Norwegian National Ballet: strong and harmonious, especially the corps

Grete Sofie Borud Nybakken and Simon Regourd in Swan Lake Act 2

Norwegian National Ballet in Xander Parish's Raymonda

Anaïs Touret and Douwe Dekkers in Samantha Lynch's COUCH

Julie Petanova and Jonathan Olofsson in Kaloyan Boyadjiev's Romeo and Juliet

By Jonathan Gray, 11 November 2023

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“a series of divertissements, tailored to the individual qualities of the dancers”

Reviewed at Oslo Opera House, Main Stage, Oslo on 9 November 2023

Swan Lake: Act 2 (Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov, Natalia Makarova)

Swan Lake: Pas de Deux (Marius Petipa, Natalia Makarova)

Romeo and Juliet: pas de deux (Kaloyan Boyadjiev)

New Work (Samantha Lynch)

Raymonda Suite (Marius Petipa, Xander Parish)

Norwegian National Ballet

Vello Pähn, Conductor

Norwegian National Opera Orchestra

Grete Sofie Borud Nybakken, Dancer

Whitney Jensen, Dancer

Ricardo Castellanos, Dancer

Yolanda Correa, Dancer

Douwe Dekkers, Dancer

Anaïs Touret, Dancer

Julie Petanova, Dancer

Jonathan Oloffson, Dancer

Simon Regourd, Dancer

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

José Martínez unveils his latest Don Quichotte in Palermo

Vito Lentini, 29th March

José Martínez has envisioned a Don Quichotte that recalls the original 19th century choreography while also acknowledging some of the notable 20th century versions and it's splendid looking.

****1

Dutch National Ballet's reimagined La Bayadère triumphs

Mark Vicente, 26th March

Dutch National Ballet's new production of La Bayadère does away with the ballet’s problematic gestures and movements, allowing the choreography to truly shine.

****1

American Ballet Theatre's double bill is short and sweet in New York

Ivy Lin, 15th March

American Ballet Theatre presents Balanchine's Raymonda: Grand Pas Hongrois and Ratmansky's Firebird which showcases the company well and provides a strong contrast.

****1

Mejia debuts in a sumptuous Sleeping Beauty at New York City Ballet

Carla Escoda, 12th February

Roman Mejia and a raft of soloist debuts galvanized Peter Martins' Sleeping Beauty. An elegant production with some incidental messiness and the structural liability of a princess' dependence on a kiss.

****1

Dutch National Ballet brings much needed heat to this winter season

Mark Vicente, 10th February

The Dutch National Ballet helped shake off those winter blues with a mixed programme that highlighted ballet’s love affair with Latin rhythms and movement.

****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.