Not ballet, but has anyone seen Le Patin Libre?

[aileen]

This ice-skating quintet is performing at Somerset House, London this week. Has anyone seen it and, if you, is it worth going to see?

[John Mallinson]

I saw them at Alexandra Palace in 2014(?) and loved the show. Not the sort of competition-type skating that used to be shown on the telly, nor yet the lovely balletic style of John Curry. At the time I wrote to a friend: 

 

Really enjoyable stuff. They’re a group of four Canadians and one French skater, who were disillusioned by the tawdry nature of most commercial ice dancing projects so set up something different. Some parts without music, just using the different sounds the blades make on the ice. No partner work and mostly ensemble, splitting and coming together. Some solos. Some virtuosic conventional figure skating jumps and spins but that was really the least interesting part. Lots of long gliding over the ice which makes one think that skating is the nearest thing to flying, especially when they go so fast. Beautiful to see. 

 

The present show is, I think, just the second half of the Ally Pally one, only 35 minutes and on a significantly smaller rink. A friend went last night and enjoyed it but was very cross for having booked row A which didn't give a very good view. Much better to sit further back and higher up.

[Jan McNulty]

A review from London Dance:

 

http://londondance.com/articles/reviews/le-patin-libre-vertical-somerset-house-ice-rink/