MacMillan was a great narrative choreographer and plans for the first full-length story ballet to be made at Covent Garden in fifteen years are now underway. Christopher Wheeldon and Joby Talbot will create a ballet based on Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland for 2011. Wheeldon admits to long-time fear of following the giant MacMillan, who spotted his talent when he was a boy. ‘But I think that time has passed. I've been waiting, in a way, to have a little bit more experience, because it's a big undertaking.’
Talbot studied with Brian Elias and cites his inspirational teaching as being integral to his work. Unlike Elias’ collaboration with MacMillan, Talbot and Wheeldon have been working closely on the structure and content of Alice. Wheeldon says: ‘Joby was the first composer that came to mind when I decided on creating a new full length ballet version of Alice. He is a composer that not only understands dance, but also seems able to capture the magic of a story set in the Victorian era with a musical vocabulary that is all about today. I am so very excited to continue our work together.’
In May 2010 Joby Talbot’s first collaboration for the Royal Ballet with resident choreographer Wayne McGregor will have its second revival. Chroma was McGregor’s first large scale work for the Royal Ballet and he and Talbot conceived a score form existing music to provide an exhilarating and poignant foil for McGregor’s fully charged and evocative choreography.
22, 23, 28 May
10, 11 June
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