Polunin is Rasputin: a titanic, totemic performance at the Palladium

By Graham Watts, 02 June 2019

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“this new full-length ballet is an unqualified success”

Reviewed at London Palladium, London on 1 June 2019

Rasputin (Yuka Oishi)

Sergei Polunin, Dancer

Johan Kobborg, Dancer

Alexey Lyubimov, Dancer

Elena Ilinykh, Dancer

Djordje Kalenic, Dancer

Natalia Osipova's absorbing Pure Dance at Sadler's Wells

Graham Watts, 23rd October

Osipova has completely shaken away any inhibitions of classical training to dance more freely than ever before.

****1

Star dancers choosing questionable dances?

Chantal Nguyen, 27th August

Natalia Osipova and David Hallberg's combined star power transcend this mixed bag of contemporary and classical dance.

****1

Dance for Ukraine: a roster of major talent from around the world

Deborah Weiss, 18th February

A long list of stars and young hopefuls from every corner of the globe came together to support Ukraine in the second fund-raising gala of its kind.

****1

BalletBoyz: Still Pointless at 25 and still making it work!

Maggie Foyer, 13th May

The BalletBoyz present an entertaining programme of old and new works spanning the last 25 years – with stellar performances.

****1

Tulsa Ballet at the Linbury: an unforgettable, punchy UK debut

Deborah Weiss, 13th May

A stupendous London debut from Tulsa Ballet in which they present a contrasting triple bill. It bodes well for further invitations to dance in the UK.

*****

Tiler Peck’s Symphonie Espagnole for NYCB is sprawling and ambitious

Ivy Lin, 9th May

A triple bill including Tiler Peck’s newest ballet for NYCB, does not entirely work. Too much blue light and sadness for one program.

***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.