Live, Video: Find classical music concert, opera, ballet and dance reviews | Toer van Schayk

National Ballet of Japan opened their 2024/25 season with Eagling’s The Sleeping Beauty. Haruka Sassa's Aurora, guesting from Staatsballett Berlin, and prima ballerina, Yui Yonezawa, debuting as the Lilac Fairy, were highly impressive. 

A rich mix of pure dance and powerful music shows the company in very fine form towards the end of a demanding season.

This expanded Swan Lake celebrated the return of an exceptional ballerina after a year's lay-off as well as displaying the depth of talent within the company.

Despite excellent performances, time needs to be called on Wayne Eagling's Nutcracker. 

In the National Ballet of Japan's Sleeping Beauty, the fulfilment and joy of being able to dance was apparent in the whole company and the result was glorious. 

This Swan Lake is a continued homage to classical female beauty and awe-inspiring dancing. The swans' collective mourning at Siegfried’s betrayal and its consequences are palpable.

Dutch summer Romance? Yes, that's a thing. With some virtuoso dancing thrown in for good measure.

By bringing a fairy tale alive, Ratmansky may have stayed truth to Petipa's and Ivanov's legacy but he betrayed Tchaikovsky's inner intentions.

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.

Die fesselnden Choreographien von Toer van Schayk am Dutch National Ballet ließen Raum und Zeit vergessen.