Outstanding attention to detail in BRB's Romeo and Juliet

By Graham Watts, 11 October 2021

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“I have rarely seen such meaningful storytelling through gesture, mime and facial expression”

Reviewed at Birmingham Hippodrome, Birmingham on 8 October 2021

Romeo and Juliet (Sir Kenneth MacMillan)

Birmingham Royal Ballet

Paul Andrews, Set Designer

John B. Read, Lighting Designer

Beatrice Parma, Dancer

Mathias Dingman, Dancer

Gus Payne, Dancer

Valentin Olovyannikov, Dancer

Callum Findlay-White, Dancer

Gabriel Anderson, Dancer

Rory Mackay, Dancer

Laura Day, Dancer

Lucy Waine, Dancer

Rosanna Ely, Dancer

Alexandra Burman, Dancer

Karla Doorbar, Dancer

Rachele Pizzillo, Dancer

Miles Gilliver, Dancer

Royal Ballet Sinfonia

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In this latest revival of Kenneth MacMillan’s Mayerling, The Royal Ballet presents a roster of powerful and vivid interpretations across the board.

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National Ballet of Japan's revival of Manon was devastatingly good

Naomi Mori, 19th March

National Ballet of Japan in Kenneth MacMillan’s Manon has been revived six years after its performances were cancelled because of the pandemic. Exceptionally good interpretations led the opening night performance.

****1

Ballet superstars in Frankfurt for a night to savour

Vikki Jane Vile, 30th November

For one night only, audiences in Frankfurt were treated to some world class ballet on the expansive stage of the Jahrhunderthalle.

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ENB’s The Sleeping Beauty: disappointing cuts skew the story

Jonathan Gray, 27th November

English National Ballet's revival of the Tchaikovsky classic The Sleeping Beauty, disappoints at the Mayflower Theatre in Southampton.

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Ballet Nights makes an impressive and unforgettable Scottish debut

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Ballet Nights is more than an evening of party pieces: it showcases emerging talent alongside older favourites and, in the case of this first Scottish outing, has an eye to local tradition.

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Ballet Nights – Spring Into Summer a fascinating hotchpotch of dance

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Ballet Nights 008 – Spring into Summer proved to be a judicious choice of quality and diverse repertoire.

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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.

Outstanding attention to detail in Birmingham Royal Ballet's Romeo and Juliet