Carlos at 50: still igniting the stage

Carlos Acosta in George Balanchine's Apollo

Carlos Acosta and Marianela Nuñez in Act 2 of Anthony Dowell's Swan Lake

Carlos Acosta and Marianela Nuñez in Kenneth MacMillan's Manon

Carlos Acosta and Laura Rodríguez in Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui's Mermaid

Carlos Acosta in George Balanchine's Apollo

By Jonathan Gray, 27 July 2023

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“he is, perhaps, the only living male ballet dancer in the United Kingdom who is a household name”

Reviewed at Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London on 26 July 2023

Mixed Programme (Carlos at 50)

Carlos Acosta, Dancer

Marianela Núñez, Dancer

Céline Gittens, Dancer

Lucy Waine, Dancer

Zeleidy Crespo, Dancer

Laura Rodríguez, Dancer

Brandon Lawrence, Dancer

Mario Sergio Elias, Dancer

Yonah Acosta, Dancer

Laurretta Summerscales, Dancer

Yaoqian Shang, Dancer

Enrique Corrales, 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

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.

*****

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

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Jonathan Gray

Jonathan Gray was born in Wales and studied at The Royal Ballet School, Leicester Polytechnic and Wimbledon School of Art. He was a member of the curatorial department of The Theatre Museum, London, from 1989 until 2005, and was editor of Dancing Times from 2008 until its closure in 2022.