Irmgard

Having been at two electrifying performances by Cesar Corrales and Francesca Hayward in 2019, I was delighted to see that their performance on 23 October was just as spontaneous, and Corrales, in particular, had added even more wonderful details to his characterisation. My heart did sink when the overture started, as it sounded pedantic and rather plodding (and I note I felt the same in 2019!). It did seem to be rather an off-night for the orchestra with fluffed notes, especially in the wind section, and I wished the music had been as passionate as Corrales was in the balcony pas de deux! I was very pleased that there was the same dream team of Marcellino Sambé as Mercutio and James Hay as Benvolio, and the pas de trois with Corrales before the ballroom scene was a real highlight, especially his beautifully stretched feet! I did not like Matthew Ball’s interpretation of Tybalt previously, having thought it too laid back, but he seems to have rethought it so that his arrogance is more obvious and his facial expressions more reactive, giving him a much more dangerous edge. As in 2019, I liked the way he was seemingly caught unawares by Corrales after he has killed Mercutio, so that there was a completely spontaneous feel to their swordfight, with Corrales attacking him with such ferocity in his grief at the death of Mercutio that it led to some truly heartstopping moments. I think what is so wonderful about Corrales’s Romeo is that he gives himself completely to the character so that his technique, fabulous as it is, is the servant rather than the master, resulting in an exuberance and a passion which bursts forth across the footlights and draws the audience into the action so that we feel we are in Verona with him. Hayward is the perfect foil for him and their chemistry made every glance or gesture between them emotionally charged. For me, her standout moment came in the scene when she finally agrees to marry Paris. It seemed to me that all the other characters in the scene were rather weak in their interpretations but it could just be that Hayward’s Juliet is so poignant and tugs at the heartstrings so much that the others pale into insignificance! Just as in 2019, the final scene in the crypt was heartbreaking, with the distraught Corrales trying to bring the ‘dead’ Hayward back to life, manipulating her limp (but still extremely expressive) body almost recklessly in his anguish before their wonderfully understated deaths. This was yet another performance to treasure and I deeply regret there are no more performances for this outstanding couple for the rest of the run.

Having bought a ticket for this before I realised I had double-booked myself for the evening of 23 October, the organisers of the inaugural Ballet Nights performance (Henry Dowden of English National Ballet and Jamiel Laurence, formerly of Scottish Ballet) very kindly invited me to watch the afternoon dress rehearsal. The technical rehearsal having happened earlier in the day, this felt almost like a private performance, especially as everything was danced almost full out! To get to this new venue, I walked from Canary Wharf tube station, only to discover it was just around the corner from South Quay DLR so this is definitely the stop I will use in the future! The Lanterns Studio Theatre has been created by Laurence’s mother and is a huge space above her nursery school. With a vaulted ceiling and an enviable performance space, this is certainly a welcome addition to dance venues in London. Lighting is fairly basic at the moment but the sound system was excellent, and the recorded pieces were played at a very pleasing volume. Each half of the programme began with Chopin performed with great sensitivity by pianist Viktor Erik Emanuel. Apparently the Yamaha piano was Elton John’s touring piano but thankfully it has lost none of the beauty of its tone as a result! The dance section of the first half opened with a delightful performance by ENB’s 2020 Emerging Dancer, Ivana Bueno, of Medora’s Act II solo from “Le Corsaire”. This suited her admirably and she had been coached by one of the company’s finest Medoras, Shiori Kase, so there was a lovely sense of style to the whole thing, as well as very clean fouetté turns. This was followed by “Kirra’s Death, Greater than Lion” choreographed and danced by Kennedy Junior Muntanga, along with Olivia Grassot, which I found absolutely mesmerising. I was unable to read the programme note at the time but I later read that the work is based partly on a story of the same name by Alexander McCall Smith. In the first section, they hardly moved from the spot and created fascinating shapes with their bodies, greatly helped by their excellent costumes, at times resembling a Rorschach picture or a kaleidoscope. However, when they started to move, it was obvious that both or one of them were creatures rather than humans, such was the immediacy of Muntanga’s choreography. This was followed by “Heavenly Bodies”, choreographed and danced by Daniel Davidson, whose dancing lived up to the title. The first half closed with the Act II pas de deux from David Dawson’s “Swan Lake”. Choreographed for Scottish Ballet in 2016, London audiences were robbed of the chance to see this by lockdown so it was a real pleasure to see this brief excerpt. Danced by Constance Devernay and Barnaby Rook Bishop with great elegance, this was a beautiful, elegiac rethinking of the piece in modern costumes. I was rather fascinated by the red diamond-shaped gemstone on Devernay’s leotard and wondered if it was a nod to Pavlova’s “Dying Swan” costume which featured the same. After some more lovely Chopin, the second half opened with one of Robert Cohan’s final creations, “Communion”, danced by Luke Ahmet, which was a fitting tribute to this leader of contemporary dance in the UK for so long. This was followed by “How do you know all this?” choreographed and danced by Hannah Rudd, which seemed to be a rather angry piece although danced with an expressionless face as were the previous solos. Then came “Untitled”, choreographed and danced by Jeffrey Cirio. Created for his own company, the Cirio Collective, several years ago, the opening section was originally danced in silence but Cirio decided to commission ENB colleague, Fabian Reimair, to compose a soundscape for this performance, which worked extremely well, the second section being danced to Chopin’s “Raindrop” prelude played by Emanuel. Cirio once again showed the extraordinary breadth and inventiveness of his movement vocabulary in this intriguing piece. The programme ended in true gala style with the pas de deux from “Don Quixote”. Danced by the supremely elegant pairing of Francesco Gabriele Frola and Katja Khaniukova, this was a truly stylish performance with all the expected fireworks – and more! A slight drawback of having a black backcloth was that, with Frola in dark tights, I could not clearly see the detail of his spectacular leaps or his beautifully clean beats but that is a minor niggle. As for Khaniukova, it was hard to believe she had stepped off a plane from Kyiv only a few hours earlier, so sublime was her dancing! I loved the way her delicious solo started with a series of tiny runs en pointe which were so fast that her feet were a blur, rather like a hummingbird’s beating wings. All in all I thought this was an excellent first programme by the enterprising duo of Dowden and Laurence, and I am sure the evening’s audience enjoyed the performance as much as I enjoyed the rehearsal. Personally, I would have liked one more ballet piece so that there was an even balance with the contemporary pieces and hopefully this will happen in future programmes, of which I hope there will be many.

