Vikki Jane Vile - Page 11

Sir Kenneth MacMillan's Romeo and Juliet has been performed no less than 400 times by the Royal Ballet and with a lengthy run this season from the end of March to mid-June, the popularity of perhaps the most famous love story of all time shows no signs of subsiding.

Former Royal Ballet Principal Ivan Putrov has been curating regular galas in London in recent years with hit and miss results. 2017's Men in Motion fell into the latter category however, returning now with Against the Stream, the result is an engaging evening of dance from some of ballet's most starry names.

Three years ago, English National Ballet presented an evening of work all by female choreographers, She Said. It was an uneven programme but a brave artistic choice, and those courageous female voices are finally fully realised in the sequel, She Persisted.

The annual Russian Ballet Icons Gala always delivers with a host of superstar names from the dance world, presenting a somewhat haphazard selection of classical and modern snippets of choreography. The evening offers up a varied mix of virtuoso pas de deux - the beating heart of the classical repertoire - to moody and abstract contemporary pieces that leave more to the imagination.

Giovanni Pernice is now somewhat of a stalwart amongst the professional dancer gang on BBC's Strictly Come Dancing. With four seasons under his belt and a fifth to follow, he is one of the show's most recognisable faces, and now returns to local theatres for the third year running with Dance is Life, first seen in 2017, but with a largely new army of supporting dancers.

Carlos Acosta's vibrant production of Don Quixote offers an all-thriller, no-filler evening complete with exuberant staging, grand and detailed sets fit for a West End musical, luxurious costuming, and a stellar cast in which there is not a single weak link.

In a rare piece of programming from the Royal Opera House, audiences have the opportunity, for a limited run, to watch the Royal Ballet School's talent of tomorrow and the main company's talent of today together in a mixed programme of animal-based stories. It features new work from Artist in Residence Liam Scarlett and Frederick Ashton's popular Two Pigeons, seen previously this year alongside Scarlett's Asphodel Meadows. The former First Artist certainly seems to be making his mark on the company repertoire.

Sadler's Wells annual pick 'n' mix buffet of dance offerings return again for a selection of live performances and interactive front of house experiences.

With the last remains of glittery Nutcracker magic now behind us for another year, just two days after the end of the run of the festive classic, the Royal Ballet return with a fun, bright and uplifting mixed bill to ease us through January.

Christmas for dance fans doesn't just mean Nutcracker these days - it means another one of Matthew Bourne's characterful and atmospheric productions is rolling into town.

Lucky Londoners have the opportunity to catch three different productions of The Nutcracker over the festive period this year. But having viewed Sir Peter Wright's 1984 production for the Royal Ballet multiple times, and once again now, it unmistakably offers the most gloriously opulent and satisfying experience that sets it apart from other interpretations.

The centenary of the end of the First World War had been marked widely in dance, now the Royal Ballet present their tribute within this latest triple bill, headlined by Alastair Marriot's new work The Unknown Soldier.

Director Felipe Braga is a much-celebrated talent in Latin America, with his past work including a documentary of the life of Brazilian footballer Neymar (Jr) and other professional athletes. He now turns his attention to Royal Ballet Principal Thiago Soares for his new docu-film Principal Dancer.

Ballet narratives have always used their artistic license rather liberally, and stories don't come much sillier than that of La Bayadere - or Swan Lake with ghosts as I prefer to think of it. Neither do casts come more starry than the powerhouse line-up of Marianela Nunez (Nikiya), Vadim Muntagirov (Solor) and Natalia Osipova (Gamzatti).

t's never easy to debut in a role when half the audience bought tickets to see someone else, but this was the situation Ryoichi Hirano faced last week as announcement of Edward Watson's injury was made. Watson is known for his compelling portrayal of the multifaceted role of Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria (1858-1889). Nonetheless Hirano makes a honourable go of the challenge, assisted ably by a stellar female lineup in MacMillan's now 40 year old ballet. 

Nearly two years ago to the day, Carlos Acosta presented A Classical Farewell at London's Royal Albert Hall, a mix of solos and pas de deux with his esteemed Royal Ballet colleagues to celebrate his career . Fast forward to 2018, and he's still saying farewell but now with a focus on the future, through his dynamic Cuban company, Acosta Danza.

It can be a rarity, but every so often, perhaps once a year if you're lucky, you stumble across a work so sublime it leaves you a little stumped as to how to describe it. Unfortunate when you need to review it, however. English National Ballet's Lest We Forget first opened in 2014, marking the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the first World War. Just two years into Tamara Rojo's tenure as Artistic Director, it was a bold statement about where the company was heading. Four years later it sits proudly in their repertoire, a modern masterpiece to absorb, devour and shed a tear.

As the Proms enters September and we approach the end of the run of a staggering 91 concerts, Prom 70 sees the inaugural Tango Prom. Tango is celebrated for its sultry melodies and atmospheric use of the bandoneon, creating its unique identity known to social dancers and music fans alike.

National Youth Ballet has been providing opportunities for young dancers to perform as a company since 1988. Make no mistake, NYB is a wholly professional outfit that attracts upcoming and emerging choreographers to create work for its skilled performers. Perhaps most impressive of all, the work performed in this year's annual gala was created in just ten days during the summer holidays, at Elmhurst Ballet School.

London dance fans are still reeling from the glorious opulence of Liam Scarlett's new Swan Lake for the Royal Ballet. Heavy with emotion, high on budget and dramatic staging, it's in stark contrast to the precise, drilled and efficient Swan Lake courtesy of Konstantin Tachkin's St Petersburg Ballet Theatre, playing at the London Coliseum this August.