Polish National Ballet: two substantial new works by women

Exodus by Anna Hop

Bieguni-Harnasie by Izadora Weiss with Natalia Pasiut as Annuszka

Bieguni-Harnasie by Izadora Weiss, Rodzina Family

By Graham Watts, 30 January 2023

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“Works by two female choreographers on an epic scale”

Reviewed at Teatr Wielki: Moniuszko Hall, Warsaw on 28 January 2023

Exodus (world premiere) (Anna Hop)

Flights-Harnasie (world premiere) (Izadora Weiss)

Polish National Ballet

Marta Kluczyńska, Conductor

Małgorzata Szabłowska, Set Designer, Lighting Designer

Orchestra of the Teatr Wielki

Katarzyna Sobańska, Set Designer

Marcel Sławiński, Set Designer

Bartek Macias, Video

Bogumil Palewicz, Lighting Designer

Piotr Salajczyk, Piano

Natalia Pasiut, Dancer

Zbigniew Malak, Tenor

Heroes and Beasts: Die Frau ohne Schatten in Warsaw

Hugo Shirley, 15th February

The Polish National Opera's first staging of Strauss' massive fairy tale feels like a bold statement of intent.

***11

Polish National Ballet’s Prometheus: dance on a monumental scale

Maggie Foyer, 18th June

In Prometheus, Krzysztof Pastor has created an epic full-length ballet for his company which serves to show-off a roster of powerful principal roles as well as a fine ensemble.

****1

Polish National Ballet shines in a Beethoven triple bill

Graham Watts, 2nd June

A rich mix of pure dance and powerful music shows the company in very fine form towards the end of a demanding season.

***11

Polish National Ballet's Don Quixote: pacy, challenging and joyful

Graham Watts, 15th March

Don Quixote is a sunny ballet that is impossible not to enjoy, which here provided an evening of great skill and joyful entertainment.

****1

The Australian Ballet does Romeo and Juliet: precision over passion

Katie Lawrence, 24th April

This revival of Romeo and Juliet combines vivid staging and technical leads, but the lover's careful partnership lacks the volatility that makes young love convincing and tragedy believable.

***11

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

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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.