I was delighted to attend the first two days of the Ballet Festival (Ballet UA) by the Ukrainian National Ballet in their beautiful home in Kyiv - the National Opera House of Ukraine - for my first trip outside of England for over a year. The first evening, 21 October, was devoted to two recent ballets for the company. As it was a little difficult to negotiate the opera house’s website, I am not sure if the first of these, “Eyes Wide Closed” was its première. I take it that the translation was meant to be “Eyes Wide Shut” in reference to Stanley Kubrick’s film. It was choreographed by Viktor Ishchuk, a dancer with the company and one of the two male dancers appearing in it, the other being Serhiy Kryvokon. Amongst the featured females were Natalia Matsak and Yulia Moskalenko who charmed me so much when she appeared in Ivan Putrov’s gala in London last month. The piece was performed to a selection of works by Bach, Rachmaninov and Chopin alternately played by the fabulous Gabriella Lina Magallas on piano and a string quartet, presumably from the resident orchestra, placed on opposite sides of the stage. The female dancers were dressed in a rendition of 18th century undergarments – corsets and panniered skirts – with the men in conventional tights and shirts. The piece opened with everyone dancing in silhouette, like the artwork so favoured in the 18thth century, which was very effective. Later on, the ladies dispensed with their skirts and danced in a variation on frilly knickers. The choreography itself was very musical albeit not particularly inventive but it was a joy to see such beautifully trained dancers who appeared to be thoroughly enjoying dancing it. The second piece premièred in June 2021 and was entitled simply “Dante”. By Yaroslav Ivanenko, formerly a member of the company and now choreographer for the ballet company in Kiel, this was a telling of Dante’s search for his beloved Beatrice in the underworld. Set to a score comprising works by Ezio Bosso, Dvorak and Wagner, this was a thrilling piece with a lot of virtuoso dancing, not least from Vitaly Netrunenko. Without having read the programme note, I assumed he was the Devil, such was his charismatic and forceful dancing, but apparently he was Virgil, Dante’s constant companion during his search. The corps de ballet were put to admirable use in the first scenes, with their very energetic dancing suggesting to me that they were the furies, characters beloved of 18th century ballets who performed all the acrobatic steps in keeping with their other-worldly status. Sets, costumes and lighting were all very effective, although I think the use of the chute (rather like the emergency chute on an aeroplane) for the entrance of the corps de ballet into the underworld was used perhaps in one too many scenes. The piece culminated in a very moving pas de deux for Dante (Nikita Sukhorukov) and Beatrice (Tatiana Lyozova) to Wagner’s “Liebestod” before they ascended into heaven. All in all, this was a very enjoyable evening and a great introduction to this talented company. The second evening (22 October) was rather like a national Emerging Dancer competition, with couples from all the major companies in Ukraine performing their party pieces. Katja Khaniukova and Aitor Arrieta from English National Ballet were the guest artists providing ‘interludes’ from the competition, ending the first half and then the whole evening. Due to her commitments in London, Khaniukova and Arrieta were unable to perform in the gala performance the following evening with other guest artists from the Paris Opéra and Kiel, among others. Of the competing couples, in the first half I very much enjoyed Maria Shupilova and Pavel Zurnadzhi from Kyiv in a sparkling performance of the “Flames of Paris” pas de deux and a particularly charming and classy Anastasia Gurska and Andriy Havryishkiv, also from Kyiv, in a delightful performance of the “Talisman” pas de deux. In the second half, Alexei Knyazkov and Christina Kadashevich from Kharkiv raised the temperature in the auditorium with an incredibly steamy performance of the Crassus and Aegena pas de deux from “Spartacus”. He looked every inch the swaggering, arrogant Roman, and she used her long legs particularly seductively, with each gravity-defying lift or clinch eliciting spontaneous applause from the audience who were so enamoured of this couple that the applause continued long after they left the stage. I later discovered that they had been awarded the pas de deux prize. However, my highlight was an enchanting performance of the “Diana and Acteon” pas de deux by the effervescent Moskalenko and Stanislav Olshansky from Kyiv which ended the competition segment of the programme. After all these Russian gala favourites, it was like a breath of fresh air to see Khaniukova and Arrieta in the Act I bedroom pas de deux from MacMillan’s “Manon”, possibly the first time it has been seen live in Kyiv. I was lucky enough to see Arrieta as Des Grieux three times during English National Ballet’s 2018/2019 season and each time I was extremely moved not only by the beauty of his dancing but also by his passionate characterisation which intensified at each performance. For Khaniukova, this was her début as Manon, having previously danced the Mistress, and she proved that this is a role she was born to dance with her exquisite footwork, beautiful use of épaulement and the utter charm of her characterisation. With their flawless techniques and ability to totally inhabit characters, even in an excerpt, Arrieta and Khaniukova are perfectly matched, and there was a palpable chemistry between them. Their obvious joy gave the pas de deux an added rapturousness, with Arrieta making Khaniukova look as light as air in the thrilling lifts, and the final slide had the audience applauding and cheering before the music had finished, making me so glad that Khaniukova had chosen to present this gorgeous pas de deux in her home city. To close the evening, Khaniukova and Arrieta danced the lovely pas de deux which follows the pas de trois in Act II of Anna-Marie Holmes’s staging of “Le Corsaire”. This was a beautifully polished performance, danced with such tenderness that it took my breath away multiple times and I would love to see them dance the full ballet together (as I would “Manon”!). Again, the audience gave them a huge and prolonged ovation at the end and I think we all went home with smiles on our faces and our hearts singing after witnessing such a wealth of beautiful dancing. I was only sorry that I could not stay to see the gala the following evening but delighted to have been there for two very entertaining performances.

When I first saw the title “L’heure exquise”, I assumed it referred to the beautiful poem of the same name by Paul Verlaine. It was not until almost the end of the performance I attended (17 October) that I realised it was a line from the French translation of what we know as the Merry Widow Waltz! I have never really been a fan of Maurice Béjart as the choreography of his I have seen over the years never seems to live up to expectations built up from the programme notes. This piece proved to be no exception, with Béjart obviously having pretentions towards existentialism, but Samuel Beckett he is not! However, the divine Alessandra Ferri rose above the absurdities of the material to give a performance of great poignancy and charm which was entirely due to her supreme artistry. I have vivid memories of seeing Ferri in her graduation performance from the Royal Ballet School (“Concerto” second movement) in 1980, and of her glorious performances with the Royal Ballet in her all-too-brief time with the company, and it is wonderful that she is still so physically beautiful to watch: those incredibly eloquent feet, the sublime arch of her neck and above all those luminous eyes in the most expressive of faces! Just to see her lower her body over her front leg in swan position was enough to give me goosebumps. There was actually very little dancing for her to do but I treasured every perfect arabesque she took! There was much more dialogue than dancing and she delivered this in beautifully clear English, full of personality, and excellent French when she later on had to say the words of the Waltz, chopped up into thudding syllables. Throughout the piece, she was impeccably supported by Carsten Jung who appeared thrilled to be sharing the stage with this goddess of the dance. This is not a work I would rush to see again unless, of course, it offers the chance to see the phenomenal Alessandra Ferri!

