| Date and venue | Title |
|---|---|
| 2-Apr-2013 The London Coliseum | Excuses to dance: The Mikhailovsky Ballet's Laurencia at the Coliseum |
 The story may be a bit thin but the quantity of its dancing makes up for it. Laurencia is a ballet little known in the west (though the Mikhailovsky Ballet brought it to London in 2010). Combining the jollities of Don Quixote with the revolutionary fervour found in Flames of Paris, Laurencia is really just an excuse to fill the stage with non-stop dancing. Set in a picturesque Spanish mountain village, the lives of the happy community are shattered at the return of the local warlord who claims his droit du seigneur on pretty girls.Read full review... | |
| 30-Mar-2013 The London Coliseum | Simply the best: Don Quixote at the London Coliseum |
 Forget those photos from North Korea showing the build-up of weaponry. A couple of supersonic rockets were set off in London on Saturday night at the London Coliseum, and the audience is still reeling from the aftermath. The fabulous duo were at it again, blazing their way across a stage that seemed far too small for their gigantic leaps, defying gravity with the height of their jumps and going into spins that nearly bored holes in the stage floor. The pace started Olympic style, and continued to the final curtain call nearly three hours later.Read full review... | |
| 26-Mar-2013 The London Coliseum | Perfect partnership in Mikhailovsky Ballet Giselle |
.jpg) They’re finally here, back in London to wow audiences once again with their scintillating dancing. The darlings of the ballet world, Natalia Osipova and Ivan Vasiliev last appeared together in the capital two summers ago, and a few months later sent shock waves like the aftermath of an earthquake around the dance community when they announced that they were leaving their alma mater, the Bolshoi Ballet, to join the Mikhailovsky Ballet. There, in St Petersburg, the couple quickly made their mark, dancing continuously both classical ballets and body-slicing contemporary works.Read full review... | |
| 20-Mar-2013 The London Coliseum | Nostalgia and magic: Birmingham Royal Ballet's Aladdin in London |
 The evening was a step back into childhood nostalgia, of getting on the hired coach with my brother and neighbours from our cul-de-sac, to drive up to London for the traditional Christmas pantomime. And, of course, Aladdin with all that mystical eastern magic was always a favourite with us kids. Now, with the holiday season well past, this same tale of intrigue and enchantment – albeit this time in ballet form – has been brought to the capital for eight performances by Birmingham Royal Ballet.
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| 19-Jan-2013 Royal Opera House, Covent Garden | The Royal Ballet's Onegin |
 The chill outside was certainly a reminder of Siberian weather, but the anticipation of seeing one of the 20th century’s most popular and beloved dramatic ballets (and set in a milder Russia!) soon had the fingers and toes circulating once more. The Royal Opera House was buzzing with expectation and while most of the audience was not disappointed at the end of the evening, this nit-picking writer has seen better performances. Of this, more anon.
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| 9-Jan-2013 The London Coliseum | The Sleeping Beauty with English National Ballet |
 At the opening night of Kenneth MacMillan’s production of The Sleeping Beauty in London, all eyes were on English National Ballet’s new artistic director, up on stage – rather than in the audience. Would she still be able to hold her balances on pointe now that she is also required to balance the office books?
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| 12-Dec-2012 Sadler's Wells | Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty |
 You know it’s going to be different the moment the recorded music begins and words appear on the frontispiece setting the story. Among the recognised musical strains can be heard the cry of a baby, and it is this baby who revolutionises Matthew Bourne’s new vision of the iconic Russian classical ballet masterpiece Sleeping Beauty.
