AAADT struggles to make an indelible mark

By Graham Watts, 09 September 2019

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Reviewed at Sadler's Wells Theatre, London on 5 September 2019

EN (Jessica Lang)

The Call (Ronald K Brown)

Juba (Robert Battle)

Revelations (Alvin Ailey)

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

The Royal Ballet School: a triumphant display of excellence throughout

Jonathan Gray, 12th July

It was a wonderful, heartening afternoon – it’s no wonder nearly all the 2025 graduates have gained contracts with several major ballet companies.

*****

Royal Ballet School, Next Generation: championing young choreographers

Amanda Jennings, 24th June

Overall, The Royal Ballet School delivers much to admire, but reminiscent of a multiple-course banquet that still leaves you reaching for the cheese and biscuits when you get home.

***11

Festival of New Choreography: plenty of imagination and bold choices

Deborah Weiss, 15th February

Four world premieres and four main stage debuts provides genuine hope for the future of choreography.

****1

Keepers of the Ashton flame in the US: Sarasota Ballet at The Joyce

Ivy Lin, 16th August

Not every Ashton work is a masterpiece, but Sarasota Ballet presents these Ashton works with such love and care, it ensures that even if the ballets won’t “keep”, they aren’t forgotten.

*****

Moments and misses in American Ballet Theatre's American Splendor

Erin Bomboy, 8th July

American Ballet Theatre shows its range with pieces from George Balanchine, Alonzo King, and Jessica Lang, but the dancing and choreography remain uneven throughout.

***11

Choreography with the camera in Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Rep 2

Annie Nikunen, 16th November

Pacific Northwest Ballet's Rep 2 features an all-female choreographer program with world premieres by Penny Saunders and Jessica Lang and excerpts from the work of Twyla Tharp and Susan Marshall.

*****

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Graham Watts

Graham Watts is a freelance dance writer and critic writing regularly for Dancing Times, Dance Europe, Danza Europa, and many more publications. He regularly writes features for Sadler’s Wells, London Coliseum and La Scala. Chairman of the Dance Section of the Critics’ Circle in the United Kingdom and of the UK National Dance Awards he has interviewed many of the greatest names in dance including Maya Plisetskaya, Vladimir Vasiliev, Boris Eifman, Alexei Ratmansky, Andris Liepa, Sir Peter Wright, David Bintley and Dame Gillian Lynne. When not involved in dance Graham is a keen fencer, and has captained the British Sabre team.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater struggles to make an indelible mark in second Wells programme