Live, Video: Find classical music concert, opera, ballet and dance reviews | La Fille mal gardée

Ballet’s best romcom, a lovingly maintained classic.  

Paris Opera Ballet tackles a British classic with aplomb but needs to delve deeper into the quintessentially British humour and charm.

Ashton's La Fille mal gardée, as performed by the Czech National Ballet, delighted Omani audiences in Muscat.

An event that will be long-remembered for the importance of the occasion, if not for its content. 

Sir Frederick Ashton's quintessentially English ballet returns, dressed in pastel shades with knockabout fun everywhere.

With little fanfare, other than a cockerel crowing from the pit, the Royal Ballet crept to life for its new season. For a couple of hours, all was right with the world.

Considering its French title, Sir Frederick Ashton’s ballet La Fille mal gardée is quintessentially English. Laura Morera and Vadim Muntagirov brought the bright spring sunshine from outside to flood the auditorium in delightfully sunny performances.

Laugh-out-loud comedy is a rare find in dance, which usually elicits no more than a polite, awkward titter. However it is such comedy that is one of the chief merits of this ballet. La Fille Mal Gardée is as anxious to show off bad dancing as it is to show off the good, pleasing the audience with all manner of buffoonery.The ballet’s opening gives me a childish thrill.

La Fille mal gardée est une comédie haute en couleur mais aussi ballet virtuose, où les variations s’enchaînent allègrement. Pour cette reprise, la performance théâtrale des interprètes de l’Opéra de Paris, particulièrement débridés dans les seconds rôles, est remarquable.

Un ballet burlesque où l'on rit beaucoup servie par des danseurs de qualité mais une soirée où il manquait cette alchimie qui créé les belles soirées.