Review | John Neumeier greatest-hits tribute shows choreographer’s passion for dance
- Hamburg Ballet veteran was on stage to narrate highlights of his journey through dance, performed as part of the 2019 Hong Kong Arts Festival
- Excerpts showed his ability to create both narrative and abstract ballet, his adroit use of large groups of dancers, and the power of his signature duets
The World of John Neumeier follows the course of the artist’s life and career, with Neumeier himself on stage narrating and presenting extracts from some of his 100-plus ballets. The selection moves back and forth between different periods – the most recent work dates from 2005, the earliest from 1974 – and shows his ability to create both narrative and abstract, classical and modern choreography; it also shows the wide variety of composers who’ve inspired him, from his fellow Americans Gershwin and Bernstein to Bach, Chopin and Mahler.
It’s hard to believe that Neumeier turned 80 a month ago. Dapper and spry, he interacts with the dancers on stage – at one point he’s even lifted and flipped over 360 degrees by a group of men – and his narration is full of charm and charisma, as well as insights into his passion for dance and his aims as a choreographer.
Both observing and taking part in the dance itself is a Neumeier alter ego, portrayed by Lloyd Riggins – a veteran principal of the company and its deputy artistic director; his musicality, precision and expressiveness were a masterclass for the younger dancers.
The programme opens with Bernstein Dances and Shall We Dance?, lively tributes to Neumeier’s first experience of dance through the great Hollywood musicals of the 1940s and 1950s, and moves on to his discovery of classical ballet with his 1974 The Nutcracker (a full version of which was staged as part of the Arts Festival).