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| 10-Dec-2012 Royal Opera House, Covent Garden | The Nutcracker with The Royal Ballet |
 Christmas must be nearing when that traditional fare of sparkle, excitement and the surging score of The Nutcracker bursts in full flood onto the world’s ballet stages. Originally created in 1891 by Marius Petipa for the Mariinsky Theatre, the ballet has become the annual bread-winner for most companies (albeit in various versions), guaranteeing full houses and happy customers. No other ballet brings such heart-warming satisfaction to both seasoned balletomane and newcomer.Read full review... | |
| 19-Sep-2012 Sadler's Wells | San Francisco Ballet at Sadler's Wells: Programme C |
 It must be exciting to be a member of San Francisco Ballet, America’s oldest ballet company, founded in 1933. These classically trained dancers are given the opportunity to sample many wonderful new works, rather than a repertoire of old traditional masterpieces. In figure-hugging unitards and chiffon skirts, they are loosed to fly and spin in a variety of styles, in works especially created for their particular talents by an array of top international choreographers.Read full review... | |
| 25-Jul-2012 The London Coliseum | Peter Schaufuss' Nutcracker |
 Now, one assumed, with the final production in the marathon Tchaikovsky Trilogy at the London Coliseum, all loose ends would be tied neatly together and Peter Schaufuss’ conception of connecting the three great Russian classics together be evident. Right?Read full review... | |
| 24-Jul-2012 The London Coliseum | Peter Schaufuss' Sleeping Beauty |
 And so to the second part of Peter Schaufuss’ Tchaikovsky Trilogy of the three great Russian classical ballets. In Sleeping Beauty, re-titled A Sensual Dream, the complicated weaving of the choreographer’s vision in connecting all three ballets together begins to make a little more sense – at least to those who had viewed his Swan Lake.Read full review... | |
| 23-Jul-2012 The London Coliseum | Swan Lake at the Coliseum |
 Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker, the three great Russian classical ballet masterpieces which were created in the late 1800s, grace the repertoires of all reputable ballet companies worldwide. With surging scores by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, they take their audiences to the make-believe worlds of beautiful maidens transformed into swans by an evil magician; a lovely princess who pricks her finger and falls asleep for a hundred years; and a Christmas party where a little girl dreams of adventures with her nutcracker soldier doll.Read full review... | |
| 30-Jun-2012 Royal Opera House, Covent Garden | A Journey: The Royal Ballet perform Ashton and Nijinska |
 The penultimate programme of The Royal Ballet’s season takes the audience on a journey, from a joyous celebration with seven imperially dressed ballerinas, to a summer dacha filled with tense emotions, and finally back in time to the ceremonial rites of a Russian peasant wedding. The link to the three ballets is the great English choreographer Sir Frederick Ashton, who created two of the works and personally arranged for the third to be re-staged, thus saving it for posterity.Read full review... | |
| 21-May-2012 Royal Opera House, Covent Garden | An Exhilarating Jubilee Double Bill from The Royal Ballet |
 This Royal Ballet programme, staged to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of HM Queen Elizabeth II, makes an exhilarating tribute, and shows the company on top form in two very different works. The first offering, to Verdi’s dance sequence in his opera Don Carlos, is an eye-watering collection of virtuoso variations, a plotless barrage of intricate and technical wizardry that sweeps the stage with grace and elegance.Read full review... | |
| 10-May-2012 Sadler's Wells | Ballet Preljocaj dance Snow White at Sadler's Wells |
 Forget those Disney scenes of cuddly little dwarves hi-ho-ing home, and cute woodland creatures whistling while they work. Another version of the Snow White fairy-tale can be seen this week at Sadlers Wells Theatre and it’s one on which to build new memories. Sticking closely to the Brothers Grimm's original nineteenth-century narrative and danced to selections from Gustav Mahler’s symphonies, it grabs the attention visually and artistically, and it’s riveting, dramatic and, yes, surprisingly romantic.
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| 26-Apr-2012 Sadler's Wells | Scottish Ballet: A Streetcar Named Desire |
 It seemed strange to come out of the theatre humming “It’s Only a Paper Moon” when a few moments before there had been brutality, madness and a horrific rape scene on stage. But that 1933 song runs throughout the scenario of Scottish Ballet’s new production of A Streetcar named Desire – as it did in the original play – reminding of the difference between reality and dreaming.
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| 6-Apr-2012 The London Coliseum | Boris Eifman Ballet: Onegin |
 There’s no denying that the work of Boris Eifman is super-dramatic, erotic, engrossing, beautifully lit and visually commanding, and that he has a troupe of magnificent dancers. But, whereas his first London production Anna Karenina proved near faithful to the Tolstoy novel, his second ballet Onegin that was seen this week in London, took great liberties with its text.Read full review... | |
| 3-Apr-2012 The London Coliseum | Boris Eifman Ballet: Anna Karenina |
.jpg) It was a pleasant surprise. Could the text of Leo Tolstoy’s rich tome about pre-revolutionary Russian aristocratic life, with all its multi-coloured characters, be reduced to just three performers and a corps de ballet? The answer is a resounding ‘yes’.
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| 29-Mar-2012 The London Coliseum | English National Ballet: Beyond Ballets Russes 2 |
 While the first of English National Ballet’s tributes to the Ballets Russes focused on works with a ‘nature’ theme, this second programme was more sporty – an apt topic for London 2012. First, there is Apollo, one of the most important and complex of the Olympian deities, then a game of tennis. Then there is an acrobat, and, finally, a marathon of non-stop technical classical feats. It makes an eclectic and interesting mix of differing styles, which show off diverse aspects of the company’s abilities.Read full review... | |
| 22-Mar-2012 The London Coliseum | English National Ballet: Beyond Ballets Russes 1 |
 Spring has sprung in London, and there was a definite taste of nature and things new abounding at the Coliseum in the first of two programmes by English National Ballet. In Beyond Ballets Russes 1 there is a ‘newly hatched’ bird, two very different ‘faunes’ and a freshly outfitted pagan ritual to the god of spring.
