At least there are some memorable performances to recall from 2021: at the beginning of the year none of us had any idea when we might sit in a theatre and watch live dance again...
Tag - Linbury Theatre
★★★★★ Thanks to Yolande Yorke-Edgell and her company, Robert Cohan was able to continue creating dance works for performance up until his death in January this year at the age of 95...
★★★★✰ Ballet Black’s 20-year-long diversity mission still feels urgent, and its latest double bill is an impressive reminder of the sort of talent and vision that could otherwise go overlooked.
The Frederick Ashton Foundation marked its tenth anniversary with an evening of rarely performed Ashton pieces and a specially commissioned film, Frederick Ashton: Links in the Chain, by Lynn Wake.
Isamu Noguchi and Martha Graham collaborated for over fifty years, from 1934 until his death in 1988, and the new Barbican exhibition in part covers their rich artistic relationship. The exhibition also included a live performance of Martha Graham's "Lamentation", danced by Yolande Yorke-Edgell.
★★★★✰ Both are exceptional dance-actors, though Ferri must take the limelight as the lost, legendary ballerina of Béjart’s imagination.
The Royal Opera House has been celebrating International Women’s Day (8 March 2021) with a week of activities one of which saw international choreographer Pam Tanowitz in conversation with the Royal Ballet's Beatriz Stix-Brunell...
★★★★✰ The singers had the lions' share of the concert, with just two pas de deux by Royal Ballet couples, Matthew Ball and Mayara Magri, Reece Clarke and Fumi Kaneko.
★★★✰✰ This was indeed a case of Up Close and personal with five intimate pieces variously dosed with Cuban fire and flair...
Gallery by Foteini Christofilopoulou...
★★✰✰✰ Rambert dancers on stage perform with great energy and commitment but the whole thing doesn’t manage to live up to its ambitious objectives...
Lynette Halewood with some reflections on London dance performances over the last year - the good and the less good...
Gallery by Foteini Christofilopoulou...
★★★★✰ As part of the Merce Cunningham Centennial celebrations, Rambert dance company took over all four floors of Sadler's Wells before the on-stage performance of this year's Event.
★★★✰✰ The works offer strong contrasts between the traditional story-telling strength of Northern Ballet and more abstract thematic dance.
★★★★✰ The title of the latest triple bill in the Linbury studio theatre is taken from The Observer's dance critic's review of the Merce Cunningham Company's arrival in Britain in 1964.
Part of Dance Umbrella 2019 and 'The Future Bursts In' bill at the Royal Opera House. Gallery by Foteini Christofilopoulou...
Pam Tanowitz, well known in New York, just created her first work outside the States - for the Royal Ballet. It's been a critical success and Jann Parry (who gave the work 5 stars) finds out what makes her tick and why so many directors are seeking Tanowitz out...
★★★★★ Quite some achievement by Pam Tanowitz, to have followed treasured works by Cunningham and Ashton with one that pays homage to both, yet stands on its own as her distinctive tapestry of dance.
★★★✰✰ The extremely good-looking company members are well-trained, versatile dancers...