It is wise to confine a guest artiste more talented than anyone present to solos. For its Ballet Spectacular, which opened a 3-night run in the Firkin Crane last Friday, Cork City Ballet unwisely cast Monica Loughman from the Perm State Ballet in the Odalisque Pas de Trois from Le Corsaire.
This was unfair to Greet Boteman and Janette Alexander, both of whose performances would have been acceptable (if rather uncontrolled in the latter case), had Loughman not been beside them, showing up their every weakness with her superb grace and technique, making everything she did look easy while they laboured.
The Suite from Swan Lake, Act 2 was over-ambitious for the company anyway, but imperfect feet were not helped by comparison with Loughman's perfect ones. She made a lovely Odette and will be even better with more experience, a better production and more careful partnering than she got from Alan Foley as her prince.
That said, he moved with grace and authority throughout, showing high extensions in the opening piece X-N-tricities. This was a mishmash of movement by its four choreographers to music by Jan Destner, Massive Attack and John Barry, with some dancers barefoot, some in high-heeled shoes and some on point. The best element was the costuming, though it became less effective after abandoning its concentration on permutations of black.
Katherine Lewis reproduced Charles Czarny's delightful Schubert Impromtu, with its four dancers partnered by four white chairs, created for Irish National Ballet, while Greet Boterman performed the Variations from Raymonda. Janette Alexander's Shadow Dance from Ashton's Ondine suffered by comparison with the incomparable Margot Fonteyn, who created the role. Nor was she helped by lighting which failed to emphasise her shadow.