Review: LONDON CITY BALLET - MOMENTUM, Sadler’s Wells

London City Ballet return for their second season with another mixed bill, and the results are also mixed. Director Christopher Marney has chosen the repertoire well, finding chamber-sized works to fit the company of fourteen, however two out of the four works presented are weak choreographically.

Consolations & Liebestraum by Liam Scarlett was created in 2009, and isn’t one of his stronger pieces. I prefer Scarlett when he commits - as in the work is either pure dance or blatant narrative. This one is somewhere in between, looking at the stages of love, but never really going anywhere beyond self-indulgent melodrama. Black costumes on a black backdrop don't help matters. 

Following is Soft Shore by Premier Danseur of the Paris Opera Ballet, Florent Melac. This is the new commission for the season, and I'm afraid I found it a waste of time. The experience is palatable - soft lighting, grey silk, endless leg swooshes, but overall it's too long, repetitive and underuses the dancers. 

Opening the bill is Balanchine's 1947 Haieff Divertimento. Not seen for some 40 years after its creation, it's back both in New York City and now London, and that's only good news. The 14 minute score by Alexei Haieff sees Balanchine play with effervescence and explore subtle sensuality. The principal couple pas de deux simmers and the corps de ballet get to zip and dash like there's no tomorrow. The men definitely outdanced the women this time, with slicing attitude and helter-skelter pirouette. Alejandro Virelles as the male lead brought his usual understated, authoritative presence - I only wish the role let him dance more as he spent the majority of the night partnering.

Closing the evening was Alexei Ratmansky's 2014 Pictures at an Exhibition. The ballet is already considered an important work and one can see why. Ratmansky isn't afraid of complex music, and his choreography not only acknowledges Modest Mussorgsky’s original, sporadic score - it communicates a physical visualisation of it.

The work is best consumed as a whole, rather than trying to understand the meaning behind everything. In the larger sense, Ratmansky is looking at the human experience, as all manner of emotions are on display, shown through original movement including cartoonish play, fiery anger and meditative exploration.

A pas de deux for Alina Cojocaru and Virelles is otherworldly, showing two great artists deeply connected to each other and Ratmansky's introspective choreography. Elsewhere Constance Devernay-Laurence confirms her powerful presence as an asset to the company's ranks.

So, it's definitely a mixed bill as it were, but London City Ballet has reconfirmed its value with this second season, of the 21st century reboot, no doubt. The dance world needs this type of company doing works like Haieff Divertimento and Pictures at an Exhibition in London (and Europe). And one looks forward to the upcoming performances at the Royal Opera House's Linbury Theatre - which also include a new work by Tasha Chu, a female choreographer.

London City Ballet performed Momentum at Sadler’s Wells, September 13-14

Photo credits: ASH