Ballet Icons Gala 2025 brings much excitement to the Coliseum

Mayara Magri in Laurencia

Marianela Núñez and William Bracewell in The Sleeping Beauty pas de deux

Mara Galeazzi and Jason Kittelberger in Toujours

Shale Wagman and Inès McIntosh in Le Corsaire

Chloe Misseldine in Giselle

By Amanda Jennings, 10 March 2025

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“her work in this approached perfection in its purity and dynamic virtuosity”

Reviewed at The London Coliseum, London on 9 March 2025

Ballet Icons Gala 2025

Lucía Lacarra Ballet

Maria Seletskaja, Conductor

English National Ballet Philharmonic

Marianela Núñez, Dancer

William Bracewell, Dancer

Reece Clarke, Dancer

Chloe Misseldine, Dancer

Mayara Magri, Dancer

Matthew Ball, Dancer

Giorgi Potskhishvili, Dancer

Anna Tsygankova, Dancer

Maria Kochetkova, Dancer

Sebastian Kloborg, Dancer

Osiel Gouneo, Dancer

Mara Galeazzi, Dancer

Jason Kittelberger, Dancer

Matthew Golding, Dancer

Nicoletta Manni, Dancer

Timofej Andrijashenko, Dancer

António Casalinho, Dancer

Margarita Fernandes, Dancer

Victor Caixeta, Dancer

Madison Young, Dancer

Maia Makhateli, Dancer

Timothy van Poucke, Dancer

David Motta Soares, Dancer

Iana Salenko, Dancer

James Pett, Dancer

Travis Clausen-Knight, Dancer

Inès McIntosh, Dancer

Shale Wagman, Dancer

Marie-Agnès Gillot, 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

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

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

International Draft Works at the Linbury brought much to delight

Amanda Jennings, 16th April

The Royal Ballet's International Draft Works proved to be an excellent opportunity to see dancers and budding choreographers from around the world.

****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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Amanda Jennings

Amanda wrote for Dance Europe for twelve years and has also written for Dance Australia and Dance International. She trained at Arts Educational and with David Howard, Melissa Hayden, Patricia Wilde and Valentina Pereyaslavec in New York. She danced for two years with New Jersey Ballet, and in the UK with Vienna Festival Ballet and Vyvyan Lorrayne’s London’s Imperial Ballet. Her freelance career included work with the Royal Opera, ENO, film, television and modelling. She was in the original cast of On Your Toes with Natalia Makarova. Amanda also taught extensively and holds the diploma of the PDTC at the RAD with Distinction.