BRB's Swan Lake provokes an enthusiastic response in Southampton

Birmingham Royal Ballet in Act 2 of Peter Wright's Swan Lake

Brandon Lawrence and Céline Gittens in Swan Lake

Brandon Lawrence in Act 3 of Swan Lake

Brandon Lawrence and Céline Gittens in Act 3 of Swan Lake

Lucy Waine and Yijing Zhang in Act 2 of Swan Lake

By Deborah Weiss, 03 February 2023

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“Brandon Lawrence was like a concord-shaped drone, hovering inexplicably in the air”

Reviewed at Mayflower Theatre, Southampton on 2 February 2023

Swan Lake (Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov, Sir Peter Wright, Galina Samsova)

Birmingham Royal Ballet

Paul Murphy, Conductor

Philip Prowse, Set Designer

Peter Teigen, Lighting Designer

Royal Ballet Sinfonia

Céline Gittens, Dancer

Brandon Lawrence, Dancer

Riku Ito, Dancer

Karla Doorbar, Dancer

Sofia Liñares, Dancer

Lucy Waine, Dancer

Yijing Zhang, Dancer

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

Mejia debuts in a sumptuous Sleeping Beauty at New York City Ballet

Carla Escoda, 12th February

Roman Mejia and a raft of soloist debuts galvanized Peter Martins' Sleeping Beauty. An elegant production with some incidental messiness and the structural liability of a princess' dependence on a kiss.

****1

Dutch National Ballet brings much needed heat to this winter season

Mark Vicente, 10th February

The Dutch National Ballet helped shake off those winter blues with a mixed programme that highlighted ballet’s love affair with Latin rhythms and movement.

****1

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Deborah Weiss

Deb joined Bachtrack in 2022 and commissions reviews and writing on ballet and dance. She was Royal Ballet School-trained and is a former principal dancer for companies including London Festival Ballet (now English National Ballet) and Bayerisches Staatsballett. She has been writing for more than 30 years – publications have included Dancing Times, DanceTabs, Dance for You and Dance Europe. She also interviews for Voices of British Ballet, an oral archive of people who have worked in the industry in the UK. In addition to her writing, since 2016 she has been facilitating programmes that support victims of domestic abuse. Deb is passionate about her rescue dog, Bruce, and daughters (not in that order), swims a mile at least five days a week and is an avid reader.