A Swan Lake of awe inspiring beauty in Amsterdam

By Lambrecht Wessels, 18 March 2019

Loading, please wait...

See full listing

“a continued homage to classical beauty and the awe-inspiring dancing that women are capable of”

Reviewed at Dutch National Opera and Ballet, Amsterdam on 16 March 2019

Swan Lake (Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov, Rudi van Dantzig, Toer van Schayk)

Dutch National Ballet

Boris Gruzin, Conductor

Andrew Mogrelia, Conductor

Toer van Schayk, Set Designer, Costume Designer

Het Balletorkest

National Ballet of Japan’s Raymonda is a feast of excellent dancing

Naomi Mori, 25th April

National Ballet of Japan’s Raymonda is a gem in the repertoire, despite shortcomings in the plot. Lavish production designs, stunning classical choreography and excellent dancers makes this a ballet lover's heaven.

*****

Acosta's Don Quixote for BRB: polished but not quite enough panache

Jonathan Gray, 23rd April

Carlos Acosta's Don Quixote for Birmingham Royal Ballet returned to Sadler's Wells with polished but low-key interpretations across the board.

***11

Natalia Makarova's La Bayadère: a night to remember in Oslo

Vikki Jane Vile, 17th April

Norwegian National Ballet gives a marvellous rendition of Natalia Makarova's La Bayadère. Opening night in Oslo was a strong argument for its place in any season, displaying ballet escapism at its best.

****1

José Martínez unveils his latest Don Quichotte in Palermo

Vito Lentini, 29th March

José Martínez has envisioned a Don Quichotte that recalls the original 19th century choreography while also acknowledging some of the notable 20th century versions and it's splendid looking.

****1

Dutch National Ballet's reimagined La Bayadère triumphs

Mark Vicente, 26th March

Dutch National Ballet's new production of La Bayadère does away with the ballet’s problematic gestures and movements, allowing the choreography to truly shine.

****1

American Ballet Theatre's double bill is short and sweet in New York

Ivy Lin, 15th March

American Ballet Theatre presents Balanchine's Raymonda: Grand Pas Hongrois and Ratmansky's Firebird which showcases the company well and provides a strong contrast.

****1

More reviews...

Lambrecht Wessels

Lambrecht Wessels is a conflict analyst, publicist and avid dance fan living in Amsterdam. He writes about modern and classical dance, and follows Dutch National Ballet and the Netherlands Dance Theater especially. But he also visits dance performances in Belgium, the UK and Scandinavia.