COVID-19 causes Sarasota Ballet to drop one piece from weekend program of classics

Dancers with The Sarasota Ballet perform Frederick Ashton’s “Valses nobles et sentimentales” during a double bill program.
Dancers with The Sarasota Ballet perform Frederick Ashton’s “Valses nobles et sentimentales” during a double bill program.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

The Sarasota Ballet continues its season of reprises of past audience favorites with its “Love & Betrayal” program next weekend, but it will be a shorter program than originally planned, because of COVID-19.

Sir Frederick Ashton’s “Valses nobles et sentimentales” and Dame Ninette de Valois“The Rake’s Progress” share billing on a program that initially included Johan Kobborg’s “Napoli Act III.” But that piece was dropped after several dancers tested positive for COVID-19, wiping out a week of rehearsals. In addition, the London-based Kobborg, who planned to be in Sarasota for rehearsals, faced visa delays, making the presentation of “Napoli” impractical at this time.

Arts Newsletter: Sign up to receive the latest news on the Sarasota area arts scene every Monday

Ballet’s 2021-22 season: Sarasota Ballet plans two world premieres and some classics

“He was very up for it,” Iain Webb, the ballet’s artistic director, said of Kobborg. “I was so looking forward to it; he’s one of my closest friends. And the dancers, particularly a couple of the newer ones, were kind of more disappointed” to miss a chance to work with Kobborg, the world-famous Danish dancer, choreographer and director who last worked with the Sarasota company in 2014.

Ricardo Rhodes, Victoria Hulland and Daniel Pratt in a scene from The Sarasota Ballet production of Frederick Ashton’s “Valses nobles et sentimentales.”
Ricardo Rhodes, Victoria Hulland and Daniel Pratt in a scene from The Sarasota Ballet production of Frederick Ashton’s “Valses nobles et sentimentales.”

Regardless, the ballet continues its lengthy love affair with the works of Ashton and de Valois.

“Valses nobles et sentimentales,” a 1947 work, had nearly vanished from the dance repertoire before Webb, who had performed in Ashton’s own revival of the piece with the Royal Ballet of London in 1987, brought it to Sarasota in 2012. This weekend will mark the third time the Sarasota Ballet has presented the deeply romantic piece.

Daniel Pratt is among the five couples who will perform the abstract ballet, set to a score by Maurice Ravel.

“For me, it’s very atmospheric,” he said. “You’re in a ballroom; yes, it’s got that period feeling, that post-war feeling. There are a lot of strange meetings and passings; it’s all about the mystery of meeting people. It’s very glamorous.”

On stage at Asolo Rep: ‘Our Town’ speaks to new generations in potent production

New leadership: Sarasota’s Players Centre hires new artistic director to lead through changing venues

Picking up a ballet that had nearly vanished into history provides a unique set of challenges.

“You don’t want to think of it as a reconstruction; it’s not about you looking like someone else,” Pratt said. “We’re always told it’s about movement. It’s about a mood, a feeling.”

A scene from The Sarasota Ballet’s 2016 production of Dame Ninette de Valois’s “The Rake’s Progress.”
A scene from The Sarasota Ballet’s 2016 production of Dame Ninette de Valois’s “The Rake’s Progress.”

Webb had to reconstruct the ballet in 2012 from an old film from the Birmingham Royal Ballet, but since then, Sarasota Ballet has evolved into perhaps the pre-eminent preserver and presenter of works by “Sir Fred,” as Webb affectionately calls him.

“Valses” stands in contrast to de Valois’ “The Rake’s Progress,” a 1935 short ballet based on six paintings by 18th-century artist William Hogarth that satirize British society. “The Rake’s Progress” follows the downfall of a young man and his betrayal of the woman who loves him.

“You’ve got two very different styles,” said Pratt. “De Valois was very clean, very precise, very ordered, in contrast with Ashton, where everything’s a bit more fluid.”

Sarasota Ballet is presenting “The Rake’s Progress” for the fourth time, having previously performed it in 2009, 2011 and 2016.

“When we first did it, I was both amazed at how the audience reacted, and the comments I had about it, and also from the company: ‘When can we do it again?’” said Webb.

‘Love & Betrayal’

The Sarasota Ballet presents works by Frederick Ashton and Dame Ninette de Valois. 7:30 p.m. Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Jan. 30, and 7:30 p.m. Jan. 31. Mertz Theatre, FSU Center for the Performing Arts, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Tickets $40-$115. Proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 test required. 941-359-0099; sarasotaballet.org

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: COVID causes Sarasota Ballet to drop one piece from weekend program