Iconic, pioneering, ridiculously entertaining…
From Tuesday 5 to Saturday 9 May, the iconic Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, aka the Trocks, are back in their London home from home, Sadler’s Wells’ Peacock Theatre, after an appearance at the Dublin Dance Festival on the 30th April. The visit to the Peacock Theatre comes at the start of a 14-venue UK tour presented by Dance Consortium.
Fresh from celebrating their 50th anniversary, the Trocks continue to delight and thrill audiences around the world with their parodies of classical ballet – performed with impeccable technique and fabulous comic timing. The company’s blend of satire, subversion and slapstick is rooted in their love for, and deep knowledge of, Classical and Romantic ballet on which their repertoire is based.
Tory Dobrin, who joined Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo as a dancer in 1980 and became the company’s artistic director in 1992, said: “Our tours to the UK are one of the highlights of our calendar. The enthusiasm and expertise of the audience is unmatched. We have been to the Peacock many times over the years, it is home away from home for us. The quirkiness of the intimate space really lends itself to the Trocks show. I often stand on the stairs and listen to the audience’s reaction as they exit the theatre. They’ve always had a good time – and so have we.”
Swan Lake and The Dying Swan are signature works for the Trocks. Swan Lake, first performed in 1877, is probably the best-known ballet in the world. The Trocks’ version is a fabulous phantasmagoria of variations and ensembles which sweeps its audience into a magical realm of swans (and perhaps some other birds). The company’s hilarious (and touching version) of The Dying Swan, the solo created for Anna Pavlova in 1905, features in all its programmes. It’s probably no exaggeration to say that it has become as iconic as the original.
Access initiatives for the much-anticipated tour include pre-show Touch Tours and full audio description of the show delivered by Talking Theatre’s Caroline Burn. There are two BSL post-show talks with artistic director Tory Dobrin and members of the company with more to be confirmed.
The Touch Tour, led by Caroline Burn, is a 30-minute tactile experience which gives blind and partially-sighted audience members the chance to visit the stage, get a sense of the size and scale of the space, explore the set and touch some of the costumes (which in the case of the Trocks are guaranteed to be pretty spectacular). The tour offers a context and insight into the show intended to enhance the experience and enjoyment for audience members.
Joe Bates, Dance Consortium’s Chief Executive, says: ““As part of Dance Consortium’s commitment to opening up dance to the widest possible audience we now offer audio description and Touch Tours to all our venues across all our tours. Talking Theatre’s Caroline Burn brings a huge amount of experience, knowledge and sensitivity to the way dance is presented and described. Offering new ways for people to engage with our work enables more people to get excited and be inspired by dance and ensures that visual impairments are no longer a barrier for people to enjoy the fantastic international dance we are presenting from around the globe.”
Caroline Burn, Talking Theatre, says: ““I’m delighted to be working with Dance Consortium, an organisation that believes in making their work fully accessible – and I’m proud that they’ve chosen me as the audio describer for their tours. I’m very excited to be working on this new season of dance with the brilliant Trocks.” For full information on the access initiatives and where the Trocks are performing can be found on the Dance Consortium website.
Images (c) Top Jim Coleman Middle Vito Lorusso Bottom Ralph Arvesen
