A dash of summer sun: The Royal Ballet’s La Fille mal gardée
Making her debut as Lise, Mayara Magri was technically flawless. Her dancing was a thing of beauty, her partnership with Leo Dixon wonderfully assured
La Fille mal gardée
A masterclass in building humour through movement. The Royal Ballet in La Fille mal gardée
A masterclass in building humour through movement… Sunny, innocent, orderly, and just absurd enough to keep it from becoming sentimental.
Estonian National Ballet: La Fille mal gardée
Estonian National Opera, TallinnMay 9, 2026 La Fille mal gardée is just too good a story not to be reused. Apparently, Jean Dauberval, who created the original version of the ballet in Bordeaux in 1789, was inspired by an engraving at a printing house. It showed a fierce mother scolding her tearful daughter while a … Read more
La Fille mal gardée: Frederick Ashton’s sunshine ballet
When Marianela Nuñez stepped on stage, it was instantly clear that she was not pretending to be Lise, she was Lise.
New works and popular revivals: The Royal Ballet 2025-26
World premieres by Wayne McGregor, Cathy Marston, Akram Khan, León-Lightfoot, and a first Royal Ballet presentation by NYCB’s Justin Peck
A sunny evening with Birmingham Royal Ballet’s La Fille mal gardée
Fine, bright, happy dancing, great characterisations, Osbert Lancaster’s brilliantly sunny designs. Even a super-cute pony. A real heart-warming evening.
Paris Opera Ballet: La Fille mal gardée
Hortense Millet-Maurin, a tiny spitfire of a dancer who has a deft touch with comedy and big eloquent eyes, was a witty Lise.
The Dance Locker: Tzu-chao Chou
For the second in our occasional series, the Birmingham Royal Ballet principal dancer chooses his seven works that have particular significance, saying a few words about each. Born in Yilan in the north-east of Taiwan, Tzu-chao Chou (周子超) was very active as a child. When he was nine, his parents thought that dance lessons would … Read more
Birmingham Royal Ballet 2024-25 Season
Premiering in Birmingham (October 3-5, 2024) before moving to Sadler’s Wells (October 22-23), Luna is a two-act abstract ballet in six movements
Moving to pastures new: a conversation with Brandon Lawrence
“The worst thing is regret. And it’s an opportunity I can’t ignore. I don’t want to be wondering, ‘What if?’”
Sunshine and love: Birmingham Royal Ballet in La Fille mal gardée
Momoko Hirata and Mathias Dingman in Ashton’s English classic