The Sleeping Beauty is crammed with so many gems!

Act 3 of The Sleeping Beauty

Marianela Nuñez and Vadim Muntagirov in Act 2 of The Sleeping Beauty

Joseph Sissens as Bluebird in The Sleeping Beauty

Act 2 of The Sleeping Beauty

By Graham Watts, 18 January 2023

Loading, please wait...

See full listing

“three roles make or break any performance of The Sleeping Beauty”

Reviewed at Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London on 16 January 2023

The Sleeping Beauty (Marius Petipa, Anthony Dowell, Christopher Wheeldon)

The Royal Ballet

Koen Kessels, Conductor

Oliver Messel, Set Designer, Costume Designer

Mark Jonathan, Lighting Designer

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden

Peter Farmer, Set Designer

Marianela Núñez, Dancer

Vadim Muntagirov, Dancer

Joseph Sissens, Dancer

Isabella Gasparini, Dancer

Calvin Richardson, Dancer

Ashley Dean, Dancer

Claire Calvert, Dancer

Elizabeth McGorian, Dancer

Christopher Saunders, Dancer

Fumi Kaneko, Dancer

Kristen McNally, Dancer

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...

Graham Watts

Graham Watts is a freelance dance writer and critic writing regularly for Dancing Times, Dance Europe, Danza Europa, and many more publications. He regularly writes features for Sadler’s Wells, London Coliseum and La Scala. Chairman of the Dance Section of the Critics’ Circle in the United Kingdom and of the UK National Dance Awards he has interviewed many of the greatest names in dance including Maya Plisetskaya, Vladimir Vasiliev, Boris Eifman, Alexei Ratmansky, Andris Liepa, Sir Peter Wright, David Bintley and Dame Gillian Lynne. When not involved in dance Graham is a keen fencer, and has captained the British Sabre team.

The Sleeping Beauty has a very special place in the annals of The Royal Ballet