Popcorn, fish dives and a rock guitar lute: Balanchine and Robbins

By Mark Pullinger, 05 June 2021

Loading, please wait...

See full listing

“in an evening high on understatement, the fireworks came from Natalia Osipova and Reece Clarke”

Reviewed at Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London on 4 June 2021

Apollo (Apollon musagète) (George Balanchine)

Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux (George Balanchine)

Dances at a Gathering (Jerome Robbins)

The Royal Ballet

Koen Kessels, Conductor

Vadim Muntagirov, Dancer

Anna Rose O'Sullivan, Dancer

Mayara Magri, Dancer

Yasmine Naghdi, Dancer

Gina Storm-Jensen, Dancer

Natalia Osipova, Dancer

Reece Clarke, Dancer

Marianela Núñez, Dancer

Francesca Hayward, Dancer

Meaghan Grace Hinkis, Dancer

Fumi Kaneko, Dancer

Laura Morera, Dancer

Alexander Campbell, Dancer

Federico Bonelli, Dancer

William Bracewell, Dancer

Valentino Zucchetti, Dancer

Luca Acri, Dancer

Robert Clark, Piano

Vasko Vassilev, Violin

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden

Mira Nadon’s sparkling debut in Firebird with New York City Ballet

Ivy Lin, 25th April

A triple bill comprising Balanchine's Symphony in C, Agon and Firebird could not have been more inspiringly danced by New York City Ballet.

*****

Ballet for cowboys and soldiers at Kansas City Ballet

Hilary Stroh, 20th March

Kansas City Ballet celebrate the USA’s 250th anniversary with three American ballets. Balanchine's Stars and Stripes, de Mille's Rodeo and a new work by Caili Quan, A Home Away.

****1

American Ballet Theatre's double bill is short and sweet in New York

Ivy Lin, 15th March

American Ballet Theatre presents Balanchine's Raymonda: Grand Pas Hongrois and Ratmansky's Firebird which showcases the company well and provides a strong contrast.

****1

A spectacular triple bill lifts ABT’s spring season in New York

Leigh Donlan, 13th March

A finely curated triple bill from American Ballet Theatre included works from Balanchine, Jiří Kylián and Alexei Ratmansky.

****1

Understatement and spectacle at New York City Ballet

Carla Escoda, 26th February

Jerome Robbins' Dances at a Gathering and George Balanchine's Diamonds make a study in contrasts. With lots of debuts in the former and seasoned leads in the latter.

*****

Fast Forward: Hamburg Ballet’s mixed bill proves a mixed success

Vikki Jane Vile, 22nd February

All that glistens... the world premiere of Xie Xin’s The Moon in the Ocean is the highlight of a mixed bill programme spanning 90 years of choreography.

***11

More reviews...

Mark Pullinger

Mark has been a Bachtrack editor since 2014. He is also an experienced critic, writing hundreds of reviews for the site, as well as a freelancer writing for other magazines and newspapers. He also writes programme notes and blogs on Substack. Mark has a particular passion for the operas of Verdi as well as Russian and French repertoire. Outside the concert hall and opera house, Mark enjoys cooking and travel and is probably at his happiest let loose in a French patisserie or a Viennese coffee house.

Popcorn, fish dives and a rock guitar lute: Balanchine and Robbins at The Royal Ballet