The Sarasota Ballet: a second programme to relish

The Sarasota Ballet in Ashton's Valses nobles et sentimentales

Amy Wood and The Sarasota Ballet in Ashton's Illuminations

Alex Harrison and Logan Learned in Ashton's Tweedledum and Tweedledee

The Sarasota Ballet in Ashton's Façade

Ellen Overstreet and Ricardo Rhodes in Ashton's Jazz Calendar

By Alexander Simpkins, 09 June 2024

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“The ending of this ballet is one of the simplest, yet most beautifully crafted you may ever see”

Reviewed at Royal Opera House: Linbury Theatre, London on 6 June 2024

Valses nobles et sentimentales (Sir Frederick Ashton)

Divertissements (by Sir Frederick Ashton) (Sir Frederick Ashton)

Façade (Sir Frederick Ashton)

Jazz Calendar (excerpt) (Sir Frederick Ashton)

Tweedledum and Tweedledee (Sir Frederick Ashton)

Sarasota Ballet

Iain Webb, Director

Jennifer Hackbarth, Dancer

Ricardo Graziano, Dancer

Ricardo Rhodes, Dancer

Marijana Dominis, Dancer

Jessica Assef, 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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Alexander Simpkins

Alex is a London-based ballet teacher. He began training at the Suzanna Raymond School of Dance and graduated from Central School of Ballet. For 15 years, he danced for companies in Austria, Spain and Germany, including Ballet de Zaragoza. Since 2015, Alex has taught in the UK at London Studio Centre, Gielgud Academy of Performing Arts, CityLit and the RAD Dance School. He contributed articles to the Dancing Times between 2018 – 2020. Recently, he initiated an award which enables dance students to see live ballet performances, in memory of his teacher, John O’Brien (former Rambert dancer and Dance Books founder.)