The Royal Ballet: Manon
Period melodrama brought to vivid life. Love, jealousy, criminality, sexual abuse, murder… And Francesca Hayward was near perfect in the title role
Reviews
A patchwork narrative of treacherous journeys: Kin by Gecko
The creases of individuality have not been ironed smooth… delightfully unpolished in its finer details, and yet musically and choreographically tight.
After five years, Onegin returns at the Bayerisches Staatsballett
Reid Anderson has brought a freshness to the Staatsballett performance and its strong characters as they journey through complicated emotions
New Movement Collective: Les Noces – The Departure
The new Les Noces choreography, very much collaborative, embodies Stravinsky’s music absolutely. There’s a powerful sense of direction of travel.
A classic classic: English National Ballet’s Giselle
A pleasure to watch in every respect: the dancing is a joy, and the costumes and sets some of the best around.
Meredith Monk: Calling
A unique retrospective of her immersive creations. Across three large rooms, the Munich exhibition presents major creations from her catalogue
Badisches Staatsballett: The Girl & the Nutcracker
Bridget Breiner shifts the action to early 20th-century America. The all-new choreography is refreshingly classical, the ballet a showcase for technique
Scottish Dance Theatre: Pirates!
A show full of imagination and fine physical theatre and dance. It may be aimed at youngsters, but this grown up enjoyed it a lot too!
John Cranko School and Stuttgart Ballet: Aktion Weinachten
With all ticket proceeds from which go to the charity, this year’s edition of established favourites and new work was a festive feast of fine dance
An epic voyage: Zephyr by Mourad Merzouki and Compagnie Käfig
Dance at its very best. A fabulous, fabulous seventy minutes of marvellous theatre. A real spectacle that holds you from start to finish
A Gothic delight: Matthew Bourne’s Edward Scissorhands
Trumps both The Royal Ballet and the English National Ballet’s traditional Christmas Nutcrackers… a Christmas fairytale like no other