Fine dance with a dash of comedy in an English National Ballet School’s mixed-bill
The four new works covered classical and contemporary dance while also allowing the dancers to show their presentation and comedy skills.
Reviews
Counterpoint: tap meets piano magic from Caleb Teicher and Conrad Tao
So neatly does the tap and piano combine that you feel some sort of sixth sense must be at play. Piano and tap, classical and jazz. Magic.
The Australian Ballet find the heart and soul of Tolstoy’s novel in Yuri Possokhov’s Anna Karenina
A terrific production, Yuri Possokhov’s ballet is very Russian, truly understands the novel and is closer to it than most others
Alexander Whitley Dance Company: Overflow
Hazy, dark, bleak, yet in many ways, beautiful. Relentless in all senses, including in the quality and precision of the five superb dancers
The Russian State Ballet of Siberia: Snow Maiden
If Cinderella was a little short on classical steps, Snow Maiden certainly made up for it.
Exploring the boundary between real-world and virtual: Tom Dale Company’s Surge
The movement vocabulary is a mix of contemporary with a heavy flavour of tai-chi. The graphics twist and twirl, as does the dancer
The Russian State Ballet of Siberia: Cinderella
A traditional spin on the well-known story and, although it takes a while to get going, the ballet makes a pleasant and sometimes interesting evening
Russian State Ballet of Siberia: Swan Lake
Highlight was Elena Svinko’s quite outstanding Odette/Odile. Framed by the severe faces of her swans, she was a shining jewel and quite sublime
Birmingham Royal Ballet’s new Don Quixote is a sunny winner
Superb designs and a revitalised company on top form. Technical fireworks and top-notch light comedy that will delight all. A winner all-round.
A triple bill of youthful power and energy from NDT 2
Whether the expressionism of Marco Goecke, modern classicism of Hans van Manen, or quirkiness of John Inger, they make dance come truly alive
Lost Dog’s A Tale of Two Cities
There are moments that are quite brilliant… funny, tender, dramatic. The show does zip by. But I suspect will delight and frustrate in equal measure