Live, Video: Dance

Jamiel Devernay-Laurence’s winning formula for his Ballet Nights series has brought in new and old works, concert and dance, and continues to push the boundaries into 2026.

Sir Peter Wright’s beautiful Nutcracker ticks every box with Birmingham Royal Ballet at the Royal Albert Hall.

Splendid and impeccable, endowed with striking virtuosity, the corps de ballet functions both as choir and living scenography, accompanying and sustaining the protagonists. Ma Bayadère in Monte-Carlo is spectacular.

Rudolf Nureyev’s production of The Sleeping Beauty is still a magnificent showcase for La Scala after nearly 60 years.

National Ballet of Japan premiered production of Nutcracker choreographed by Will Tuckett, that features a stylish and dramatic Act 1 and a hilarious, colourful and unique Act 2. 

Valentino Zucchetti's Nutcracker for New English Ballet Theatre's may be economical on numbers but the cast make up for it in commitment.

Ballet Teatro Colón's production of The Nutcracker by Silvia Bazilis is a delight from start to finish, clearly aimed at engaging families.

Occupying a unique niche in the dance world, MOMIX brought Alice back to New York’s Joyce Theater. It’s an uneven ride, with many visual thrills and stretches of material too lightly sketched. 

Returning for its first anniversary, Arielle Smith and Aaron S Watkin’s Nutcracker for English National Ballet remains a feast for hungry eyes, despite its flaws. 

A triumphant evening showcasing the breadth and depth of NDT’s artistic intellect, and their dazzling versatility across various choreographic landscapes.

Stunning visually, Matthew Bourne’s The Red Shoes makes a triumphant return to Sadler's Wells, with New Adventures at the top of its game.

Strong drama and powerful central performances of Massimo Moricone's Romeo and Juliet in Bordeaux for the first time.

Alvin Ailey American Dancer Theater is in magnificent form for its New York City Center season. Never overselling, simply moving magically.

ZooNation smashes its new Christmas production of Ebony Scrooge with slick performances and eyebrow-raising dance moves.

For one night only, audiences in Frankfurt were treated to some world class ballet on the expansive stage of the Jahrhunderthalle.

Scottish Ballet’s third outing of Christopher Hampson’s The Snow Queen sees some modifications to the story and it’s more spectacular than ever.

Ballet Black making its debut at Sadler's Wells after 25 years with a diverse and truly enjoyable double bill.

The Royal Ballet opened the Christmas season with a superlative performance of Sir Peter Wright’s The Nutcracker.

Dutch National Ballet's second mixed bill at New York City Center ticked all the right boxes, showcasing the depth of talent across the whole company.

Dutch National Ballet returning to New York after more than 40 years should have been thrilling. The opening program, whilst beautifully danced, was somewhat muted.

London City Ballet move into a new venue with absolute confidence and gravitas in a quadruple bill that says everything about their future and success.

The premiere of Bal Impérial by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui challenges and interrogates to great effect in Geneva. 

The Royal Ballet presents a triple bill of diverse works including one world premiere and one UK premiere. As per usual, the supreme roster of dancers tackles each with aplomb.

Sharon Eyal and Gai Behar’s S-E-D comes to Sadler's Wells with Into the Hairy, worth seeing for extraordinary dancers and the idiosyncratic nature of her distinctive choreography.

Rennie Harris' theatrical works of street dance have toured the globe. In American Street Dancer he focuses on the preservation of three distinct styles closer to home. 

A letdown and a triumph at the Paul Taylor Dance gala this week, featuring new works by Lauren Lovette and Robert Battle, both resident choreographers, she in her 4th year, he in his 2nd. 

An interesting evening displaying the many facets of Natalia Osipova's talents alongside her equally exciting guests at the Linbury.

From disturbing to daffy: a searing indictment and a gentle parody, both from Paul Taylor, at Lincoln Center in New York, as his company continues to pack houses in its fall season.

Two complementary new works for TanzLuzern, Mthuthuzeli November's Oh Deer and Phoebe Jewitt's White Rabbit, are striking and memorable additions to the repertoire.

Company B and Esplanade bookended a popular mixed bill from Paul Taylor Dance Company in the first week of their ambitious fall season at New York's Lincoln Center.  

Liam Francis Dance Company at The Place brings an instinctive and intelligent debut for a choreographer in-step with what it is to be a dance artist now. 

An extraordinary evening of dance theatre of the highest quality, Figures in Extinction for Nederlands Dans Theater 1 is a thought provoking experience worth repeating.

A trippy compounding of dance, music, costumes and lighting in the world premiere of Andrea Miller's MOTHER. 

While Rudi van Dantzig's production of Romeo and Juliet was buoyed by confident dancing and stylised acting, it falters somewhat under its own dramaturgy.

Amongst the Giselles and the Nutcrackers that will grace Oslo Opera House’s Main Stage this season sits a vital slice of Norwegian history from two emerging choreographers, Elle Sofe Sara and Hlín Hjálmarsdóttir.

Joburg Ballet makes a promising, if somewhat initially tentative, UK debut with a programme of five works, four by South African choreographers.

Thirty years after its original production, Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake makes its return to the stage championed by an impressive ensemble of dance artists from Bourne’s own company New Adventures.

American Ballet Theatre presented a well balanced program of Nuñes, Ratmansky and Balanchine which produced some revelatory performances.

Akram Khan in concentrated colour, setting the darkness chiming with Thikra: Night of Remembering at London's Sadler's Wells.

Compagnie DYPTIK from Saint-Étienne has returned to New York with an evening-length work inspired by a medieval 'dancing plague' and modern-day lockdowns. 

ABT offer some outstanding performances in a classical quadruple bill but there was a lack of confidence and uniformity within the corps de ballet. 

Czech National Ballet scores a hit in John Neumeier’s masterpiece Liliom, with back to back performances and multiple casts.

Northern Ballet's Little Red Riding Hood gives young ones a perfect introduction to ballet, without any teeth. 

The first new production of Alessandra Ferri’s directorship of the Wiener Staatsballett sees the European premiere of Alexei Ratmansky’s narrative ballet Of Love and Rage under its new title, Callirhoe.

The choreography, music and performance made this an impressive event, but Iommi’s cameo was an emphatic cherry on the top that sent the crowd home with an enthusiastic spring in their step.

Angelin Preljocaj's Gravity triumphed on opening night in New York despite official cock-up. 

If you’re in need of a pick-me-up, get thee to the Royal Opera House and see La Fille mal gardée, a gem of a ballet. There’s a long roster of impressive casts to choose from.

The National Ballet of Japan gave an excellent rendition of Sir Frederick Ashton's Cinderella, in spite of many new faces and role debuts.

Swan Lake opens the season for Kansas City Ballet in a splendid looking production and with very pleasing interpretations.