Attending the opening night of “Creature”, I thought how privileged Akram Khan is to be able to work with such prodigious talent both onstage and in the pit. I read the play by Büchner in German studies during high school and I loathed it, not only for its subject matter but also because not one of the characters was sympathetic, not the hapless Woyzeck and certainly not the duplicitous Marie. Similarly, I felt that Macmillan’s “Different Drummer”, based on the play, was one of his lesser works, and my abiding memory is of poor Wayne Eagling submerged in a bathtub full of peas! It appears that Khan has only taken from Büchner some of the character names and the idea of human experimentation and mangled it with elements from Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” and a poem by Lord Byron, and the result is a very muddled, almost incomprehensible storyline. I thought Ruth Little’s synopsis for Khan’s version of “Giselle” was so full of holes that it resembled a piece of Swiss cheese but her synopsis for “Creature” is facile, bordering on the puerile. The set by Tim Yip is similar to the wall in “Giselle”, only here we have three dilapidated wooden walls with two all-purpose doors - but who would build a wooden structure in the high arctic, where we are told the action takes place? I did not think that the set was particularly effective in the dénouement (and it was only at a later performance that I noticed the walls shaking, like giant wobble-boards), leaving it to the lighting design of Michael Hulls to create the atmosphere of desolation. For all it is meant to be dilapidated, the station is obviously extremely well heated as Marie wears nothing more than a light summer dress and the Creature is bare-chested for almost the entire piece. The Doctor and the Major are dressed in rather elegant coats but the poor ensemble, referred to on the cast sheet as the army, are dressed in a cross between boiler suits and space suits in a bulky, unflattering material which I later discovered is Neoprene! The score, or soundscape, by Vincenzo Lamagna, was dangerously loud on opening night, with the beginning noise making the seats in the auditorium vibrate to a very disturbing degree. Unlike Lamagna’s score for “Giselle”, Maestro Gavin Sutherland did not provide the orchestration for “Creature” and his skill was very much missed. The orchestra spent most of their time accompanying the soundscape, which was mainly an assault on the ears, and being drowned out in the process, which I felt was very insulting to these fine musicians. As to the choreography, I find that Khan has a very limited movement vocabulary for ensembles and it was very easy to spot movements borrowed from “Dust” and “Giselle” as there was no attempt to make them look different. The opening sequence of slow motion walks was interesting but my neck was soon aching in sympathy with the dancers as they had to flick their heads backwards and forwards. The step sequence became unintentionally funny in Act II when the platoon entered through the door on the audience’s left and exited through the door on the right, only to appear a few seconds later entering again through the door on the left, rather like a music hall comedy act! At one point, the female members of the platoon enter like a chorus line and perform a series of quirky hand and body movements for the Creature. The lovely Angela Wood (and Katja Khaniukova in a later performance – what a waste of a dancer who is a principal in all but title!) imbued the movements with such sensuality that I wondered if this was an attempt by the females to seduce the Creature but, as her companions performed the movements in a matter of fact way, perhaps not. Apart from the Creature himself, Khan has drawn the named characters very sketchily in terms of movement, and defining their characters appears to be left to the individual dancers to do so through their considerable acting skills. The magnificent Fabian Reimair commands the stage from his first entrance as the Major, who appears to be in charge of the whole set-up. Reimair plays the Major as a mixture of his arrogant, entitled and brutal Jailer in “Manon” and the ruthless father of Bathilde in Khan’s version of “Giselle”, making him a definite psychopath, culminating in the senseless murder of Marie. The always watchable Stina Quagebeur, who served Khan so well as Myrtha, does what she can with the muddled character of the Doctor, at times revelling in the inhumane experiments on the Creature, at times showing a conscience and at other times leading the platoon in a merry dance while trying to avoid being one of the objects of the Major’s desire. Worst served by Khan is the exquisite Erina Takahashi as the (in his conception) downtrodden Marie, who seems to spend most of her time mopping the floor or scrubbing the table with her bare hands (and if the station is soon to be abandoned, why does it need so much cleaning?). Takahashi does vulnerability extremely well but how I would have loved to see her formidable dancing skills used in a much more imaginative way! It is therefore the extraordinary Creature of Jeffrey Cirio in a tour de force performance who takes all the dancing honours. Khan has benefitted greatly from Cirio’s huge movement vocabulary and facility and, I imagine, from the fact that Cirio is a choreographer in his own right and is used to exploring movement possibilities. Such is his strikingly individual way of moving that he appears to be a creature from another world which, for me, explained why Takahashi’s Marie does not always know how to react to his actions although there is most definitely a chemistry between them which makes the rare moments of tenderness very moving. Amidst the many breath-taking moments of Cirio’s dancing, the one imprinted on my mind is a set of jetés forward with flexed knees and feet (as used by Nijinsky in “L’après-midi d’un faune”) in which his ability to suspend in the air was truly awe-inspiring, much as I imagine Nijinsky’s must have been! I came away from this performance full of admiration for the dancers and musicians and the intense commitment of their performances but wishing they had been far better served by both choreographer and composer. What a difference a week makes! I returned to watch both shows on Thursday 30 September so that I could see the other two casts of principals. I was very relieved that the volume of the soundscape had been reduced to an almost acceptable level, although the noise at the beginning was still intolerable, and I could actually hear the orchestra, even if what they were playing could hardly be described as melodic. Aitor Arrieta took on the role of the Creature and gave a truly memorable performance. His Creature was most definitely human and tugged at the heartstrings from beginning to end as he endured all with an infinite sadness and incomprehension. I have always considered Arrieta to be a true danseur noble and there was indeed a nobility and a pride in the way he performed the sequence of robotic movements at the beginning to the soundtrack of Richard Nixon’s voice. When these movements were repeated later on, the nobility seemed to be ebbing, as if the cruelty of the experiments were taking their toll on him. I was very aware with Arrieta, as I was with Cirio, that the Creature appears to have something implanted in his brain which is manipulating him and at times causes him great pain, and his silent screams were very harrowing. His Marie was the fascinating Emily Suzuki who proved her dramatic credentials in Stina Quagebeur’s haunting “Hollow” last season. She made her eyes almost expressionless in that piece, as if to signal her withdrawal from the world, and she used this again to great effect in the opening duet with the Creature (and I still remain unsure whether this is meant to show us the end of the story first, like “Mayerling”). Her outstanding dramatic moment in this piece was after her assault by the Major when she tried to scrub herself clean with a ferocity that I found heartbreaking. There was such an incredibly intense chemistry between Arrieta and Suzuki that their duets became the highlight of the performance for me, and his anguish when he cradled her dead body in his arms as his world crumbled was palpable and almost unbearable. The evening’s performance was almost dominated by Fernanda Oliveira’s mesmerising Marie. She caught the light almost at the beginning of the piece and it never left her, so that, even when she was at the back of the stage, her luminous beauty was eye-catching. The fluidity of her movement and the way she used her body in the duets with the Creature was breath-taking. Even in the final duet, there was a beauty in the limpness of her body which reminded me of her Juliet and Manon and made the choreography look much better than it actually is. But it was also her incredibly detailed characterisation which was so memorable. Having to spend so much time cleaning, she even made this look interesting, mopping diligently around the guard’s feet, and there was a wonderful moment when she just stood at the back of the stage and leant against the handle of the mop with a feeling of resignation that was very moving. Her relationship with the Creature appeared to be more maternal at first, having to constantly guide him, until she suddenly realises he is attracted to her. In the one almost lighthearted duet they have together, her body and face were so expressive that it was obvious she suddenly felt the water when the Creature plunged her feet into the bucket. The Creature was Isaac Hernandez, almost unrecognisable without his usual head of curls, who seemed to be a child in a man’s body, uncomprehending of all that was going on around him. There was something about his innocence that reminded me of Johnny Depp’s Edward Scissorhands, especially the final moments when he held Marie’s body in his arms in a way which seemed to indicate that he could not quite understand that she was dead or that everything around him was collapsing, which was extremely touching. I came away from my third viewing still feeling that this is a deeply flawed piece and, in the hands of lesser artists, would probably have been a dismal failure. However, although I feel that the dancers and orchestra (and the audience!) deserved much better, I would watch it again (with earplugs on standby) for the sheer brilliance of the dancers’ interpretations and I am so pleased that they received standing ovations at all three performances I attended – richly deserved!!!!

I’m sharing information about this interesting gala taking place on 23 October 2021 in a venue new to me, the Lanterns Studio Theatre in London E14. It is curated by dancer Henry Dowden, of English National Ballet, and is the first of what he hopes will be a series of performances mixing the old with the new. For those who missed Francesco Gabriele Frola’s spectacular Acteon in Ivan Putrov’s gala last week, this is the chance to see him in another gala favourite, the pas de deux from “Don Quixote”, partnering his ENB colleague, Katja Khaniukova, whose performance of this at the 2017 Emerging Dancer Awards, with the 2016 winner Cesar Corrales, brought the house down. ENB’s Jeffrey Cirio and his sister Lia (principal with Boston Ballet) have an experimental group called the Cirio Collective which comes together each summer in the USA to produce new work but I believe this is the first time his choreography will be seen in the UK. He has created a solo to music by Chopin which will be played live by Viktor Erik Emanuel. Luke Ahmet will dance a solo from “Communion” in tribute to the late Robert Cohan, and Constance Devernay and Barnaby Rook Bishop will perform the Act II pas de deux from David Dawson's "Swan Lake". The evening will also feature new choreography from Daniel Davidson, Kennedy Muntanga Ft, Olivia Grassot and Hannah Rudd. Seating is unreserved but we are assured that there are excellent sightlines from all seats (priced at £45, or £60 for the front row). I hope people will consider supporting this enterprising new venture. Unfortunately I have been unable to upload on here the flyer I received but I believe it can be found by logging onto the ticket website. Tickets are available from www.ticketsource.co.uk/BalletNights and I found the booking process very straightforward.

