A roller-coaster of diverse dance as ENB celebrates its 70th

By Graham Watts, 19 January 2020

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“Whew! What a roller-coaster of diverse dance!”

Reviewed at The London Coliseum, London on 17 January 2020

Études (Harald Lander)

The Three-Cornered Hat (Antonio Ruiz Soler)

Dust (Akram Khan)

Swansong (Christopher Bruce)

Of What’s to Come (Richard Bermange)

Apollo (Apollon musagète) (George Balanchine)

Romeo and Juliet (The Dance of the Knights) (Rudolf Nureyev)

Giselle (Migration sequence) (Akram Khan)

Broken Wings (La Llorona pas de deux) (Annabelle Lopez Ochoa)

Who Cares? (Fascinatin’ Rhythm) (George Balanchine)

La Sylphide (August Bournonville)

The Sleeping Beauty (Marius Petipa, Sir Kenneth MacMillan)

Three Preludes (Ben Stevenson)

Carmen (Roland Petit)

Coppélia (Ronald Hynd)

Strictly Gershwin (Derek Deane)

Playlist (Track 1, 2) (Track 2) (William Forsythe)

English National Ballet

Gavin Sutherland, Conductor

Sergio Bernal, Dancer

Erina Takahashi, Dancer

Fabian Reimair, Dancer

Jeffrey Cirio, Dancer

James Streeter, Dancer

Matthew Astley, Dancer

Francesco Gabriele Frola, Dancer

Alison McWhinney, Dancer

Skyler Martin, Dancer

Dominic Hickie, Dancer

Tamara Rojo, Dancer

Precious Adams, Dancer

Francesca Velicu, Dancer

Joseph Caley, Dancer

Joshua McSherry-Gray, Dancer

Daniel McCormick, Dancer

Fernanda Oliveira, Dancer

Junor Souza, Dancer

Shiori Kase, Dancer

Brooklyn Mack, Dancer

Isaac Hernández, Dancer

English National Ballet School

English National Ballet Philharmonic

National Ballet of Japan’s new triple bill is full of bold challenges

Naomi Mori, 15th March

While National Ballet of Japan’s latest triple bill presents many challenges, one hopes these valuable masterpieces will be revived, enabling the company to develop its virtuosity and artistry.

****1

American Ballet Theatre: Kyle Abraham's Mercurial Son disappoints

Ivy Lin, 16th October

Bond’s La Boutique was delightful, Abraham’s Mercurial Son, a little disappointing but Lander's Études sent the audience home happy.

****1

Études/Circle Electric: The Australian Ballet in contrasting works

Katie Lawrence, 4th May

The Australian Ballet presents a diverse double bill of contemporary and classical dance, including its first major work from choreographer in residence Stephanie Lake. Unfortunately, only the classical piece exhilarates.

***11

He's not nice, he's amazing: ABT's Fall season opener

Ivy Lin, 18th October

A strong opening to ABT’s fall season, the company often seemed stagnant in the last years of Kevin McKenzie’s directorship. It is now more exciting. New leadership, new faces.

****1

Opéra de Paris pays vibrant tribute to Patrick Dupond

Laurine Mortha, 23rd February

Two years after the death of Patrick Dupond, the Paris Opera Ballet paid tribute to him in a sumptuous gala evening, with the procession of the Ballet’s stars and the the performance of three of Dupond’s most emblematic works.

*****

Philosophy amid movement in San Francisco Ballet’s Dance Innovations

Terez Rose, 13th February

The ballet culminates with fouettés, bravura leaps from the oversized ensemble and a rousing finish with all 44 dancers onstage. It was an exuberant end to an intelligent, satisfying production, both of thought and movement.

****1

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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.

A roller-coaster of diverse dance as English National Ballet celebrates its 70th anniversary