The Royal Ballet: dynamism and contrast in its latest triple bill

Leo Dixon and Joseph Sissens in Wayne McGregor's Untitled, 2023

Anna Rose O'Sullivan and Melissa Hamilton in Wayne McGregor's Untitled, 2023

Artists of The Royal Ballet in Christopher Wheeldon's Corybantic Games

Laura Morera in Kenneth MacMillan's Anastasia Act III

By Graham Watts, 11 June 2023

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“she gave full vent to the nightmarish expressionism of the role”

Reviewed at Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London on 9 June 2023

Untitled, 2023 (World premiere)

Corybantic Games (Christopher Wheeldon)

Anastasia (Act 3) (Sir Kenneth MacMillan)

The Royal Ballet

Carmen Herrera, Set Designer

Erdem Moralıoğlu, Costume Designer

Lucy Carter, Lighting Designer

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden

Jean-Marc Puissant, Set Designer

Peter Mumford, Lighting Designer

Bob Crowley, Set Designer

John B. Read, Lighting Designer

Joseph Sissens, Dancer

Leo Dixon, Dancer

Fumi Kaneko, Dancer

Melissa Hamilton, Dancer

Calvin Richardson, Dancer

Anna Rose O'Sullivan, Dancer

Luca Acri, Dancer

Laura Morera, Dancer

Bennet Gartside, Dancer

BalletBoyz: Still Pointless at 25 and still making it work!

Maggie Foyer, 13th May

The BalletBoyz present an entertaining programme of old and new works spanning the last 25 years – with stellar performances.

****1

Contemporary escapism at New York City Ballet

Carla Escoda, 1st May

A longtime NYCB fan favorite, Concerto DSCH by Alexei Ratmansky, meets the New York premiere of Christopher Wheeldon's Continuum. But the evening belonged to corps dancer Ruby Lister in Edwaard Liang’s Distant Cries.

****1

Atlanta Ballet shines in a mixed contemporary program

Rebecca Ehrhardt, 3rd April

Atlanta Ballet's Golden Hour program featured two world premieres and the Atlanta premiere of Christopher Wheeldon's Within the Golden Hour.

*****

NYCB: Ratmansky’s The Naked King is not satire, but good fun

Ivy Lin, 7th February

New York City Ballet presents a very entertaining quadruple bill which includes Alexei Ratmansky’s latest work, The Naked King, showing off the company’s comic talents.

****1

The Royal Ballet’s Like Water for Chocolate is sumptuous but complex

Amanda Jennings, 1st October

The Royal Ballet’s season opener, Christopher Wheeldon’s Like Water for Chocolate, is visually tremendous, very well danced but the many principal and soloist characters are difficult to keep up with.

****1

Ballet Nights makes an impressive and unforgettable Scottish debut

Kathy Elgin, 4th July

Ballet Nights is more than an evening of party pieces: it showcases emerging talent alongside older favourites and, in the case of this first Scottish outing, has an eye to local tradition.

****1

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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.