Finnish National Ballet's The Sleeping Beauty: family friendly

Finnish National Ballet in Javier Torres' The Sleeping Beauty

Thomas Brun as the Bluebird in Javier Torres' The Sleeping Beauty

Linda Haakana as Babette with Finnish National Ballet in The Sleeping Beauty

Frans Valkama as the Golden Deer in The Sleeping Beauty

By Maggie Foyer, 24 January 2025

Loading, please wait...

See full listing

“the virtuosity delivered with charm and complete harmony in the partnering”

Reviewed at Finnish National Opera: Main Hall (Suomen Kansallisoopera: päänäyttämö), Helsinki on 23 January 2025

The Sleeping Beauty (Marius Petipa, Javier Torres)

Finnish National Ballet

Maria Seletskaja, Conductor

Minna Wallenius, Set Designer

Erika Turunen, Costume Designer

Eric Loustau-Carrere, Lighting Designer

Hye Ji Kang, Dancer

Clark Eselgroth, Dancer

National Ballet of Japan's Swan Lake: tragic but mesmerising

Naomi Mori, 5th June

National Ballet of Japan’s revival of Sir Peter Wright’s Swan Lake showed the company in good form, especially among the unified corps de ballet Swans.

****1

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

More reviews...

Maggie Foyer

Maggie Foyer danced with PACT, the State Ballet Company in Johannesburg and Kinetika Contemporary Dance in South Africa. After graduating from the R.A.D., she taught at the Central School of Ballet in London and the Royal Swedish Ballet School. She has MA degrees in Education and Literature and is an associate lecturer in Humanities at the Open University. She has written for Dance Europe, The Dancing Times, Dance Magazine, Danza International, various dance websites and has contributed programme notes for companies including The Royal Ballet and Dutch National Ballet. She is a member of the Critics’ Circle and the National Dance Awards Committee.