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.
UK
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
Determinedly different: T.H.E Dance Company in PheNoumenon
The intimacy of the eccentric Coronet Theatre suited this company of six dancers from Singapore and its programme well
The urgency to live: Léa Tirabasso’s Starving Dingoes
Although human, there is an animalistic element to much of the choreography, which has a primitive feel to it.