National Ballet of China in The Peony Pavilion
Earth and heaven are united as peony petals rain from the sky. Beautiful
UK
Hard-hitting contemporary themes dominate Michael Keegan-Dolan’s Swan Lake (Loch na hEala)
Poetry, beauty, mystery and folklore; political and moral corruption, religious superstition and abuse
Sir Peter Wright’s Birmingham Nutcracker serves up a festive treat
Even the Stahlbaum’s bedecked living room got a round of applause as the curtain first rose.
Energy and colour from Cloud Gate 2
Beckoning is a dance that’s colourful in just about every possible way
A magnificent theatrical evening: Akram Khan’s Giselle
It delivers on every level, as do the company who fully engaged both physically and emotionally
What is happiness? Umanoove/Didy Veldman’s The Happiness Project
Packed with fabulous and absorbing dance as Veldman and her outstanding cast explore ideas of happiness
Questions of identity to the fore in Quang Kien Van’s Lunar Shadows
Questions of identity and belonging give plenty of food for thought.
Quint-essential, five new ballets from New English Ballet Theatre
Peacock Theatre, London November 9, 2016 Charlotte Kasner It may seem like an odd choice to open a programme with a piece about falling asleep but Marcelino Sambé’s Land of Nod piques the interest throughout. He sets some fiendish choreography for his dancers and the combination of music by Nathan Halpern and Yann Tiersen, and … Read more
Dance and digital technology in Alexander Whitley’s Pattern Recognition
The concept is not without interest, but this is a long 55 minutes
Startlingly beautiful: Under Siege by Yang Liping
Sadler’s Wells, London November 3, 2016 DavidMead At nigh on two hours without an interval, Under Siege (十面埋伏, which literally translates as ‘ambush from ten sides’) by Yang Liping (simp. 杨丽萍/trad. 杨丽萍) is far too long. Indeed, it seems to have grown 20 minutes since the programme (which reckoned 100 minutes) was printed. Is she … Read more