#TBT: Darcey Bussell and Gary Avis in "Elite Syncopations"

October 4, 2017

Later this month, six dance companies from around the UK will come together to celebrate Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s life and works with performances at Covent Garden. As the program highlight, members of five different troupes will perform in the British choreographer’s ballet Elite Syncopations. The fanciful and colorful piece set to Scott Joplin’s ragtime tunes reveals MacMillan’s lighthearted side and delight in the unconventional. In this video, The Royal Ballet’s former principal, Darcey Bussell, shows why Elite Syncopations is a favorite among audiences and dancers alike.

Bussell introduces the ballet, followed by clip of her performing a section called “The Bethena Waltz” (1:40) with Gary Avis. The music in this duet has a smooth, loopy quality that the dancers mimic with continuously circulating movement. As Bussell explains in the intro, subtle moments are key–like when Avis emerges from the “scenery” to grab her hand at the start of the duet, or at 3:35 when the dancers undulate through the upper body to resume dance position. These simple details playfully contrast the over the top costumes and wacky lifts. MacMillan also uses extreme extensions to create humor; at 4:12 the dancers are surprised to find Bussell’s foot above her head, and when the dancers exit the stage Bussell is flipped over her partner’s head in a full split. Of course, she does it all looking sophisticated and elegant, even in a shiny white jumpsuit with two stars printed on her bum. Happy #ThrowbackThursday!