A Journey: The Royal Ballet perform Ashton and Nijinska

By Margaret Willis, 02 July 2012

Loading, please wait...

See full listing

Reviewed at Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London on 30 June 2012

Birthday Offering (Sir Frederick Ashton)

A Month in the Country

Les Noces (Bronislava Nijinska)

The Royal Ballet

Tamara Rojo, Dancer

Federico Bonelli, Dancer

Sarah Lamb, Dancer

Roberta Marquez, Dancer

Yuhui Choe, Dancer

Helen Crawford, Dancer

Hikaru Kobayashi, Dancer

Laura Morera, Dancer

Zenaida Yanowsky, Dancer

Rupert Pennefather, Dancer

Emma Maguire, Dancer

Ludovic Ondiviela, Dancer

Christina Arestis, Dancer

Ryoichi Hirano, Dancer

Barry Wordsworth, Conductor

Tom Seligman, Conductor

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden

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

More reviews...

Margaret Willis

Margaret studied ballet in Moscow for five years and later was a member of London City Ballet. A reviewer since 1978 for many newspapers and magazines including Dancing Times and Dance Magazine, Margaret is a specialist on Russian Ballet, and has written books on Russian Ballet and Carlos Acosta.