English National Ballet – The Nutcracker – London
★★★✰✰ Having premiered in 2010, it is now two years’ past the median lifespan of an ENB Nutcracker and – despite many attributes – the show has reached its sell-by date.
English National Ballet – Lest We Forget bill – London
★★★★★ “I cannot recall being so moved at a dance performance for a very long time, if ever.”
MacMillan Celebrations – The Judas Tree (RB), The Song of the Earth (ENB) – London
★★★★✰ The second programme commemorating the 25th anniversary of Kenneth MacMillan’s death revealed his very different responses to music, and to human nature.
Encore Dance Company – Tour 2015: De Part Ed, Intermezzo, Don Quixote pdd, Testament, Untouchable Void – London
High spirits saturated this programme from Encore Dance, the graduate company of Tring Park School for the Performing Arts.
Dance at the Latitude Festival 2014
For the past seven years, the festival’s organisers have been collaborating with Sadler’s Wells to curate a dance programme on the strikingly beautiful Waterfront Stage at the heart of the festival site…
English National Ballet – Choreographics 2014 – London
All up this was a solid night and a good complement to ENB’s ‘Lest We Forget’ (WW1) bill that was so recently on the main Barbican stage. But I hope that next year they return to a more open choice on what choreographers can do and also concentrate on choreography rather than include musical soiree interludes.
English National Ballet – Lest We Forget: No Man’s Land, Second Breath, Dust, Firebird – London
Dust is a resounding success for Khan as creator, Rojo as artistic director and both as performers.
English National Ballet – Le Corsaire (premiere) – Milton Keynes
A first night of superlatives and Tamara Rojo’s done the country (not just London) a terrific service in her first full-evening commission. You’d be daft to miss Le Corsaire as it tours the UK. Bravo all.
English National Ballet – Principal Casting Announced For Le Corsaire
Principal Casting Announced for English National Ballet’s new production of Le Corsaire
English National Ballet – Tribute to Rudolf Nureyev – London
The Tribute bill is a well-chosen one… The season has been so short that the dancers haven’t had time to grow into their roles. They look as though they’re remembering instructions rather than relishing the ballets.
English National Ballet – Choreographics – A Letter to… – London
I hope ENB do lots more short and sweet choreographic initiatives to real audiences. Well done all, great to have a go – now do more.
English National Ballet – Ecstasy and Death bill – London
Rojo has declared that her ambition as artistic director of ENB is to make audiences hold their breath. I certainly did during Le Jeune Homme et la Mort…
23rd International Ballet Festival of Havana, 2012
The festival was as intensive as ever, with three performances running on seven days, four on one day, some concurrently. The range and quality of dance overall was impressive.
English National Ballet – Beyond Ballet Russes, Programme 1 – London
Firebird: To Williamson’s credit, the action, though baffling, never palls. He knows how to deploy a diverse cast, using an interesting vocabulary of classical ballet steps and partnering. He’s obviously fired up his dancers to commit themselves to their roles, flaunting their glitzy costumes with panache. But it’s a muddled piece, overpowered by Stravinsky’s myth-making music.
