And if not with boughs of holly, then at least with an audience, writes Amal Choucri Catta Hassan and Naima, Lorekiana and Al-Leila Al- Kebira; Cairo Opera Ballet Company and Cairo Opera Orchestra; cond. Ivan Filev; Cairo Opera House, Main Hall, 6 December, 8 pm December has always been a month for music and dance and this year is no exception. December has promised as many ballet performances during its 31 days as orchestral concerts, and the Cairo Opera House has kicked off the month with three dance performances -- Hassan and Naima, Lorekiana and Al-Leila Al- Kebira -- performed by the Cairo Opera Ballet Company under the supervision of Abdel- Moneim Kamel. All three are one-act-dances, based on Egyptian or Spanish folklore, all three have already been premiered and all three met with an enthusiastic reception from the audience. Indeed, the opening night at the Main Hall was greeted with an at-times-overwhelming enthusiasm. As the curtain rose to a solitary beat of percussion, the scene gradually unfolded, relating the tale of Hassan and Naima whose love was doomed. It is an archetypal tale: in Europe it is the tragedy of Romeo and Jullet or of Tristan and Isolde, in Arabia that of Antar and Abla, of Kaiss and Leila, or of Hassan and Naima. And if death does not always strike in the end you can be sure the lovers are going to have a hard time trying to overcome countless troubles before being finally united. Sadly for Hassan and Naima it is not being united that is the outcome, not in the original folk-tale and not in the one-act dance presented on the main stage. We open with Hassan and Naima performing a beautiful pas-de- deux in the village street, dreaming of their wedding and of a happy future, while all along jealousy and hatred lurk in the background. The mood on stage was white and ochre, recalling endless deserts and sandy spaces, with a scenography of village streets and houses surprisingly similar to those of ballet Zorba. Under blue skies the lights were gleaming yellow, reflecting summer days of ardent joy and fiery passion, when suddenly the evil one steps in separating the lovers. The ever-present mourners in their long black veils tear Naima away from Hassan as he was being carried to his tomb by Naima's cousin and his friends. Alone, Naima dances a lovely solo, remembering blissful bygone days. And in her memory Hassan returns as young, as alive and passionate as ever. This dance was first premiered at the Cairo Opera's Main Hall on 25 February 2000. At the time it was presented with two other dance pieces, Osiris and Danses qu'on croise, neither of which were newcomers. Based on a popular folk-tale, the dance was choreographed by Erminia Kamel to the music of Gamal Abdel- Rehim. Lacking both drama and passion the dance met with limited success and was badly in need of a change in conception, a fact Erminia Kamel, who is not only a brilliant dancer but also a very intelligent lady, realised at once. So she started reworking the dance and, this time, the choreography has been improved, new ideas have been added and the dance has generally gained in spirit and vivacity. It has turned into a most delightful one-act performance that the Cairo Ballet Company should be more than happy to add to its repertoire. Hassan and Naima presents a perfect subject for a one act performance -- the subject is too brief, too lacking in any coherent narrative thrust to furnish sufficient material for anything longer. One can hardly imagine a three or four- act ballet d'action. Hassan and Naima is the story of the rich and beautiful daughter of a wealthy family who meets a poor singer at a village wedding. The two young people fall in love, as young people are wont, but Naima's parents, and mainly her cousin, to whom she has been promised since early childhood, decide to put an end to the shame she is bringing upon her family's good name. Hassan has to pay the price of his love with his life. He is killed, leaving Naima in mourning for the rest of her days. With the exception of an interesting portion of local colour there is not much more to be added to the tale. Erminia Kamel's choreography nevertheless had some captivating moments, with Hany Hassan and Nina Kivlok affecting in the title roles. Of the three dances scheduled in this programme Lorekiana was the most dramatic, and certainly the most interesting. It was choreographed by Mark Minatskanian long before the new Opera House was built. More than two decades ago it was performed, during the yearly ballet season at the Gumhouriya Theatre, with Abdel-Moneim Kamel in the role of Toreador. The music, based on Spanish themes, and for the most part on the popular Malaguenia, has for long time been a favourite with audiences. The tale is richly coloured, filled with moments of suspense, with rich colour and lovely movements from the corps de ballet and the soloists. Inspired by the poetry of Garcia Lorca, the dance reflects a loaded lyricism : it opens with a burial scene, solemnly showing the lovely young Soledad kneeling in front of her dead husband while mourners, holding lighted candles, try to share her sorrow. The scene is dark, with only a single spotlight and candles illuminating the group. Suddenly all lights are turned off or blown out and the rhythm begins. It is very Spanish, reminiscent of a habanera, of Andalusian plains and castagnettes. The beautiful Soledad has gone into mourning: after 40 days her friends ask her to sing and dance with them, and as the music swells into fiery tunes she dances an ardent solo, trying to forget her sadness. One day she meets the torero at a corrida and he falls in love with her. Their dance is hesitant, expectant, starting slowly and gradually growing swifter, livelier, but just as Soledad thinks she has overcome her grief the ghost of her dead husband looms out of nowhere, destroying her dreams, her hopes for the future. Jealous of the dead man, her new lover thinks of leaving her and Soledad realises she can only find solace in death. Red, black, brown and violet are the colours of this dance, superbly executed by Nelly Karim as Soledad, Serguey Bolonsky as the toreador and Ahmed Saleh as the ghost. The corps de ballet did an excellent job and the dance was met with enthusiastic applause. It was reassuring to see Ivan Filev from Bulgaria back at the head of the Cairo Opera Orchestra for the first two dances. His baton, as we have come to expect, imposed the necessary order, and intimated at a real virtuosity. Nor was this reviewer alone in such appreciation. As the maestro walked onto the stage he received a standing ovation. The third dance, however, opened with an extremely loud sound track of the original version, conducted by Selim Sehab, with songs by the choir and soloists Ahmed Ibrahim, Khaled Shohdi and others. Al-Leila Al-Kebira, or "the big night", is based on the pioneering work, written by Salah Jahine and composed by Sayed Mekkawi, first performed at the Puppet Theatre. The current production was premiered last December in the Main Hall of the Cairo Opera House: choreographed by Abdel-Moneim Kamel and Magdi Saber, it became an overnight success. Brief, and with practically no narrative, the work repeats the same tune, dances and songs. It is a reworking of popular scenes, or at least a nostalgic revisualisation of those scenes, replete with vivid, joyful colours, a glowing vision of the moulid with peddlers, puppets, clowns and circus, with loud voices, loud music and loud laughter. With Nadine Farouk as the beautiful dancer, Hany Hassan and many other soloists in marvellous costumes, and with colourful sets the work has already won a loyal audience. the atmosphere was very much one of meeting friends, of having a good time. This evening of three one-act dances made for full houses, bringing as much joy to the audience as to the management of the Cairo Opera House. Not that anything more demanding should lead to an empty auditorium -- though for this not to happen will require a rethinking of strategy. In the meantime, though, filling the place is reasonable enough goal.