The National Ballet of Canada has just announced that Hope Muir will succeed the lengendary Karen Kain as Artistic Director from 1 January 2022.

The thirteenth and final performance of ENB’s Solstice on 26 June had a party atmosphere to it right from the start with a glowing performance of the excerpts from “Coppélia” Act III, especially the exquisite Swanilda of Fernanda Oliveira, all charm and deceptively steely technique, and Jeffrey Cirio whose smile is as disarming as his formidable technique, greatly enhanced by Delibes’ heartwarming score played lusciously by the ENB Philharmonic under Maestro Gavin Sutherland who never fails to impress by his empathy for the dancers and making the music come alive. If the style of dancing from the Hours ladies was not quite as uniform as it would be if they had not had such a long break from classical dancing, it was nonetheless charming in every respect. For the beautiful style needed for this piece, my eyes were drawn, as they have been at every performance, to Adriana Lizardi, Angela Wood (oh! those beautifully controlled turns in attitude!) and Chloe Keneally, and to the delightfully sunny smile of Francesca Velicu. This performance was the last show with ENB by the lovely Senri Kou (Bridesmaid in this cast) after sixteen years with the company during which she has literally graced the stage whenever she has appeared. It was therefore wonderful that Cirio led her downstage to take a solo bow so that her huge contribution over the years could be acknowledged by all of her colleagues onstage and in the pit, and by the audience. From a personal point of view, it was an absolute delight for me to work with her on the peasant pas de deux and Zulma (first Wili solo) in Mary Skeaping’s “Giselle” and my abiding memory of her will be as the girl in the Third Song of “Song of the Earth” where her sunny personality and exquisite technique were shown to perfection. She will be sorely missed by everyone onstage and off. Erina Takahashi and James Streeter were again extraordinary in “Dust”, and Emma Hawes and Junor Souza were sublime in “Three Preludes”. In fact, they have developed a wonderful chemistry over this run of performances so that one can marvel not only at the beauty of their technique but at the emotional depth they bring to the piece. Shiori Kase and Francesco Gabriele Frola added extra fireworks to “Le Corsaire” so that they absolutely brought the house down – what an amazing ending to the evening this would have been if programmed as the last piece! Frola added new gasp-inducing pyrotechnics to his solo and the coda, all done with seemingly effortless grace. As for Kase, from her first balance in arabesque, held to the last millisecond of the musical phrase, it was clear she was on fire. Her solo was flawless and thrilling as she played with the music during the relevés en passant, followed by amazingly controlled double pirouettes á la seconde, and her fouettés in the coda (sixteen perfect doubles and fifteen singles with a multiple one at the end) sizzled, and all done with the most radiant of smiles. Alison McWhinney impressed as always with her impeccable style and grace as the Diamond Fairy and I only wish we had had the chance to see more of her lovely classical dancing in this programme. With the ‘Llorona’ pas de deux from “Broken Wings”, I have to correct my post about 16 June as this was actually the full pas de deux (with a few alterations at the end made by Annabelle Lopez-Ochoa via the indispensable Zoom) and not the shortened gala version I had assumed it was. However, it seemed all too short to me as I was left wanting more each time I saw it. Khaniukova and Reimair have developed their interpretations even more over this run and their chemistry is electrifying. From the moment Khaniukova bent over and raised the hem of her skirt oh so seductively, Remair was immediately smitten, and the result was a pas de deux of finely nuanced, intimate moments as well as great joyousness, playfulness and love. For me, they have simply become Kahlo and Rivera (perhaps a happy coincidence that their surnames begin with the same letters!). Likewise, Emily Suzuki and Victor Prigent have developed their interpretations in the hauntingly beautiful “Hollow” which never failed to move me at each performance. Natascha Mair looks less uncomfortable now as Odile in the Black Swan pas de deux, and has added some characterisation, but still suffers in appearing after the extraordinary Kase, although sympathetically partnered, as always, by Isaac Hernández. “Playlist” had an end-of-term feeling to it, with all the ‘boys’ letting their hair down and having a rip-roaring time, with the audience clapping along during the second half. Needless to say, I think the audience all went home with smiles on our faces after this exhilarating dance-off, and the company to a well-deserved holiday after this disjointed but ultimately successful season. Reflecting on this season and recent ones, it seems that ENB has tended to spotlight the prodigious talent of its male dancers, sometimes overlooking the exceptional talent amongst its female dancers. Notwithstanding the recent losses of Cao, Cojocaru and Dronina, it has four outstanding ballerinas in Takahashi, Oliveira, Kase and Khaniukova who led the company impeccably during the truncated 2019/2020 season and should be celebrated much more than they seem to be, in my opinion, along with Hawes, McWhinney and the up-and-coming Suzuki, who all light up the stage whenever they appear.

I attended the Saturday matinée on 19 June to see the last major cast changes in this programme. Outstanding were Jeffrey Cirio and Emily Suzuki in the duet from “Dust”. Cirio gives a much sharper dynamic to the piece than James Streeter does, with jerky, angular movements, very suggestive of a shellshock victim. He and Suzuki are so in tune with each other that she responds in a similar manner, creating a piece that is truly harrowing, and the sudden lifts towards the middle of the piece have an almost brutal feel to them as Suzuki’s body stiffens as she is lifted. The one moment that I found absolutely heartbreaking was when Suzuki reached out to touch Cirio’s face and he jerked his head away with such violence as if he could not bear any human contact. This was an awe-inspiring performance which will long stay in my mind. The fact that Suzuki has been given two major duets in this programme hopefully signals that a promotion will soon be on the cards for this extremely talented artist. In the Jewels extract from ‘Beauty’ Katja Khaniukova showed us her immaculate Russian style as the Diamond fairy, with her exquisite footwork and beautiful use of upper back and ports de bras. In “Hollow”, Junor Souza and Alison McWhinney take on the roles created by Emily Suzuki and Victor Prigent and give a very different but equally moving interpretation. The height difference of these two dancers works to advantage, with Souza showing an enveloping tenderness towards McWhinney. His is a more mature, almost resigned grief as he tries to reach out to McWhinney’s haunted character, lost in her own world. The moment at the end of the piece, when McWhinney finally appears to recognise Souza by reaching out and gently touching his arm, was heartbreaking. In “Playlist”, Fernando Carratalá Coloma continues to impress me with his thoroughly entertaining stage presence.

