★★✰✰✰ Strasbourg 1518 has been lauded as 'head buttingly confrontational' and an original 'dance for today'. It isn't. Familiar Bausch tropes don't really reflect 1518's psychogenic mania, which was communal, or today's experience of isolation, stress and tedium.
Tag - Kit Holder
★★★★✰ ...exemplary performances from Momoko Hirata as Giselle and César Morales as Albrecht make for a richly rewarding and moving experience.
★★★✰✰ Bintley feels strongly about tradition (much more so than most other directors) and the commissions are his way of saying what's important and passing that baton on.
★★★★✰ All ten pieces on show were strong, considered commissions, and more than half came from female choreographers – a heartening boost for this male-saturated field.
Birmingham Royal Ballet have been celebrating the Silver Anniversary of Sir Peter Wright's great Nutcracker production and the company's move to Birmingham that same year.
David Bintley's Sylvia is a great piece of classical dance and escapist fun.
Ruth Brill's Matryoshka showed a lot of sense and maturity I thought - she clearly thinks about entertaining the audience.
All up, another win for Ballet Black - a strong double bill of consequence and contrast preceded by a short amuse-bouche.
Two brand new Ballet Black works, by Mark Bruce and Kit Holder, photographed by Dave Morgan...
BRB Promotions, Joiners and Leavers...
Of all the school shows I most appreciate the one by Central School of Ballet. Their show, under the name Ballet Central, invariably has the widest range of dance, from ballet to contemporary to musical theatre and more. And importantly they tour it...
Choreographically Alexander Whitley's 'Kin.' was probably the best new thing I've seen BRB premiere these last 4 years...
Good to see BRB presenting 2 premieres as part of International Dance Festival Birmingham... A good afternoon.