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| 29-Feb-2012 Royal Opera House: Linbury Studio Theatre | Ballet Black at the Linbury Studio |
 Imagine a small company of just seven dancers being served a smorgasbord of eclectic new works, dished up by a quartet of today’s best young British choreographers from different top-ranking British companies. Ballet Black has just had the good fortune to present this spring season’s fare to a full house capacity at the Linbury Theatre in Covent Garden.
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| 8-Feb-2012 Royal Opera House, Covent Garden | A drop of magic for the eyes, ears and soul: The Dream / Song of the Earth |
 This double bill by The Royal Ballet made for a splendid mix of musical and choreographic magic – Mendelssohn and Ashton, Mahler and MacMillan. The two works – the first light-hearted and narrative, filled with all the trimmings and elegance of the Romantic era; the other serious and profoundly moving, a paean of pure dance unadorned by busy sets and fussy costumes – gave the company plenty of scope to show off their technical abilities to an audience who relished the different sounds and sights.
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| 3-Nov-2011 Sadler's Wells | Scottish Ballet's Double Bill: Life in the Fast Lane, Death in the Slow |
 Scottish Ballet’s brief trip south of the border - just two performances - not only brought a company of vital athletic dancers to the capital but also chose the occasion to announce its new artistic director. The amiable young Christopher Hampson will take over the reins next season from Ashley Page whose eleven years reign has boosted the company’s visibility and prestige, and produced some excellent results.
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| 19-Oct-2011 Sadler's Wells | Birmingham Royal Ballet's Autumn Glory: a smorgasbord of ballet delights |
 War on a chess board; simplicity and purity of line; and a rollicking Victorian nonsense musical—all rolled into one evening in London this week. Autumn Glory was a true mixed bag of styles and tempos, and recalled Birmingham Royal Ballet’s heritage that had its beginnings at Sadlers Wells Theatre.
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| 17-Oct-2011 Royal Opera House, Covent Garden | Covent Garden's Triple Bill spans history |
 There are triple bills ---and there are triple bills. And this one –the first of The Royal Ballet’s 2011/12 season -- is certainly a top rate one.
The programme, put together by Artistic director Monica Mason in her final year at the helm, gives an historical glimpse into the foundations and creative growth of The Royal Ballet over the years. This triple bill includes a dramatic 19th century style work by Sir Frederick Ashton created in 1963; a 20th century work from 1976 by Sir Kenneth MacMillan; and a view of stripped-bare and highly physical 21st century choreography from 41 year old Wayne McGregor, who is now Resident Choreographer of The Royal Ballet. While their approaches to the works are completely different, each choreographer demands great musicality, heightened drama and incredible technical abilities from his dancers –and gets them. You couldn’t wish for three more contrasting and engrossing pieces in one programme.
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| 21-Sep-2011 Royal Opera House: Linbury Studio Theatre | The Metamorphosis |
 Edward Watson does angst expertly. The Royal Ballet principal proved himself as a convincing drug-ridden, suicidal Crown Prince Rupert in MacMillan’s ballet Mayerling and he was a nervy, jittery bespectacled White Rabbit in Wheeldon’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Now he’s a bug and literally climbing the walls.
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| 20-Sep-2011 Royal Opera House, Covent Garden | Jewels |
 Not so many moons ago, opening night at the Opera House meant dressing up—dinner jackets, long dresses and furs, with of course, the obligatory embellishment of the family jewels. Alas, jeans, shirtsleeves and sneakers are all too often seen these days, so glamour and style must stem from the stage outwards into the auditorium. And that’s the classy way The Royal Ballet opened its 2011/12 season on September 20th, lighting the stage with an abundance of glittery choreographed gems, with dancer, fresh from their summer holidays, in sparkling form.
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| 13-Sep-2011 Sadler's Wells | Grupo Corpo at Sadlers Wells |
 Competence, discipline and confidence were to be seen in full measure when the Brazilian contemporary company Grupo Corpo performed two works at Sadlers Wells this week. Each of the nineteen dancers threw --often literally-- him/herself into the demanding pulse-racing choreographies, exhibiting remarkable strength and bristling energy while contributing a South American tang to the contemporary dance domain. With a classical ballet base that gives them grace, balance and upper body fluidity, the dancers now push on to display the thrusts and force of the contemporary medium.Read full review... | |
| 27-Jul-2011 Royal Opera House, Covent Garden | Mariinsky Ballet in London perform Swan Lake |
 Sadly for many, the world of ballet will always be negatively associated with the psychotic actions and mental state of the ballerina in the Oscar winning film Black Swan. However this summer, it is the white swans—all 32 of them—who are showing London audiences the impressive beauty of their classical ballet training.
