Vikki Jane Vile - Page 7

It's no understatement to say Sir Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake changed the dance landscape back in 1995 when it first premiered. Any Swan Lake is a juggernaut of a production but Bourne's added layers of storytelling, engaging new characters and unique reimagining for a 21st Century audience cemented a?oeiconica?? status, a word I use sparingly but it's fully justified here. The first in a sequence of Bourne's work to be seen on screen during this time of lockdown which will see releases of Romeo and Juliet and The Car Man, as well as this 2018 production of arguably Bourne's best-known work. 

Admirably enhancing their “at home” offering, in addition to regular live streams of company class and chair-based dance classes for those with limited mobility, English National Ballet now bring us Wednesday Watchalongs, a weekly opportunity to experience key work from their back-catalogue for no extra cost.

Since taking the lead as Birmingham Royal Ballet's Director just three months ago, Carlos Acosta certainly hasn't had the easiest time of it. His ambitious first season of programming - featuring Don Quixote, Romeo and Juliet, their popular Nutcracker and a exciting Curated by Carlos bill featuring Alessandra Ferri - is on hold for now thanks to Coronavirus, but Acosta has not shied away from trying something new. Quickly shifting into Home From Home mode, Acosta and co. have experimented with performance and social distancing to create a specially adapted version of The Dying Swan, or as it is known here as simply The Swan.

The dance studios and weekly classes are all long gone, so what are budding dancers doing to stay in shape now? Luckily, the dance community are a highly disciplined, generous bunch. While we all indulge in some heavy isolation snacking, it's this lot's job to remain fit and healthy. Fortunately for us, they're imparting their knowledge through a selection of live streams, so we can stay home and stay rond de jambe ready.

Richard Alston is a man who doesn't need reviews any more. With a choreographic career spanning over fifty years (“entirely lacking any strategic plan” by his own admission), there is not much that hasn't been said. Alston is also adamant that this Final Edition is a celebration and not a funeral but there are moments in his generous mixed bill that feel heavily bittersweet. With the company closing after 25 years due to funding restrictions, Alston's work could always be guaranteed to bring quality additions to the dance calendar and its absence will be sorely felt.

Enough words have been given to the controversy surrounding this run of Liam Scarlett's Swan Lake, its first revival since a largely triumphant premiere in 2018. I don't wish to dwell further here, and instead want to focus on what was one of the most memorable nights at the theatre in quite some time thanks to some virtuoso central performances, a faultless corps de ballet, and the transporting set and costumes of John Macfarlane.

A busy week of dance in London is brought to a radiant conclusion by the perfect delicacy of English National Ballet Lead Principal Alina Cojocaru, with support from some esteemed friends. 

Kate Prince is known for her unique blend of joyous, feel-good street and contemporary dance. She and the endless energy of her dance troupe, ZooNation, are responsible for West End hits such as Some Like It Hip Hop and Into the Hoods, which means it's no problem getting on board with new ideas - even when the concept raises an eyebrow.

The first mixed programme of 2020 from the Royal Ballet sees Cathy Marston's much anticipated and arguably long overdue first work for the main stage at Covent Garden. Renowned for her lucid and atmospheric storytelling, most recently in The Suit (Ballet Black) and Victoria (Northern Ballet), she now turns her attention to an unconventional but heartfelt love story. 

Sadler's Sampled is Sadler's Wells' annual parade of varied dance offerings - although this year proved somewhat of a disappointment from previous iterations. The selected work felt unbalanced in favour of contemporary performances, and for this traditionalist, the lack of any classical work weighed heavy.

It's always a tough choice, at this annual Ballet Icons Gala, to know whether to review the performances on stage or the extravagant antics of it's animated Russian audience. It's a starry evening, where the glamorous attendees don floor length gowns, the men wear tuxedos and although it's meant to start at 7pm, you can dream on if you think anything is starting on time! What an occasion though, a varied offering of classical and contemporary repertoire and danced by some of ballet's most recognisable stars with, it must be said, mixed success. 

John Cranko's Onegin was last performed by the Royal Ballet in 2015. Now five years later, there is a new wave of rising stars who are keen to showcase their take on the great dramatic classical roles on offer, and how palpably Onegin is a ballet that needs those stars. With only four key characters, the corps are on hand to fill the lighter moments but all eyes are on the romantic entanglement at the centre of the story.  

Galas are peculiar beasts. In attempting to please everyone, you sometimes please no one at all, but fortunately, for this nostalgic run through the rich history of English National Ballet, no one was disappointed by the varied and often emotive selection of greatest hits.

In true balletomane style, my first thought when I knew I would be in London over the Christmas and New Year period was that I would finally be able to catch Birmingham Royal Ballet's (BRB) Nutcracker which runs for just seven performances.

It's fitting that Matthew Bourne's The Red Shoes returns to London to finish up another year of reviewing dance. By far Bourne's most accomplished, creative and complete work, it's a theatrical joy from start to finish that is performed with confidence by a cast who have now had time to perfect it since the 2016 premiere. 

Manfred Thierry Mugler and Wayne McGregor are such renowned names in their respective fields, a collaboration between them need only be eponymously titled. But for the thrill of the glamour and high-fashion of McGregor + Mugler, this short duet for Edward Watson or the Royal Ballet and Olga Smirnova of the Bolshoi forms only a small segment of an unusual and intriguing triple bill. 

Continuing a series of personal projects away from the mainstay of the Bolshoi repertoire, Svetlana Zakharova returns to the London Coliseum once more with Modanse, a chic double bill of UK premieres with high calibre support from a range of Bolshoi Principals and Soloists. Chic it may be, with opulent costumes and some original choreography but the cumulative effect lacks impact as a vehicle for the ballet superstar to shine. 

There's a lot riding on this revival of Ninette de Valois' production of Coppélia. Not only is it being performed by an (almost) entirely new crop of dancers since it was last seen here in 2006, it replaces Sir Peter Wright's long loved production of Nutcracker as this year's festive treat. 

In their second visit to London's dance house, Acosta Danza return with a varied bill, following a successful debut in 2017. It culminates in a guest appearance from the man himself as he approaches his second Artistic Director role with Birmingham Royal Ballet in the new year. 

A stalwart of the classical repertoire, there's much to admire in The Sleeping Beauty; glittering, colourful costumes, enchanting storytelling and opportunities for the whole company to shine. Petipa's production was first seen in 1946 to reopen the Opera House after World War II, alternative versions have been offered up over the years, but this is the one to have stood the test of time, subject to only minor updates.