I couldn't envisage a ballet performance of the time honoured story of 'How Green is my Valley'. However, this was performed at the Millennium Centre in Cardiff on Saturday night and I was in the audience. It was superb!
The performance was by the award winning company 'The Independent Ballet - Wales' who were excellent. This was a breathtaking version so I am told by people who have seen the performance before. I thought the whole evening was special, and this was my very first trip to the ballet.
I always had it in my mind that for all ballets the company wore tutu's and tights; this could not be further from the truth, they were in costume to suite the production. The music was played by one single cellist on stage and some background music from Newport Male Voice Choir. When they sung the closing piece 'Myfanwy' the whole of the audience was in tears, me included. What a stark contrast to the tale as it was written by Richard Llewellyn in the 1930's about that dirty substance that was the life blood of Wales - coal. I wonder what he would have made of this interpretation of his dire tale of a poor, but respectable Welsh valley family?
I always had it in my mind that for all ballets the company wore tutu's and tights; this could not be further from the truth, they were in costume to suite the production. The music was played by one single cellist on stage and some background music from Newport Male Voice Choir. When they sung the closing piece 'Myfanwy' the whole of the audience was in tears, me included. What a stark contrast to the tale as it was written by Richard Llewellyn in the 1930's about that dirty substance that was the life blood of Wales - coal. I wonder what he would have made of this interpretation of his dire tale of a poor, but respectable Welsh valley family?
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