A long lost Ashton favourite returns

By Rym Kechacha, 19 November 2015

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“making wings and pecking and scratching at the air like city pigeons”

Reviewed at Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London on 18 November 2015

Monotones I and II (Sir Frederick Ashton)

The Two Pigeons (Ashton) (Sir Frederick Ashton)

The Royal Ballet

Barry Wordsworth, Conductor

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden

Yasmine Naghdi, Dancer

Emma Maguire, Dancer

Tristan Dyer, Dancer

Marianela Núñez, Dancer

Edward Watson, Dancer

Valeri Hristov, Dancer

Lauren Cuthbertson, Dancer

Vadim Muntagirov, Dancer

Laura Morera, Dancer

Ryoichi Hirano, Dancer

ABT presents the classics with slightly uneven results

Ivy Lin, 25th October

ABT offer some outstanding performances in a classical quadruple bill but there was a lack of confidence and uniformity within the corps de ballet.

***11

National Ballet of Japan revives Ashton's beloved Cinderella

Naomi Mori, 18th October

The National Ballet of Japan gave an excellent rendition of Sir Frederick Ashton's Cinderella, in spite of many new faces and role debuts.

****1

Ashton’s La Fille mal gardée: the most joyous of ballets

Amanda Jennings, 18th October

If you’re in need of a pick-me-up, get thee to the Royal Opera House and see La Fille mal gardée, a gem of a ballet. There’s a long roster of impressive casts to choose from.

****1

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.

*****

ABT: Ashton's Sylvia showcases the entire company

Ivy Lin, 10th July

The audience walked out of the theater feeling airborne and filled with the kind of joy you only feel after a truly special performance. Sylvia is an absolute treasure.

*****

Ballet Central at the Linbury: keen to prove its versatility

Deborah Weiss, 17th June

Ballet Central provides an extremely varied programme of new and old, classical and contemporary dance, with plenty of aplomb.

***11

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Rym Kechacha

Rym Kechacha trained at Central School of Ballet and danced with Northern Ballet. She has blogged for Ballet.co, reviewed for DanceTabs and contributed to The Dancing Times and Dance Europe. She also writes fiction, essays and text messages.

The Two Pigeons: A long lost Ashton favourite returns to the Royal Ballet