Jamiel Devernay-Laurence’s Ballet Nights is celebrating its third birthday. Initially a more intimate affair at The Lanterns Studio Theatre, Ballet Nights has grown into a regular feature on the dance calendar. Performances reach as far as Glasgow, Hull and Darlington, with New Year’s Day concerts and other offshoots planned into 2027.
Ballet Nights 012 was another high-pedigree evening featuring mostly hits and some misses, with the classical offerings often stronger than the contemporary. One notable change for the evening was the new compère, Anaish Yilma Parmar, who took the reins from Devernay-Laurence for the first time. Parmar was a warm and likeable host, there were some initial nerves and stiltedness from the memorised introductions but he became more fluid in the second act and engaged well with the enthusiastic audience.
As ever, each act was preceded by a musical interlude, the first saw a charismatic recital of the Sleeping Beauty Waltz by Quartet Concrète. They returned in Act 2 alongside baritone Michael Lafferty for the much loved Largo al factotum from The Barber of Seville.
It was a treat to see the Royal Ballet’s Yasmine Naghdi back on stage with Reece Clarke. Their Spring Waters pas de deux was over all too soon. Asaf Messerer’s choreography is full of demanding partnering and daring lifts and throws, they soared through it, radiating confidence and bringing an ethereal grace to it all.
Of the two contributions from Cape Town City Ballet, the more muted Pie Jesu suited Hannah Ward and Leusson Muniz the best. The pair are both fine technicians and they share an understated chemistry. Stripped back in skin-tight body suits and Ward in pointe shoes, they created every line with careful precision. Orpheus in the Underworld was more confusing, a little known comedy ballet set in a world of flappers and gangsters. It was danced well but lacked the necessary characterisation.
There Were Storms felt like a missed opportunity for Royal Ballet soloist, Harris Bell. Clearly a powerful dancer, this short solo (from Travis Clausen-Knight of PCK Dance) saw muscles rippling and stop-start staccato moves but not much else.
Always sure to provide a platform for new voices, Breath is a duet choreographed by Liam Woodvine for himself and Taylor Hughes. Dressed in heavy camouflage and gas masks, it explores the fallout from a nuclear war (!). It was evocative and original but amongst this line-up was not quite a fit. On the contemporary side of things, James Wilton’s Loki (performed with Sarah Jane Taylor) was better executed. Inspired by the Norse god, it combines contemporary dance, acrobatics and martial arts with pulsating tribal movements to impactful effect.
Mako Egawa and Alejandro Rosa Constantino were thrilling in the Don Quixote Suite. These two young talents from the Acosta Dance Foundation made light work of the fiendish wedding pas de deux and gave it all the necessary fireworks you’d expect to see at Covent Garden. Fouettés, fish dives, overhead lifts, they never blinked. Deeply impressive, ones to watch!
Ballet Nights regulars Sanguen Lee and Gareth Haw, were glorious in a David Dawson classic, On the Nature of Daylight. They suited it to perfection, their long, languid limbs carrying the melancholic score through every movement. Lee was particularly captivating, each extension heavy with emotion.
Naghdi and Clarke returned to close the evening with a stylish rendition of the Stoptime Rag and Bethena Rag Waltz from Elite Syncopations. The pair shared a playful chemistry in a relaxed and joyful conclusion to the evening.
Three years on, Ballet Nights shows no sign of losing its momentum and remains an exciting addition to the dance landscape. The highs in this varied programme were of the highest calibre. The ability to bring together star names with emerging artists offers the audience a unique experience, which will surely have lasting appeal for the years to come...
