Norwegian National Ballet: a showstopping triple bill

Norwegian National Ballet in George Balanchine's Diamonds

Whitney Jensen and Alex Cuadros Joglar in George Balanchine's Diamonds

Nae Nishimura Skaar and Jonathan Olofsson in Lightfoot/León's Schubert

Grete Sofie Borud Nybakken and Alex Cuadros Joglar in Lightfoot/León's Stop Motion

Alex Cuadros Joglar in Lightfoot/León's Stop Motion

By Graham Watts, 05 February 2024

Loading, please wait...

See full listing

“starts slowly to expose the precise technique of every movement and finishes with galloping grandeur”

Reviewed at Oslo Opera House, Main Stage, Oslo on 3 February 2024

Diamonds (George Balanchine)

Stop-Motion (Sol León, Paul Lightfoot)

Schubert (Sol León, Paul Lightfoot)

Norwegian National Ballet

Nicolette Fraillon, Conductor

Norwegian National Opera Orchestra

Whitney Jensen, Dancer

Alex Cuadros Joglar, Dancer

Jonathan Olofsson, Dancer

Nae Nishimura Skaar, Dancer

Grete Sofie Borud Nybakken, Dancer

Douwe Dekkers, Dancer

Mira Nadon’s sparkling debut in Firebird with New York City Ballet

Ivy Lin, 25th April

A triple bill comprising Balanchine's Symphony in C, Agon and Firebird could not have been more inspiringly danced by New York City Ballet.

*****

Ballet for cowboys and soldiers at Kansas City Ballet

Hilary Stroh, 20th March

Kansas City Ballet celebrate the USA’s 250th anniversary with three American ballets. Balanchine's Stars and Stripes, de Mille's Rodeo and a new work by Caili Quan, A Home Away.

****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

A spectacular triple bill lifts ABT’s spring season in New York

Leigh Donlan, 13th March

A finely curated triple bill from American Ballet Theatre included works from Balanchine, Jiří Kylián and Alexei Ratmansky.

****1

Understatement and spectacle at New York City Ballet

Carla Escoda, 26th February

Jerome Robbins' Dances at a Gathering and George Balanchine's Diamonds make a study in contrasts. With lots of debuts in the former and seasoned leads in the latter.

*****

Fast Forward: Hamburg Ballet’s mixed bill proves a mixed success

Vikki Jane Vile, 22nd February

All that glistens... the world premiere of Xie Xin’s The Moon in the Ocean is the highlight of a mixed bill programme spanning 90 years of choreography.

***11

More reviews...

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.