Lynette Halewood with her personal selection of London dance memories from the past year...
Tag - Christopher Wheeldon
★★★★✰ After watching two of the four programs, a few things stand out. Firstly, it is clear that this is no simple gala, despite the format; there is a strong personal esthetic and philosophy at work behind the programs.
★★★✰✰ Yet for all its narrative surprises and witty designs, this Cinderella is a curiously underwhelming work when it comes to the choreography.
★★★✰✰ In a nutshell Bintley's Tempest is a visual triumph but feels slight choreographically and you'd be well advised to mug up on the story before seeing it.
★★★✰✰ One of this recurring festival’s strongest selling selling points is the serendipity of its pairings. You pay $15 and get a grab-bag of dance in return. You’re bound to like something.
★★★★✰ Revelations is always a joy, however often one sees it. Ailey’s choreography, influenced by his mentor, Lester Horton, and Martha Graham, is a reminder of how potent that modern dance technique could be.
His is an insider’s account, complete with waspish comments and cameos of the famous people he encountered...
★★★✰✰ Every choreographer has their voice, and if Wheeldon’s current oeuvre satisfies you then this will too, but don’t expect a significant departure.
★★★★✰ The pleasure, above all, in watching this company is their fearless super-charge of energy and their commitment as the inheritors of Balanchine’s ballets.
★★★✰✰ The beefiest work on the program was a New York premiere, Thousand Yard Stare, a work honoring war veterans...
★★★★✰ The range of roles shows the Royal Ballet dancers, up-and-coming soloist, established principals and character artists, at their very best.
★★★★✰ Having missed the opening night of the BalletBoyz tour, at Sadler’s Wells, a few weeks ago, I caught up with it, just three bus stops away from my home...
★★★✰✰ It wouldn’t be spring without ballet galas. This week it was New York City Ballet’s turn. On the program were two new works, by Christopher Wheeldon and the relatively unknown Nicolas Blanc, the latter a veteran of the New York Choreographic Institute.
★★★✰✰ The first thing to say about Symphony in C is that the Australian Ballet's corps and soloists had been rehearsed and coached with technical perfection in mind and there was little to fault with their execution of the steps.
★★★★✰ In music, mood and dynamics the Australian Ballet’s new triple bill, Vitesse, represents three elements, water, fire and air.
Led by Gary Avis and a Royal Ballet all-star cast, the company will perform an especially created programme of Royal Ballet classics, hosted by BBC Strictly Come Dancing’s Anton du Beke.
★★★★✰ New York is a good place to be in springtime.
5 Questions to Ludovic Ondiviela on his latest work ('Sliver of Sky') starring dancers from The Royal Ballet, English National Ballet and Rambert...
★★★✰✰ Rojo has succeeded in securing one really stimulating work in Broken Wings.
★★★★✰ Wheeldon has succeeded in turning an often intractable play into an emotionally moving ballet.