Some thoughts on the changes of principal casting I saw in last night’s performance (18 June): As far as I am aware, Shiori Kase and Francesco Gabriele Frola were dancing Swanilda and Franz together for the first time and were simply stunning. Not only did they make an utterly charming couple but they were technically flawless, with Frola making all the shoulder lifts look effortless and bringing a real sense of excitement to his immaculate solo. Kase’s totally assured Swanilda was vivacious and mischievous, and her exquisite footwork, particularly in the delicious series of pas de bourrée en pointe was a joy to behold. Together with the lovely smiles of the ladies of the corps de ballet, this sunny start to the evening was the perfect antidote to the rain-soaked day. “Three Preludes” received another sublime performance, this time danced by Fernanda Oliveira and Skyler Martin. I can only describe the way Oliveira uses her very pretty legs and feet as luscious and, with her innate musicality, the Rachmaninov prelude, in another superb performance by Julia Richter, seemed to flow through her entire body. She and Martin made a very handsome couple and, if the chemistry was not quite as electric as it was with Junor Souza in their unforgettable performances last January, there was a beautifully tender connection between them. In the ‘Corsaire’ pas de trois, Daniel McCormick completely stole the limelight with his larger than life personality, and the pyrotechnics in his bravura solo were delivered with both panache and elegance, drawing gasps and spontaneous applause from the audience. In less than one hour, the amazing Erina Takahashi went from extraordinary body contortions in the ultra-contemporary “Dust” to giving a masterclass in that pinnacle of the classical ballet repertoire, the Black Swan pas de deux. Her Odile literally glittered with stunning balances, rippling, sensuous arm movements, a firecracker series of double and single fouetté turns and seductive échappé relevés and temps levés en arrière, and even the smallest movement was imbued with Odile’s duplicitous character. This was truly a performance to treasure, in which she was very sympathetically supported by Joseph Caley as the enamoured Siegfried. Kudos to Victor Prigent, who went from another emotionally draining performance of “Hollow” with Emily Suzuki into the effervescent “Playlist”, with only the Black Swan pas de deux in between. The Playlisters are stamping their individual personalities even more on this dance-off, the exuberance of which is so infectious, it would not surprise me if there was dancing in the aisles by the end of next week. I take on board Sophie_B’s post about not being able to get into the “Broken Wings” duet on its own. I suppose that I have seen the complete ballet so many times that the juxtaposition of such joyous movement (given another rapturous performance last night by Katja Khaniukova and Fabian Reimair) and mournful lyrics does not seem incongruous to me. The main theme of Annabelle Lopez-Ochoa’s ballet is the extraordinary resilience of Frida Kahlo in the face of overwhelming adversity and her determination to live her relatively short life to the full. Indeed, the bodice of Frida’s costume represents the steel corset she was forced to wear for much of her life following her horrendous accident and surgery as a teenager. So, for me, ‘La Llorona’ signifies the foreboding that, even in her moments of greatest happiness, tragedy was not far away (if memory serves me right, her miscarriage follows almost directly on from this duet, and then her husband’s infidelity).

It was good to be back in the Royal Festival Hall on Wednesday evening (16 June) for the first performance of ENB’s “Solstice” programme. I spent many happy hours in this venue from the late 1970s to the early 1990s watching the company’s three-week summer seasons of full-length ballets and mixed bills drawn from its vast repertoire at the time, plus of course its annual “Nutcracker” season. It is not an ideal venue for dance, with the stage, “wings” and proscenium having to be fashioned from the concert stage and an orchestra “pit” created but it has seen many exceptional performances over the years. In “Solstice”, there is a happy mixture of excerpts from cornerstones of the company’s repertoire and newer additions, most of them accompanied by the ENB Philharmonic, under the baton of Maestro Gavin Sutherland, giving its first performances in front of a paying audience since January 2020, its members playing with their customary combination of finesse and gusto, although necessarily reduced to thirty-one players under the current restrictions, The evening started with an arrangement of extracts from “Coppélia” Act III under the supervision of Ronald Hynd, still going strong at ninety, and it was great to see him in the first-night audience. Due to the type of repertoire the company had been rehearsing before this programme, for many of the dancers this was the first purely classical work they had danced since the galas in January 2020 and so might have been forgiven for any roughness around the edges, especially on a stage new to most of them. However, the ladies’ performance of the “Hours” was stylish and precise, particularly the circle in which each one in turn performs a pirouette from a kneel, and the joy they exuded was infectious. The fiendishly difficult pas de deux for Swanilda and Franz, as performed by Fernanda Oliveira and Jeffrey Cirio, looked effortless, sunny and always full of love. It was followed by the duet from Akram Khan’s “Dust”, performed by James Streeter and Erina Takahashi who, incredibly, celebrates her 25th season with the company this year and is most definitely at the top of her game. Inspired by the mental damage caused to soldiers in the First World War and the effect on their loved ones, this duet never fails to move when performed with such intensity. Another pas de deux followed: the divine first movement of Ben Stevenson’s “Three Preludes” also seen at the company’s 70th anniversary galas last January. Then, Junor Souza performed it with the petite Fernanda Oliveira. This time he was paired with the long-limbed Emma Hawes which gave a different dynamic to the piece which was equally sublime, and they were obviously inspired by the gorgeous playing of the Rachmaninov prelude by company pianist, Julia Richter, who took full advantage of the venue’s wonderful acoustic and gave a performance of great sensitivity. How I would love to see the company perform the complete work again! We were then treated to the pas de trois from “Le Corsaire” with Shiori Kase absolutely on fire as Medora with her stunning series of double and single fouetté turns and some breathtaking multiple pirouettes. Joseph Caley and especially Francesco Gabriele Frola also gave us plenty of pyrotechnics, so that the trio received tumultuous applause and gave a real party feeling to the evening. The highlight for me of the Jewels segment from Act III of “The Sleeping Beauty” was the very stylish dancing of Alison McWhinney in the Diamond variation. After that came the slightly truncated version of the central “La Llorona” duet from Annabelle Lopez-Ochoa’s evocation of the life of Frida Kahlo, "Broken Wings". As danced by Katja Khaniukova, it was easy to see why this was the role for which she won the National Dance Award for Outstanding Classical Performance last year. Her expressive portrayal of the complex Frida was radiant, flirtatious, at times vulnerable but always spirited. All the pieces in this programme are performed on a bare stage with lighting effects only and, for this duet, it was bathed in orange which picked up the colour of Khaniukova’s huge, flounced orange skirt which she swirled seductively at Fabian Reimair, who portrayed her husband Diego Rivera as larger than life in every way. Their extraordinary chemistry was palpable in what is essentially a courtship dance with its moments of playfulness and tenderness, with Reimair proving yet again not only that he is a master of characterisation but also of partnering as he effortlessly tossed and swung the diminutive Khaniukova around in this life-affirming work. I was very pleased that “Hollow” created by Stina Quagebeur for last year’s Emerging Dancer nominees, Emily Suzuki and Victor Prigent, was included in the programme so that these two outstanding artists had the opportunity to perform it onstage, instead of in the production studio. Created during lockdown, if any piece reflects the mental anguish of the time, it is this haunting portrayal of a young man trying to reach out to a young girl who has shut down. Suzuki gives an extraordinary performance, making her eyes completely blank, as if lost in her own world, as does Prigent who becomes increasingly distressed as she fails to respond to his efforts to communicate with her. The effect was heartbreaking, and they certainly deserved the accolade of being the only members of the corps de ballet given a pas de deux together in this programme. After Shiori Kase’s sensational performance in “Le Corsaire”, the Black Swan pas de deux felt rather like an anti-climax. Natascha Mair did not look entirely comfortable as Odile, although ably supported by Isaac Hernandez. William Forsythe’s “Playlist” brought the evening to a rousing conclusion, exploiting as it does the male talent in all ranks of the company. Melding classical and contemporary, it is a chance for them to let their hair down and have fun but still maintain the discipline required for some very polished ensemble dancing. Each member of the twelve-strong team is highlighted at some point, with Jeffrey Cirio and Erik Woolhouse providing the standout moments in this powerhouse of a piece which received a huge ovation from the enthusiastic audience. The ENB Philharmonic and Maestro Sutherland, who had sat in darkness during this piece as it is to recorded music, finally took a bow and it was great to see all the Playlisters clapping and cheering their orchestra from whom they have been separated for far too long. At a running time of ninety minutes without interval, this programme is full of delights and has the rare distinction of showcasing all the principals at every performance, as well as the formidable talent in all ranks of the company, and it is well worth the very reasonable ticket prices. I look forward very much to seeing this cast again and the changes of cast over the two-week run.

A thoroughly enjoyable programme, showcasing the whole company. I'll write a full report later today.

I asked Deborah Weiss, who is a member of the Critics’ Circle, how they categorise classical and modern performances. She explained that nominations for best classical performance can include anything based on what is regarded as a classical dance technique, such as kathak, flamenco (which apparently has been included in past nominations), escuela bolera etc., as well as ballet. Best modern performance relates to those based on modern dance techniques, i.e. from Graham/Central European onwards.

