Tag Archives: Ballet

Choreography: David Bintley Conductor: Paul Murphy Reviewer: Peter Jacobs [rating:3] Aladdin is a new production of the ballet David Bintley first created for the National Ballet of Japan in 2008, using a score (also slightly reworked) written by well-known film and TV composer Carl Davis. The story is familiar from the Thousand and One Nights and the many pantomime productions. ...

General Director: Eugene McDougle Artistic Director: Tory Dorbin Reviewer: Karen McCandless [Rating:4] Let’s be honest, ballet isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. But that’s because they haven’t seen a performance from Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo or "The Trocks" as they are affectionately known. Male ballet dancers pretending to be female ballet dancers – so ballet drag queens – is ...

Artistic director: Tony Dobrin Dances staged by: Alexandre Minz and Elena Kunikova Reviewer: Dave Cunningham [Rating:5] Some things are just funny. If the sight of muscular, hairy men squeezed into ballet tutus doesn’t tickle your funny bone then this is not the show for you. But ‘Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo’ is far more than just a series of ...

Music: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Conductor: Alexander Yudasin Choreographers: Vasily Vainonen &Sergei Bobrov Reviewer: Holly Spanner [rating:3.5] At a cheerful party on Christmas Eve, eccentric toymaker Drosselmeyer brings to life a Harlequin, Columbine and Moor. Excited, the children gather as the toys entertain them for the party. As a gift for goddaughter Marie, Drosselmeyer gives her a wooden Nutcracker doll which ...

Conceived by Ashley Page and Antony McDonald Conductor: Richard Honner Reviewer: Orson Ernest [rating:3] Ashley Page’s The Nutcracker premiered a decade ago and was his first complete work as Artistic Director of Scottish Ballet. It’s fitting then that the company have decided to revive his freshest seasonal fairytale as he slips out the proverbial back door. Although seen by many ...

Music: Pyotr IlyichTchaikovsky Choreographers: Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov and Sergei Bobrov Reviewer: Barbara Michaels [Rating:3.5] Swan Lake is perhaps the greatest classical ballet of all time. It is also possibly the most difficult. Not only is the technique required of the highest possible echelon, but, in the hundred and thirty years since its first performance in Moscow, it has been ...

Music: Tchaikovsky Director &Choreographer: Matthew Bourne Reviewer: Peter Jacobs [rating:3.5]   Matthew Bourne is completing a busy year of activity to mark the 25thAnniversary of his company with a new production of Sleeping Beauty. This major new work completes Bourne’s trilogy of the great Tchaikovsky ballets started in 1992 with Nutcracker! and continued in 1995 with his rightly celebrated Swan ...

Choreographers: Dreda Blow and Sebastien Loe Reviewer: Emily Maloney (age 11) [Rating:5] Northern Ballet’s Ugly Duckling is their first children’s ballet and I loved it! This was my first ever ballet and I want to see more like this. This ballet appealed to all age groups, even their parents. The story is really enjoyable and easy to follow. One day ...