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| 22-Jul-2011 The London Coliseum | Ivan Vasiliev offers his tribute to the late Roland Petit |
 It was one of those ‘I was there’ moments that will be remembered always by a lucky few. Ivan Vasiliev’s single guest performance with English National Ballet in Le Jeune Homme et le Mort was one of startling brilliance, of great power and heartfelt emotion for his purpose in performing was to offer his own personal tribute to the late Roland Petit.
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| 21-Jul-2011 The London Coliseum | A Fitting Tribute to a Great French Choreographer |
 ENB’s highly anticipated triple bill of works by the French master craftsman Roland Petit was tinged with sadness when the news of his death was announced on July 10th at the age of 87. He had hoped to oversee the rehearsals and attend the UK premiere. Instead, however, the London season became a powerful tribute to him, one of the greatest choreographers of the 20th century.Read full review... | |
| 11-Jul-2011 The London Coliseum | Russian stars capture London hearts in Romeo and Juliet |
 Romeo and Juliet is one of the most popular ballets for both dancer and spectator and the production, created in 1955 by the great British choreographer Frederick Ashton and brought to the London Coliseum this week by the Peter Schaufuss Ballet has certainly plenty to please, especially the presence of its young protagonists.Read full review... | |
| 9-Jun-2011 Royal Albert Hall | Toe Tapping in Pointe shoes to Gershwin |
 English National Ballet’s early summer spectacular offers an evening of glamour, glitz and gorgeous gowns all neatly wrapped in the glorious music of the Gershwin brothers. Choreographed and directed by Derek Deane, it combines a medley of songs, music and various dance styles – classical ballet, ballroom and tap dancing --to suit every taste.Read full review... | |
| 28-May-2011 Royal Opera House, Covent Garden | Royal Ballet Triple Bill |
 There was no thought of letting the Royal Ballet dancers ease out gently in their last programme of the season. The Triple Bill now on offer demands from each of its exponents a mathematical brain, the precision of a Swiss watchmaker and the stamina of a fell runner.
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| 15-May-2011 The London Coliseum | Russian Ballet Icons Gala; 100-Year Anniversary of Galina Ulanova |
 The Russian ballerina Galina Ulanova is a true legend in the world of classical ballet. Her dramatic interpretations plumbed deep into the human soul and revealed its full gamut of emotion and poetic beauty. In her private life, she was a shy and gentle person but on stage, she came to life embodying her characters with heartfelt emotion, refinement and realism, often giving to the smallest detail, an enormous lasting impression—(who can forget her love-smitten Juliet seeing Romeo’s unmasked face for the first time?Read full review... | |
| 16-Apr-2011 The London Coliseum | Le Pavilion d'armide, L'Après midi d'un Faune, Boléro |
 For all the criticism that the British press has thrown at the Diaghilev Festival, especially regarding authenticity of the choreography, there is no denying that the general public has been wowed by what they have seen this past week in London. The productions have been a visual feast with luxurious colourful costumes and spectacular sets, and together with the dancing, have vividly brought to life the sepia photos in old history books the past incredible era of productions that not only changed classical ballet, but also fashion, art and music.
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| 14-Apr-2011 The London Coliseum | Thamar and Scheherazade |
 It was in 1992 that former Bolshoi Ballet superstar Andris Liepa decided it was high time to return the fabled works of Serge Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes back to Russia, where, due to the yoke of communism, its people had never had the opportunity of seeing them. Since then, he has been dedicated to researching, consulting and restoring, and under the umbrella of the Maris Liepa Charitable Foundation (created in memory of his famous father) and wealthy sponsors, has restored several of the old ballets to their former glory.Read full review... | |
| 9-Apr-2011 Staatsballett at Deutsche Oper | La Esmeralda, Staatsballett Berlin |
 In these tough economic times, it is a rare thing for ballet companies to consider staging a new full-length dramatic production. But Staatsballett Berlin has been brave enough to take the plunge, and on April 9th premiered La Esmeralda, an old-fashioned Russian masterpiece, and proved that their decision had been a good one. La Esmeralda is a ballet for all ages and tastes, offering a great story, splendid sets and costumes, good toe-tapping music by Pugni, and all the elements of high drama, from cut-throat gypsies to rescue, murder and love.Read full review... | |