Apologies! Typing too late at night! Of course, Anna-Rose O'Sullivan was Calliope and Mayara Magri was Polyhymnia.

For my first trip to a performance at the opera house since last November, I booked for Thursday 10 June primarily to see Vadim Muntagirov and Cesar Corrales on the same bill. If anyone was born to play Apollo, god of the dance, it has to be Muntagirov with his flawless technique and aristocratic delivery of Balanchine’s choreography, at times quirky, at times tongue-in-cheek but always elegant and with a purity that is a wonder to behold. Of his muses, I felt Anna-Rose O’Sullivan had yet to get to grips with Polyhymnia’s solo and therefore made little of her character. Mayara Magri, as Calliope, radiated sunshine with her meltingly beautiful technique and, in the final tableau, it was the eloquence of her lunge in on the staircase, from fingertip to fingertip and from head to toe, which made me inwardly gasp with delight. Having been at the open dress rehearsal, I much preferred the cool classicism of Melissa Hamilton, with her expressive legs and feet, to Yasmine Naghdi as Terpsichore but neither of them quite lived up to my memories of Daria Klimentova and Agnes Oaks in English National Ballet’s staging which, in my opinion, was a more sophisticated and witty affair, in keeping with its 1920s Ballets Russes origins (and the one in which Muntagirov made his debut as Apollo). In “Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux”, Natalia Osipova was an experience. She certainly threw herself into it, quite literally so in the two fish dives in the Coda, brilliantly caught by Corrales. However, I did not like all the faces she pulled or her messy footwork, and the lack of femininity in her solo was a disappointment. Corrales pulled out all the stops in his solo and the Coda, dancing with a thrilling power and precision, especially the manège of the Coda. At the dress rehearsal, I thought “Dances at a Gathering” felt about fifteen minutes too long, despite being well danced. At this performance, it was lifted to another level by the miracle that is Marianela Nuñez as the girl in pink. The music, sensitively played by Robert Clark, seemed to flow through her veins and the result was sublime, from her gloriously expressive technique to her beautifully nuanced facial expressions. Hers was truly a performance to treasure.

It was an absolute privilege to attend the opening night of English National Ballet’s “Reunion” programme on Monday 17 May at Sadler’s Wells Theatre. The rest of the audience felt the same way, breaking into spontaneous and prolonged applause as soon as the stage manager welcomed us to ENB’s performance. Speaking to some of the dancers afterwards, they said how much this reaction had meant to them and what a lift it had given them, especially as most of them had not danced in front of an audience since the 70th anniversary galas in January 2020! There followed some speeches, including a filmed speech by Tamara Rojo, who is to be congratulated not only for the way ENB took the initiative in responding to the pandemic with free streamings and whole programmes of new works (including for the Emerging Dancer Award) but also for grabbing the chance to get her company back onstage the day that theatres reopened. The programme began on a gentle note with Yuri Possokhov’s “Senseless Kindness”. Performed by the original cast of Isaac Hernandez, Alison McWhinney, Francesco Gabriele Frola and Emma Hawes, this hauntingly beautiful piece was accompanied by, joy of joys, live music! His Piano Trio No.1 is Shostakovitch at his most tender and romantic, and it was elegantly played by Julia Richter (piano), Matthew Scrivener (violin) and Gary Stevens (cello). As with the film, I was struck by how musical Possokhov’s choreography is and how sensitively the dancers responded to it. An improvement on the film was the chance to see the lovely dancing of Emma Hawes, who had spent much of the film in the background. I thought that the film of Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s “Laid in Earth” was extraordinary but did not showcase the talents of the dancers (Erina Takahashi, Jeffrey Cirio, Precious Adams and James Streeter). However, shorn of all the special effects and with only a solitary ‘dead’ tree as a backdrop, the choreography was much clearer in this live performance and there seemed to be a much more of it! The flowing coats of Cirio and Streeter appeared to get in the way of the choreography at times but Takahashi and Adams, in black and red respectively, looked gorgeously sensuous. I am not convinced by the juxtaposition of Purcell’s most famous aria, sung and played live, and an electronic soundscape but that seems to be the fashion with contemporary choreographers. I was absolutely delighted that my favourite piece of the digital season, “Take Five Blues” was just as exhilarating and life-affirming when danced live. The camera had moved amongst the dancers for the film, creating an almost dizzying effect with the many bursts of energy, but seeing the piece ‘from the front’ allowed us to appreciate the contribution of all of the dancers all of the time. The cast of Aitor Arrieta, Matthew Astley, Fernando Carratala Coloma, Henry Dowden, Shiori Kase, Katja Khaniukova, Rentaro Nakaaki and Angela Wood lit up the theatre with their energy and bravura dancing, and I am so pleased that choreographer Stina Quagebeur has been nominated for a National Dance Award for it. If a piece truly expressed the dancers’ joy at being back onstage, this was it! The extended opening pas de deux of Russell Maliphant’s “Echoes” had been filmed in close-up with a wonderful, tender intimacy created by Fernanda Oliveira and Fabian Reimair. Although this was not so visible from the middle of the stalls in this live performance, it was still mesmerising in its beauty. There was the same gorgeous fluidity of movement, echoed by the rest of the cast of Giorgio Garrett, Anjuli Hudson, Isabelle Brouwers, Eileen Evrard and Junor Souza, the latter bringing the piece to a close as he seemed to dissolve in front of our eyes with the wonderful lighting effects that are the hallmark of this hypnotic piece. The evening ended with Arielle Smith’s “Jolly Folly” to a wonderfully percussive score, sadly recorded and not played live but it would probably not be possible to accommodate in the pit the orchestral forces needed with the present restrictions. When I watched the film of this, I thought it was a fun piece but relied heavily on special effects. Stripped of all these (and seen in colour), it was a riotous romp for its cast, both males and females dressed in Charlie Chaplin-style penguin suits, bringing the evening to a rousing finale. Although we were treated to some pyrotechnics by Miguel Angel Maidana, Daniel McCormick, Ken Saruhashi, Erik Woolhouse and Rhys Antoni Yeomans, I did feel the ladies (Georgia Bould, Julia Conway and Francesca Velicu) were under-used in terms of dancing but they looked like they were thoroughly enjoying their antics, especially the mock boxing match. However, this is a very small niggle in an evening which did much to dispel the gloom of the last fourteen months. I returned for the matinée on Wednesday 19 May, to see mainly new cast members in all the works. The running order had been altered so that “Take Five Blues” opened the programme, and the dancers were treated to a round of applause and cheering as soon as the curtain rose on them. Claire Barrett, Emily Suzuki and Senri Kou brought their own personalities and style of dancing to the piece and it was wonderful to welcome Kou back to the stage after an extended absence caused by the pandemic hitting as she returned from maternity leave. Her sparkle is undiminished, as are her fouettés! Henry Dowden and Claire Barrett performed the dynamic pas de deux, and it was good to see Victor Prigent, William Simmons and newcomers Matei Hadrian Holeleu and Eric Snyder dancing up a storm. Precious Adams repeated her role in “Laid in Earth” and was beautifully matched with Francesca Velicu, making her debut as a lithesome and delicate lady in black. Joseph Caley and Noam Durand were in full command of the stage with their sinuous movements. “Senseless Kindness” marked the debut of new principal Natascha Mair in a live performance with ENB but, for me, she was overshadowed by the long-limbed, elegant dancing of corps de ballet member Rebecca Blenkinsop as the other woman. She caught my eye as soon as she started dancing and mesmerised me for the rest of the ballet. Aitor Arrieta and Skyler Martin provided sympathetic and tender partnering throughout. Anjuli Hudson and Giorgio Garrett made a sensational debut in the central pas de deux of “Echoes”, bringing out all its sensuality and fluidity in their very stylish dancing. They were well supported by Amber Hunt, Chloe Keneally, Sarah Kundi and Van Le Ngoc, although he did not achieve quite the ravishing effect that Souza did in the ballet’s final moments. “Jolly Folly” again proved to be a huge hit with the audience. Although it was not quite a completely new cast, it was interesting to see Alice Bellini take on Erik Woolhouse’s role. Carolyne Galvao was meant to take on the role created by Yeomans but she was off so we were treated to his cheeky performance again. I am looking forward immensely to being entertained at further performances this coming week and I would urge anyone who has not booked tickets yet to do so as this is a wonderfully uplifting programme to begin our journey back to normality.

