The Peony Pavilion by The National Ballet of China definitely does not disappoint for a night at the ballet showcasing first-class dance work from the continent. The production is centred on one of the most famous love stories in Chinese literature and originally was performed as a 20-hour opera. Adapted from Tang Xianzu’s play, The Peony Pavilion is a ballet telling a 16th Century story of passion pitted against impossible odds, truly a performance full of grace and sophistication that … [Read more...]
Reviews of Ballet in London
If you are planning to visit London to see a ballet in London, then maybe our London ballet reviews section can be of help? Read one of the latest reviews or use the search button to find and view one of our previous reviews of ballet. We use a star rating system on our site.
William Forsythe – A Quiet Evening of Dance
Take the title of choreographer William Forsythe’s A Quiet Evening of Dance literally. For the first forty-five minutes of this show, the only sound you’ll hear is a sometimes soundtrack of distant birds singing quietly and the dancers breathing. The house lights are left up, you’re visible and there’s no set. It’s all black on black with occasional highlights of grating colour in the form of what looks a lot like coloured rubber gloves. The consequence is the audience is left uncomfortable, exposed physically and emotionally in their familiar Sadler’s seats, tested on an actual appreciation of choreography with no comfort blankets and nowhere to hide.
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Giselle: English National Ballet – Sadler’s Wells Theatre
This is going to be one of those quintessential productions. One of those, that if you’ve been fortunate enough to get to see it, you will still be talking about in twenty years time. Telling others you were there and, yes, this is how it was. A great Romantic ballet of themes, Giselle remains a two-act frame for this stunning reimagining by Akram Khan, Tamara Rojo and her English National Ballet of which she is the Artistic Director as well as being a principal dancer. Originally a story … [Read more...]
Quint-Essential: Five New Ballets at The Peacock Theatre – Review
What a gorgeous jewel box of a dance event is this. Five new ballets choreographed by five brilliant choreographers, describing stories and sensibility through movement, not found before. Everything about this show is very fine. From the production and lighting values. creating tone and atmosphere, to the live music and the nuanced dancing by the talented performers of the New English National Ballet Theatre. Before each ballet starts a filmed, short interview with its choreographer is … [Read more...]
Unknown Pleasures by CNN-Ballet De Lorraine at Sadler’s Wells
What a pleasure of assorted treats is this dance event. Put aside all concerns about not having visible branded choreographic names to rely on, this is Sadler's Wells and the Dance Umbrella Festival. Quality assured. The whole point of the evening is about being able to appreciate great work without the usual labels being attached. You might want to guess who they might be of course. It has been five international choreographers ( aged from their 30's to their 70's) who have worked … [Read more...]
Snow White: Vienna Festival Ballet Company – Review
As the Vienna Festival Ballet Company begin a nationwide tour, I went along to the Wyllyotts Theatre to see their version of the classic tale Snow White. If you are looking for first-class family entertainment, then look no further. The story of Snow White is one that we are all familiar with - most of us have seen it presented as a pantomime and/or an animated film. But seeing this classic fairy tale come to life in the form of a ballet has to be the most enjoyable and spectacular way of … [Read more...]
Review of Shanghai Ballet’s production of Echoes of Eternity
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and is by definition, extremely subjective. However, I think I can say without a shadow of a doubt that I had one of the most beautiful nights at the theatre last night as I experienced the fabulous Shanghai Ballet in their production of Echoes of Eternity at the London Coliseum. Inspired by Bai Juyi's ancient Chinese poem “Song of Everlasting Sorrow” which tells the story of the doomed romance between the Lady Yang (Qi Bingxue) and the all-powerful … [Read more...]
Northern Ballet 1984 at Sadler’s Wells – Review
Orwell’’s 1984 is a hapless tale, dark and ominous in its subject matter, where the rebellious protagonists are doomed from the start. The inescapable surveillance from a faceless Big Brother feels just as relevant now in the era of Orwell’s novel. How, then, can such an iconic tale of politics, hate and turmoil be translated into a comprehensible ballet? With such a complex narrative to convey, this reviewer certainly imagined the plot would be boiled down to a series of motifs that inferred at … [Read more...]