REVIEW: Iconique ballet at Island House

Ballet Iconique at Island House

 

There was magic in the air at Island House last weekend.

Iconique returned to The Bahamas for its third year with a change of venue, relocating from Old Fort Bay Club, and it found a welcome home at Island House.

The show was divided into three segments, each preceded by a course of a gourmet meal.

The Covent Garden Dance Company has made it a mission to bring some of the world’s best dancers to The Bahamas – and has delivered on that promise.

More than that, it has also made sure this is not just about bringing foreign talent, but giving a platform to Bahamians as well.

That was showcased best by one remarkable piece during the evening, when a stage full of Bahamian talent brought gasps from the audience.

Bahamian dancers Courtney Celeste Fox and Vernal Adderley were joined by local dance students for a piece titled In Time (Part II). The choreography was fabulous, with performers creating a rippling wave of movement across the stage under the starry night sky. Costume design was also by a Bahamian, Phylicia Ellis, while the astonishing soprano voice of Bahamian Stanesha Deligence filled the air. It was breathtaking – and all the more when Courtney Celeste Fox informed the audience that the students had only had three rehearsals to perfect the dance.

Elsewhere, there was a mix of old and new – classic dances such as The Firebird, with music by Stravinksy, or the sensual passion of No Man’s Land, set to music by Liszt.

Perhaps most eye-catching was a pair of pieces by dancers Hannah Ekholm and Faye Stoeser, with influences from the underground club scene. The pair performed some astonishingly intricate dancing, where their bodies interlocked with each other in ways that a fellow diner said looked like someone assembling a Rubik’s Cube. It was part dance, part puzzle, and showed the range of performances on stage.

Throughout the show, the dancers wrote poetry with their bodies. It was a remarkable show – a step up again from last year’s performances.

Iconique has quickly become an extraordinary part of our cultural landscape, complete with building connections to local students and the new CAPAS performing arts school. Long may it continue.

Ballet in paradise - the return of Iconique

A couple of years ago, a man walked into my office with a brilliant, yet possibly slightly mad, idea. He was to bring some of the best ballet dancers in the world to The Bahamas. And just as the idea itself might be out of this world to try to pull off, so too would the performance have to be out of this world. 

That man was Matt Brady, the driving force behind what came to pass - Iconique, an evening of fine dining and marvels as truly astonishing dancers brought involuntary gasps from those in attendance, including myself. 

Last year, he did it again, repeating - and exceeding, in my mind - the extraordinary first performance. 

One of the highlights last year was what I would call a piece of history. Not happy with bringing the ballet to paradise, Matt and his team made sure paradise left its mark on ballet too. 

Courtney Celeste Spears is an internationally acclaimed dancer, educator and entrepreneur. And she's Bahamian. Matt said when he first met her, he could not help but burst out with a cry of "why aren't you dancing?"

Dance, she did. The show paired her with Bahamian jazz star Giveton Gelin to provide the music that formed the backdrop to her performance. There was more, with the costumes coming from another Bahamian, Phylicia Ellis, and Bahamian Vernal Adderley dancing alongside Courtney. It was, honestly, quite incredible, performed with the quiet roar of the sea at the Old Fort Bay Club venue echoing in the background. It was one of those magical moments, where you had to suspend your disbelief to convince yourself that yes, this was really happening. 

And now lightning is going to strike a third time. Matt and the Covent Garden Dance Company return. 

There's a change of venue this year - moving to the gorgeous surroundings of Island House with Old Fort undergoing some construction work. The sea might be farther away, but I suspect the magic will be just as close at hand. 

So why am I writing about it? Well, it would be a damn shame if people had the chance to go to this and missed out. It is fair to say I'm no ballet expert. When Matt sat in my office naming names of star dancers, I smiled and nodded and had no clue who was the superstar and who was the up-and-coming performer. But the night itself sparkled. It defied my expectations. There were funny pieces - I didn't anticipate laughing at ballet pieces performed like skits. There was passion. There was raw, powerful emotion. That doesn't come easy, and so when performers like that are prepared to put it all out there, take a gamble to bring art to a wider audience and show their talent on stage, I cannot help but applaud - and encourage people to support it. 

Iconique tickets cost $350+VAT, but also come with a three-course gourmet dinner. That might seem high, but I can genuinely say the dancing is worth the admission alone. 

The performances are on Friday, March 6, and Saturday, March 7. There is also a matinee with a programme tailored for children to perhaps encourage the next Courtney. 

To get your tickets, or to find out more, visit www.coventgardendance.com, or email events@coventgardendance.com. 

Perhaps I'll see you there, as ballet shoe-clad sorcerors conjure their magic on the stage and in the swirl of the Bahamian air. 

Stephen Hunt