The Lilac Fairy variation used in most productions these days is not by Petipa (the original Lilac Fairy, performed by his daughter Marie, was largely a mime role) but based on the one choreographed by Fyodor Lopukhov. And yes, it is exceedingly difficult, especially what are referred to as the Italian fouettés (not fouetté turns but half-turns into attitude derrière). Interestingly, in Diaghilev's 1921 production, this variation was used for a seventh fairy. Diaghilev interpolated the Sugar Plum variation into the production for his Lilac Fairy - Lydia Lopokova.

UK readers may be interested to know that the film "Nijinsky" is being screened on Talking Pictures TV (Freeview 81) on Friday 26 February at 9pm. I am not sure if this 1980 film has ever been shown on 'free' channels previously, as I don't think I have seen it since its cinema release. It stars ABT principal George de la Pena as Nijinsky, with Leslie Browne as Romola, Alan Bates as a very credible Diaghilev, Carla Fracci as Karsavina and Anton Dolin as Enrico Cecchetti. London Festival Ballet dancers play other Ballet Russes dancers, and future principal dancers can be spotted amongst the corps de ballet. The film includes large chunks of the LFB/Beriosov productions of "Scheherazade", "Polovtsian Dances"", "Petrouchka" etc., and an almost complete "L'Apres-midi d'un Faune" (with a bit of artistic licence at the end) in a recreation of the glorious sets and costumes by Bakst. There is also a snippet of "Jeux" choreographed by Kenneth MacMillan and an attempt to recreate part of 'Sacre' using the original set and costume designs. The film was directed by Herbert Ross, who was the husband of the great American ballerina, Nora Kaye, so all the dance scenes are filmed with a real appreciation of the choreography. Well worth a lockdown watch!

ENB’s “Nutcracker Delights” is just that – a sheer delight from start to finish. Coming, as it did, on Christmas Eve afternoon when I should have been watching it live in the beautiful Coliseum, it provided welcome compensation for not being there in person. ENB had divided into two groups to comply with Covid rules, with two casts in each group. London moved into Tier 3 just before the production was due to open but each group got two run-throughs in costume on the Coliseum stage in the hope that theatres might be allowed to open after 26 December. The first night cast was then filmed over two days as a contingency plan if restrictions were not lifted, presumably with colleagues in their group and some backstage staff providing a small audience in the auditorium which the Coliseum, like all theatres, had worked so hard to make Covid-safe. This charming film by Michael Nunn and William Tuckett romps through Act I in the form a Victorian cut-out theatre, animating lovely illustrations by Ain Vares in which it is possible to recognise some of the dancers, including those sadly no longer with the company, with narration by Simon Callow, before dissolving into the ‘live’ Clara and Nutcracker performing the Act I pas de deux which, for me, is the most beautiful music in the whole ballet. This is followed by the enchanting dance of the Snowflakes which, borrowed from a 20th century Russian production, I think is one of the loveliest versions of this dance. Watching the joy and enthusiasm with which it is danced, it is hard to believe most of these dancers have not set foot on a stage since 18 January! It is led by the radiant Alison McWhinney and Precious Adams, and my eye was particularly drawn to the elegance and grace of Emily Suzuki, as it was in the Waltz of the Flowers. Snowflakes leads to Clara and the Nutcracker escaping from the King Rat in a hot-air balloon and it was a joy to see Daniel Kraus, one of the alarming number of company stalwarts who left in August, guesting to repeat his wonderfully mischievous King and making the most of his extended appearance clinging to the ropes of the balloon as it flies over various countries represented by the divertissements in Act II. Of these, we only had three of the usual five in Eagling’s production and I particularly missed the dance of the Mirlitons, a charming pas de deux for Clara’s sister and Drosselmeyer in this production. However, there was a wonderfully vivacious Spanish dance from Jung Ah Choi, Ivana Bueno and Daniel McCormick, an energetic Chinese dance from Carolyne Galvao, Rhys Antoni Yeomans and Miguel Angel Maidana, and a truly virtuosic Russian dance from Ken Saruhashi. I love the Waltz of the Flowers in this production, with its vibrant, joyous dancing for eight couples, led again by McWhinney and Adams partnered by Skyler Martin and Matthew Astley respectively. This was one dance in which I would have preferred fewer close-ups as it is at its most spectacular when all eight couples are visible, and I missed my favourite moment, when the ladies in the six supporting couples jeté towards their partners, turning in mid-air to be caught in a fish dive. We then come to the highlight of the ballet, the grand pas de deux. In a change from the production’s usual casting, the Sugar Plum Fairy is danced by another dancer instead of Clara transforming into her. And here we had the greatest delight of the show – the exquisite Sugar Plum Fairy of Erina Takahashi. Watching the flawlessness and youthful radiance of her dancing, it is hard to believe this is her 24th season with the company! Her Prince is Joseph Caley, who is a noble and considerate partner with a quiet elegance to his virtuosity. It was perhaps unfair for new principal Natascha Mair to have to make her company debut as Clara in this film, being in the company of dancers who have created wonderful, believable characters of the roles they have been dancing for a number of years. She is a nice dancer but I found her Clara to be rather two-dimensional and her dancing to be correct but with no emotional depth. I can think of at least one First Soloist in the company who always takes my breath away in both the Act I pas de deux and the Act II pas de trois which Clara performs, not only by the emotional depth she brings to the character but also with the sheer perfection of her dancing. Mair was partnered by Aitor Arrieta as the Nutcracker, who is a natural prince, always presenting his ballerina to perfection. He also always manages to get under the skin of any character, even a Nutcracker! He partnered Mair with great tenderness and then, in his solo moments, burst forth with sparkling virtuosity. The ENB Philharmonic, under Maestro Gavin Sutherland, plays magnificently throughout, bringing a wonderful vibrancy and energy to Tchaikovsky’s beloved score, indicating how happy they are to be back in the pit. Reading the credits at the end, I was surprised that this was actually a reduced orchestration, and Sutherland is to be congratulated on his skill in making it seem as if we had not lost one instrument from this magical score. This is truly a wonderful Christmas present from ENB, and the joy will continue well into January!

I found the film of Russell Maliphant’s “Echoes” to be hypnotically beautiful. If “Shadowplay” had not already been used as the title for a ballet, I would have suggested it for this piece, showcasing as it does the beautifully choreographed lighting effects on the dancers’ bodies. As Fernanda Oliveira says in the excellent accompanying mini-documentary, the continuously flowing movement reminds one of the ocean and, for me, it was like watching the reflections of moonbeams dappling the water in which, certainly in the opening section, the dancers appear to be floating. The sublime partnership of husband-and-wife team Fabian Reimair and Fernanda Oliveira, in a duet of stunning sensuality and innate tenderness, form the heart of this piece. For me, they are two of the best dramatic artists in the company and Maliphant not only showcases this but also Reimair’s superb partnering skills and Oliveira’s ability to fill out every millisecond of a musical phrase so that it appears they are moving in perfectly synchronised, slow motion. So natural and effortless do they make this look that I was surprised to hear Oliveira say in the documentary how difficult they had found Maliphant’s movement style. To continue the water imagery, there is a breathtaking moment towards the end of the duet when Reimair holds Oliveira overhead in a backbend with the lighting creating a whirlpool effect on the floor and they gradually disappear into the darkness as if they are being drawn into its vortex. They are then joined by Giorgio Garrett, Anjuli Hudson, Isabelle Brouwers, Eileen Evrard and Junor Souza as the tempo of the soundscape by Dana Fouras picks up, in the same endless, flowing style of movement in which the simple but effective costumes also reflect this gorgeous fluidity. It is wonderful to catch glimpses of the supremely talented (and certainly under-used last season) Souza, especially at the end when he appears to dissolve into a moonbeam on the water. All credit to film-makers Michael Nunn and William Trevitt for capturing this intriguing work so perfectly.

