By Judith Mackrell for The Guardian, 25 August 2015
Zurich is all too easy to dismiss as a city of bankers. A giant Swarovski crystal tree graces its annual Christmas Market, its streets are unfeasibly clean, and even its graffiti looks tidy. Yet it is also a city of surprise, not least of which is its fast-expanding arts scene, and its unusually sparky ballet company. The morning that I visit Zurich Ballet, ahead of their Edinburgh performances from 27-29 August, there isn’t a pointe shoe to be seen in the studio. Far from rehashing a predictable repertory staple by Balanchine or MacMillan, the dancers are hunkered down in the witty, deceptively anarchic-looking choreography of contemporary dance-maker Ohad Naharin.
The energetic vibe in the company is due to Christian Spuck, who has been its artistic director for the last three years. The German choreographer was just 42 when he took on the post, known principally for his clever, vividly experimental takes on the conventions of narrative ballet. His works play with text, video, and fragmented storylines. In Sonett, which Zurich are bringing to Edinburgh, there is a female actor – dressed as Shakespeare – who not only recites sonnets, but questions the sexual identity of the lover(s) to whom they’re addressed.
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