PRESS RELEASE: BIRMINGHAM ROYAL BALLET’S 2012 AUTUMN SEASON at BIRMINGHAM HIPPODROME

[Jan McNulty]

BIRMINGHAM ROYAL BALLET’S 2012 AUTUMN SEASONat BIRMINGHAM HIPPODROME

 

A mixed bill Opposites Attract

Sir Peter Wright’s production of Swan Lake

 

 

Venue and booking information:

Birmingham Hippodrome: Tickets: 0844 338 5000 www.birminghamhippodrome.com

 

 

 

Birmingham Royal Ballet is delighted to return to the Birmingham Hippodrome stage from 26 September – 6 October. The Company will perform the autumn season in its home city with two programmes, a mixed bill Opposites Attract and Sir Peter Wright’s timeless Swan Lake.

 

Opposites Attract 26 – 29 SEPTEMBER

(Lyric Pieces / Take Five / Grosse Fuge)

 

Flair, energy and innovation in three original modern ballets open the Company’s 2012/13 season at Birmingham Hippodrome.

 

Creating her first piece for a major European company, award-winning American choreographer Jessica Lang crosses the Atlantic to make this ballet, jointly commissioned by International Dance Festival Birmingham 2012 and Birmingham Royal Ballet. Set to romantic musical miniatures by Norwegian master Edvard Grieg and with a hand-picked design team, Lyric Pieces promises to be one of the Company’s highlights of 2012.

 

In Take Five, Director David Bintley invites you to share his love of jazz and, in particular, the music of Dave Brubeck. In homage to one of his heroes, he created this sexy and energetic series of vignettes to some of Brubeck’s most famous tracks including Take Five and Unsquare Dance.

 

One of Dutch choreographer Hans van Manen’s most famous works, Grosse Fuge is an invigorating and uplifting experience that has lost none of its power over the last 40 years. The tension is palpable as four men and four women take to the stage, their gazes never meeting. Bare-chested, the men enter into a stern and muscular display. Ripping the men’s skirts from them, the women meet them on equal terms, and the two groups engage in a ritualised dance of raw power and sexuality.

 

 

Swan Lake 2 – 6 OCTOBER

 

Birmingham Royal Ballet’s production of Swan Lake, created by Sir Peter Wright, enjoyed its premiere in 1981 at the Palace Theatre in Manchester. Now, 31 years later, this timeless story of good, evil, and the all conquering power of love comes to the Birmingham Hippodrome for eight performances only.

 

Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lakeis without doubt the most famous of all classical ballets. In mourning for his father, Prince Siegfried finds solace in hunting in the forest. He comes across a moonlit lake and is astonished to see one of the swans transform into a beautiful Princess. She is Odette, who, under the evil Von Rothbart’s spell, spends her days as a swan, returning to human form as night falls. Only the love of one who has never loved before can save her from this fate, but when the Prince is tricked into declaring himself to Von Rothbart’s daughter Odile, magically disguised as Odette, all hope seems lost.

 

With its exquisite ensembles, lyrical pas de deux and bravura solos, set to one of the world’s most achingly beautiful scores, it is essential you secure your seats early.

 

 

PERFORMANCE DIARY FOR THE 2012 BIRMINGHAM AUTUMN SEASON

 

Opposites Attract (Lyric Pieces / Take Five / Grosse Fuge)

Birmingham Hippodrome: 26 – 29 September

 

Swan Lake

Birmingham Hippodrome: 2 – 6 October

 

Venue and booking information:

Birmingham Hippodrome: Tickets: 0844 338 5000 www.birminghamhippodrome.com

[sonik1965]

looking forward to this season shame ticket sales are so poor on the evening,s that i am in birmingham swanlake seems to be the only big seller on its run

[Jan McNulty]

I know - it's such a terrific mixed programme. I love all 3 pieces on this, and its only on show in Brimingham and Sadler's Wells.

[aileen]

Well, I'm going to see the mixed programme at Sadler's Wells. There are an awful lot of Swan Lakes on this season. The RB, BRB and ENB are all performing Swan Lake (and ENB finished the 2011/2012 season with Swan Lake) and the Mikhailovsky are bringing Swan Lake (as well as other pieces) to the Coliseum in the Spring. It's a sign of the times, I suppose.