[video: a scene from the Royal Ballet's production of Alice in Wonderland, in which the Caterpillar convinces Alice to eat a magic mushroom. It's mischievous and Arabic-inspired with undulating hypnotic moves; at one point the Caterpillar goes off stage and comes back with all his "legs," i.e. eight more dancers in a train behind him inside a long caterpillar costume.]
I particularly enjoyed this clip of a rehearsal of a ballet called Elite Syncopations, which provides insight into a production that I probably wouldn't have enjoyed very much in its finished form.
[video: the Royal Ballet rehearse Elite Syncopations, in which a comic coquettish trio dance to ragtime piano music. It's one of those choreographic beasts where every little wrist flick has to be perfect.]
I can't watch this without remembering high school tap instructrix Stephanie Hamilton standing at the back of the auditorium during dance rehearsals screaming "JAZZ HAAAAAAANNNNNDS!" out of the darkness. It seems it's always the petite people who can bellow loudest.
