A Centenary Celebration – The Royal Ballet School
Presenting works by choreographers whose careers have been shaped by the School, the evening offered a remarkable showcase of its enduring contribution to British ballet.
Nicola Claire
Polymer DMT / Lo Fang-yun: The Seas Between Us
Taking the unresolved conflict between China and Taiwan as its starting point, a look at how political systems and cultural influences shape identity, behaviour and relationships
Getting to the soul of it: The Brown Suite by BlacBrik
Packed with wonderful dancing, wit, character, tremendous music and choreography… marvellously entertaining from start to finish
Confidence, challenge and considerable promise in The Place CAT Summer Show
Moving between contrasting choreographers, styles and emotional worlds, all the dancers, all 16 or under, performed with flair, confidence and impressive technical ability.
I’m Every Woman: The Chaka Khan Musical
A roller-coaster journey through the artist’s life, incorporating many of her greatest hits alongside some less familiar material.
London Children’s Ballet: Anne of Green Gables
At the centre was Amelie French as Anne Shirley. Hers was a performance of remarkable grace, warmth and dramatic presence… She understood how to make movement speak
Next Generation Festival: Just Us Dance Theatre Apprenticeship Company
The five performers showed strong technical ability, energy and stage presence. They filled the Linbury with ease, not through scale of numbers or theatrical effects, but through concentration and sheer enjoyment in performance.
English National Ballet: The Sleeping Beauty
This Sleeping Beauty is not flawless. But the production’s strengths are considerable: the splendour of its costumes, the sweep of the music, the scale of the occasion, and above all Emma Hawes’ luminous Aurora.
Next Generation Festival: The Royal Ballet School and School of American Ballet
An evening of thirteen short works and excerpts, moving between heritage repertoire, 20th-century classics, contemporary choreography and creations
The Ruggeds and Ghetto Funk Collective: Groove
A high-energy fusion of hip-hop, breaking, street dance and live funk music… a lively, skilful and exhilarating evening.
Onyx Productions: 360 ALLSTARS
a hugely entertaining, high-energy hour of physical performance that sits somewhere between street culture, contemporary circus and dance.