“Laid in Earth” is another extraordinary film by the very talented Thomas James with some spectacular special effects, not least by the make-up team led by Natasha Lawes. Unfortunately, I found the choreography by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui much less interesting, being quite limited in its vocabulary. A glistening Precious Adams is best served by it, with her sinuous, seamless movement. It certainly does not exploit or challenge the formidable talents of Lead Principals Erina Takahashi and Jeffrey Cirio. Takahashi’s husband, James Streeter, completes the quartet so that it is possible to include a brief pas de deux. The title is taken from a line in the haunting lament sung by Dido as she dies of a broken heart, having been abandoned by Aeneas, in Henry Purcell’s “Dido and Aeneas”, and the whole aria and recitative is used amid the otherwise electronic soundscape. It is exquisitely played in an arrangement by Gavin Sutherland for piano, violin and cello, and sung by Flora McIntosh, although I found her tone somewhat harsh for what is possibly the most beautiful aria ever written by Purcell. Stripping away all the special effects which would not be possible in a theatre, I could not see this piece working as a live performance but, as a film, its depiction of mouldering bodies is intriguing although not something I would want to watch too often. I have to say I was amused by the accompanying documentary, not by anything happening in the studio but by the resident in the apartment block opposite obviously enjoying the ringside seat on her balcony!

English National Ballet’s second digital release, “Senseless Kindness” by Yuri Possokhov is very different from Stina Quagebeur’s “Take Five Blues”. Whereas Quagebeur’s piece was an explosion of pure joy from start to finish, Possokov’s is an expression of melancholy and yearning. What connects both pieces is their celebration of the sheer beauty and versatility of classical ballet technique and, of course, the uniformly high calibre of the dancing. Watching “Senseless Kindness” for the first time, I was struck by what a beautiful film Thomas James has created, even if the choreography sometimes plays second fiddle to the filming itself. Shot in black and white, with increasingly breathtaking lighting effects (curiously, there is no lighting designer credited), this has a haunting quality, reminiscent of a 1940s film noir. James allows the camera to linger lovingly on Alison McWhinney, whose dancing is as photogenic as her looks. If the other female in the piece, the equally lovely Emma Hawes, appears to spend most of her time in the background, I imagine she would be more visible when we finally have the pleasure of seeing this piece in the theatre. McWhinney is tenderly and sensitively partnered by Isaac Hernandez in some exquisite pas de deux work. He is well matched by the always impressive Francesco Gabriele Frola, who partners Hawes, and both men have some intriguing duets together and solo work. The choice of Shostakovitch’s Piano Trio No.1 (written in 1923 when he was seventeen!) is ideal for this snapshot of relationships inspired by Vasily Grossman’s novel about family life in Russia during World War II, “Life and Fate”, and is soulfully played by Julia Richter (piano), Matthew Scrivener (violin) and Gary Stevens (cello) under the direction of Maestro Gavin Sutherland. I do find the title slightly odd (is kindness ever senseless?) but perhaps it is taken from the novel and became slightly lost in translation! That aside, this is a piece which I find even more mesmerising on each viewing, and I will certainly be renewing my rental, as I have done with Quagebeur’s piece.

I thought it was like the other 'on demand' ballets ('Corsaire' etc.) they are currently offering, that you can renew the licence every three days. As these have been specifically made for hire, there doesn't seem to be a cut-off date listed, unlike the archive films shown earlier in the year which copyright holders agreed could be shown for free for a very limited time period. I hope I am correct about this.

What an exhilarating celebration of dance to witness on a grey Monday (and Tuesday!) morning! Most of the dancers have not set foot on a stage since mid-January and their joy at finally performing again, albeit in a studio and with no audience, was almost palpable and certainly infectious. I was very pleased that ENB decided to launch its digital season of new dance works with a piece by their associate choreographer and winner of the NDA emerging talent award this year, Stina Quagebeur. I started following her choreographic career about eleven years ago and the vitality of this new work reminded me very much of a piece she created back then to American boogie-woogie music. Quagebeur also designed the stylish costumes – simple but elegant tunics for the ladies, in a bright blue, and tank tops in the same blue for the gentlemen with darker trousers (which brings me to my only slight gripe about the film, with the lighting sometimes being a bit too dark to showcase the amazingly athletic leaps of the men, but then I was watching it on a small computer screen). Musically, Quagebeur turned to Nigel Kennedy’s ‘take’ on Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five” (and I wonder if anyone else remembers an early Bintley piece to the original for Lyn Seymour and Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet in 1978?) and on a movement from one of Bach’s string concertos, otherwise known to ballet fans as “Concerto Barocco”. Hence, the title of the piece – “Take Five Blues”. Casting could not have been more perfect. As Katja Khaniukova said in the brief accompanying documentary, Quagebeur knows all her dancers and their personalities and strengths, and she takes full advantage of this, allowing eight dancers (three ladies and five gentlemen) to shine in her seamless, life-affirming and wonderfully musical choreography for them. Due to all the Covid restrictions, only two couples are allowed any physical contact, but Quagebeur presents a range of imaginative contactless mini-duets in varying combinations, starting with Matthew Astley and Khaniukova. There are two wonderful pas de deux of complete abandon for Angela Wood and Rentaro Nakaaki. Nakaaki’s burgeoning talent was evidenced at the 2019 Emerging Dancer competition and here Quagebeur showcases his excellent partnering skills. I have long admired the quiet beauty and elegance of Wood’s dancing since I saw her in one of the beautiful pas de deux from “No Man’s Land” about five years ago, so it was lovely to see her featured here in a pas de deux of a very different dynamic. I thought Khaniukova and Shiori Kase were ideally matched as Gulnare and Medora in ‘Corsaire’ last season and it was a pleasure to see them dancing together again. To my mind, they are the best female turners in the company and proved this again in the Bach section with their lightning fast châiné turns, Kase also demonstrating her firecracker fouetté turns with Khaniukova and Wood spinning round her, both at breakneck speed. I admired the power of Fernando Coloma’s dancing when he first appeared as the Nutcracker about three seasons ago and Quagebeur captures this beautifully, either when he is dancing alone or in the thrilling contact duet with the always watchable Henry Dowden. Coloma also provides a great foil for Aitor Arrieta, usually the most noble of princes, as they circle each other at the beginning, eyeing each other up, each displaying a delicious machismo as they start to compete. These are only my initial thoughts but Quagebeur obviously has huge love and respect for her dancers, and they have repaid her with a performance rich in memorable moments, from Khaniukova’s sensuality of movement in the jazz section, to Wood’s assured confidence in the seemingly reckless lifts, from Kase’s flawless technique to the sheer exuberance of the male dancing, which merits repeated viewings to discover even more delights, and hopefully there will be performances for an audience later in the season. I had to laugh at the ending, with the men lying exhausted on the floor, and the ladies coolly standing by, as if they could easily do it all again. Girl power rules!

As she has now publicly announced it on her Instagram page, I can confirm that Jurgita Dronina is seven months' pregnant, so she would not have been able to participate in this season until the spring,. However, I know she is hoping to return as a guest artist at the first opportunity.