Ballet Icons Gala 2023: a dazzling show of quality, skill and tricks

Reece Clarke and Yasmine Naghdi in Manon

Aitor Arrieta and Katja Khaniukova in Chopin Romance

Francesca Hayward and William Bracewell in The Dream

Lucía Lacarra and Matthew Golding in Borealis

Margarita Fernandes and António Casalinho in Le Corsaire

By Deborah Weiss, 21 February 2023

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“nuanced musicality and seamless transitions were a welcome contrast to the technical wizardry”

Reviewed at The London Coliseum, London on 19 February 2023

Maria Seletskaja, Conductor

English National Ballet Philharmonic

Yasmine Naghdi, Dancer

Reece Clarke, Dancer

Maia Makhateli, Dancer

Daniil Simkin, Dancer

Katja Khaniukova, Dancer

Aitor Arrieta, Dancer

Sergio Bernal, Dancer

Dorothée Gilbert, Dancer

Audric Bezard, Dancer

Lucía Lacarra, Dancer

Matthew Golding, Dancer

Marianela Núñez, Dancer

William Bracewell, Dancer

Iana Salenko, Dancer

Dmitry Zagrebin, Dancer

Calvin Royal III, Dancer

Evelīna Godunova, Dancer

Julian MacKay, Dancer

Giuseppe Picone, Dancer

Nicoletta Manni, Dancer

Timofej Andrijashenko, Dancer

Francesca Hayward, Dancer

Jeffrey Cirio, Dancer

Margarita Fernandes, Dancer

António Casalinho, Dancer

Acosta's Don Quixote for BRB: polished but not quite enough panache

Jonathan Gray, 23rd April

Carlos Acosta's Don Quixote for Birmingham Royal Ballet returned to Sadler's Wells with polished but low-key interpretations across the board.

***11

The Royal Ballet and McGregor: stunning dancing but nothing really new

Deborah Weiss, 18th April

An evening of ballets by Wayne McGregor, including the world premiere of Quantum Souls, proved to be a little too much of the same thing.

***11

The Center Will Not Hold: Dorrance Dance thrills at Sadler's Wells

Daniel Pratt, 17th April

Dorrance Dance offer a compelling mix of genres in The Center Will Not Hold – high energy, full of surprises, top quality performances.

****1

Natalia Makarova's La Bayadère: a night to remember in Oslo

Vikki Jane Vile, 17th April

Norwegian National Ballet gives a marvellous rendition of Natalia Makarova's La Bayadère. Opening night in Oslo was a strong argument for its place in any season, displaying ballet escapism at its best.

****1

Scottish Ballet’s Starstruck: plenty of pzazz in Glasgow

Kathy Elgin, 16th April

Christopher Hampson’s newly updated Starstruck is thoroughly entertaining with sexy solos, classical pas de deux and lines of perfectly-timed Broadway hoofing.

****1

Pop goes postmodern: Kyle Abraham's Cassette Vol. 1 in New York

Carla Escoda, 16th April

A.I.M by Kyle Abraham with guest artist Taylor Stanley bring a postmodern vibe to an early MTV-era playlist. One of the most bewitching things you're likely to encounter this year.

*****

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Deborah Weiss

Deb joined Bachtrack in 2022 and commissions reviews and writing on ballet and dance. She was Royal Ballet School-trained and is a former principal dancer for companies including London Festival Ballet (now English National Ballet) and Bayerisches Staatsballett. She has been writing for more than 30 years – publications have included Dancing Times, DanceTabs, Dance for You and Dance Europe. She also interviews for Voices of British Ballet, an oral archive of people who have worked in the industry in the UK. In addition to her writing, since 2016 she has been facilitating programmes that support victims of domestic abuse. Deb is passionate about her rescue dog, Bruce, and daughters (not in that order), swims a mile at least five days a week and is an avid reader.