Persistent: outstanding triple bill celebrates female choreographers

By Mark Pullinger, 05 April 2019

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“Velicu... dances herself to death with child-like terror in her eyes”

Reviewed at Sadler's Wells Theatre, London on 4 April 2019

Broken Wings (Annabelle Lopez Ochoa)

Nora (World premiere) (Stina Quagebeur)

Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring) (Pina Bausch)

English National Ballet

Gavin Sutherland, Conductor

Dieuweke van Reij, Set Designer

Katja Khaniukova, Dancer

Irek Mukhamedov, Dancer

Crystal Costa, Dancer

Jeffrey Cirio, Dancer

Junor Souza, Dancer

Francesca Velicu, Dancer

English National Ballet Philharmonic

Louie Whitemore, Set Designer

Vinny Jones, Lighting Designer

Trui Malten, Lighting Designer

Rolf Borzik, Set Designer

Chris Swithinbank, Piano

Exciting talents and mixed choreography in Paris Opera Junior Ballet

Vikki Jane Vile, 29th January

Established in 2024, Paris Opera Junior Ballet has been touring extensively since early 2025, with Bonn’s Opera House the latest stop.

***11

Paris Opera Junior Ballet: a plethora of emerging talent

Deborah Weiss, 19th June

A very welcome visit from the Paris Opera Junior Ballet to the Linbury Theatre displays the company in a very favourable light, in a variety of works.

****1

Queensland Ballet: Behind the ‘rags to riches’ story of Coco Chanel

Ruth Ridgway, 4th October

Coco Chanel: the Life of a Fashion Icon is a visually beautiful work about an unscrupulous character and a great addition to Queensland Ballet's repertoire.

****1

BAAND Together Dance Festival: five major companies go toe-to-toe

Carla Escoda, 30th July

Five of the best-known dance companies based in New York City have united for a weeklong program every summer since COVID. This year they shared a stage but stuck to their own rep.

****1

Scottish Ballet's A Streetcar Named Desire: sensual but tragic

Deborah Weiss, 16th May

Annabelle Lopez Ochoa's A Streetcar Named Desire for Scottish Ballet fires on all cylinders. Compelling drama and outstanding dancing make this a must-see.

*****

Broken Wings soars in SF Ballet’s Dos Mujeres

Terez Rose, 6th April

Annabel Lopez Ochoa's Broken Wings is a ballet you’ll want to see again and again, one that illuminates, empowers and soars.

****1

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Mark Pullinger

Mark has been a Bachtrack editor since 2014. He is also an experienced critic, writing hundreds of reviews for the site, as well as a freelancer writing for other magazines and newspapers. He also writes programme notes and blogs on Substack. Mark has a particular passion for the operas of Verdi as well as Russian and French repertoire. Outside the concert hall and opera house, Mark enjoys cooking and travel and is probably at his happiest let loose in a French patisserie or a Viennese coffee house.

Persistent: ENB's outstanding new triple bill celebrating female choreographers