Intérprete: Anais Chalendard

To sit directly under the splendid chiaroscuro dome of St Paul's Cathedral, with angels, apostles and Christ himself glittering down from mosaiced arches, is to be in the middle of astonishing beauty.

While the first of English National Ballet’s tributes to the Ballets Russes focused on works with a ‘nature’ theme, this second programme was more sporty – an apt topic for London 2012. First, there is Apollo, one of the most important and complex of the Olympian deities, then a game of tennis. Then there is an acrobat, and, finally, a marathon of non-stop technical classical feats.

ENB’s highly anticipated triple bill of works by the French master craftsman Roland Petit was tinged with sadness when the news of his death was announced on July 10th at the age of 87. He had hoped to oversee the rehearsals and attend the UK premiere. Instead, however, the London season became a powerful tribute to him, one of the greatest choreographers of the 20th century.