices, in the audiences. For the future, there are plans for new works in the repertoire: new cities, states and countries to perform in; and for the continuation of the Trocks' original purpose: to bring the pleasure of dance to the widest possible audience. They have just appeared in the UK at Salford,Woking and High Wycombe. Sold more than 45.000 units for Warner.

"wonderfully terrible and terribly wonderful….Feathers and steps fly past in mad disarray, and it is all best fun. And, bless their artistic consciences, they respect the steps." Financial Times March 7/8

This major work brings together two of today's pre-eminent dance talents, AKRAM KHAN, world renowned for developing his own 'contemporary Kathak' style, and international superstar SYLVIE GUILLEM, as they explore the dynamics and language of two great classical dance forms, kathak and ballet.

“I have spent my life studying and performing kathak. It is the source of my creative process. Working with Sylvie Guillem is an exciting new challenge, giving me the opportunity to explore another classical dance language with one of its greatest exponents, and as a result unearth the things that are most often lost between the classical and modern world. ” AKRAM KHAN

SACRED MONSTERS also features additional choreography by GAURI SHARMA TRIPATHI and LIN HWAI-MIN , Artistic Director of Cloud Gate Dance Theatre in Taiwan, and live music specially created by PHILIP SHEPPARD

Unique and exclusive recording at Sadler’s Wells of this worldwide box office hit, which has toured the globe extensively;

Exclusive DVD bonus features: in-depth interviews with key collaborators, including internationally acclaimed choreographer Akram Khan, stills gallery and limited edition collector’s booklet;

Excerpts featured in the BBC’s Imagine programme.

“Sacred Monsters unites two ravishingly beautiful movers from opposing classical disciplines - ballet and kathak - and takes them to amazing places neither has gone before. An extraordinary meeting of minds and bodies” 4 STARS The Times

“An exhilarating evening of humour, charm and extraordinary tenderness” 5 STARS The Sunday Telegraph

“A five-star display of speed, precision and power” The Guardian

“Jirí Kylián has succeeded in imposing his unmistakable vision of contemporary ballet with the force of genius and grace.” Lifetime achievement award for Jirí Kylián, Venice Biennale 2008 (6th International Festival of Contemporary Dance)

Every now and again Jirí Kylián’s vivid kinetic imagination catches us by surprise. His pieces frequently manage to delve deeply into the mystery of human existence to reveal its hidden aspects. With his special blend of music, stage space, light and costumes he conjures up moods and situations of such intensity that they are an ideal medium for posing important existential questions and delving into social phenomena.

Three early ballet’s by of one of the most important choreographers of our times: Jirí Kylián.

Choreography and Stage Direction by RUDOLF NUREYEV

Set Design by EZIO FRIGERIO

Costume Design by FRANCA SQUARCIAPINO

During his time as Artistic Director Nureyev created a number of magnifi cent choreographies for the ballet ensemble at the Paris Opera. One of his last ballet productions, which was performed only a few months before he had to relinquish his position as director, was Sleeping Beauty, which he choreographed in the style of Marius Petipa. The fairy tale of the beautiful Princess Aurora, who falls into a deep sleep after the wicked fairy Carabosse has put a curse on her, from which she was awakened only a hundred years later by Prince Desiré’s kiss, became a masterwork of the classical ballet and one of the most popular works of ballet literature. Sleeping Beauty was the brilliant result of the co-operation between the French choreographer Marius Petipa (1818-1910) and the Russian composer Peter I. Tchaikovsky (1840-1893). The theatre director Ivan Wsewoloschki suggested this ballet, which had its premiere in the Marinsky Theatre in St Petersburg in 1890. Not without reason is Sleeping Beauty the highlight and opus magnus of Petipa’s work.

Choreography and Stage Direction by RUDOLF NUREYEV

Set Design by EZIO FRIGERIO

Costume Design by FRANCA SQUARCIAPINO

Rudolf Nureyev’s version of La Bayadère, which takes up a whole evening, had its premiere at the Palais Garnier in Paris on 8 October 1992. Everybody who was anybody in French ballet and society was present, because after the performance Nureyev was to receive the highest cultural honour France had to bestow, the rank of ‘Commandeur des Arts et Lettres’ of the Legion of Honour. It was one of Nureyev’s last public appearances; he already showed the signs of AIDS and died a few weeks later, on 6 January 1993. La Bayadère proved to be the perfect piece for demonstrating the diverse talents of the Paris company, which had become the best ballet ensemble in the world since Nureyev had been appointed Artistic Director ten years earlier.

Choreography and Stage Direction by RUDOLF NUREYEV

(based upon Marius Petipa’s ballet)

Set Design by ALEXANDRE BELIAEV

Costumes by ELENA RIVKINA

Fascinated by the knight with the unfortunate physique who goes out into the world with his servant Sancho Pansa to crusade against the deplorable state of society and to perform heroic deeds, Ludwig Minkus (1826-1917) created a ballet which had a very successful premiere in the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow on 14 December 1869. At his side was the great French dancer and choreographer Marius Petipa (1818-1910), who was born in Vienna and worked as ballet composer at the Moscow Bolshoi Theatre and at the Marientheater in St Petersburg and is considered the most important predecessor of Tschaikovsky. Our DVD presents the version choreographed by Rudolf Nureyev, which was performed in a new production by the Paris opera in April 2002 with an outstanding cast, among whom were Aurélie Dupont as Kitri and Manuel Legris as Basile. Rudolf Nureyev had himself danced the part of Basile in Leningrad when he was barely older than 21 years. After his spectacular request for asylum in France in 1961, he endeavoured to introduce this work to the West, which was frequently performed in the East. He created a new choreography in 1966 for a performance in the Vienna State Opera. On the whole he adhered to the original Petipa concept and merely reduced the five acts to three acts and one prologue.