Birmingham Royal Ballet - Quatrain, Kin, Les Rendevous, Birmingham

[Jan McNulty]

I was at BRB's Thursday evening's performance at the delightful and intimate Crescent Theatre in Birmingham.  The performance was given as part of the International Dance Festival Birmingham (IDFB).

 

The triple bill was showcasing two new works - Quatrain by Kit Holder, Kin by Alex Whitley and was completed by Les Rendezvous.

 

Quatrain is for 8 dancers (four men and four women) and has music by Astor Piazzolla and Antonio Vivaldi - a mix of The Four Seasons and The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires,  I just loved everything about it from the second it started!  Kit Holder has made some gorgeous choreography for various combinations of the dancers but the highlight is a duet for Celine Gittens and Yasuo Atsuji that is truly sublime.  I can't wait to see this piece again on midscale North.

 

Alex Whitley's Kin is for 10 dancers and is very contemporary in style - lyrical and flowing.  Again I loved this piece.  Jenna Roberts is breath-taking in this work - Alex has really brought out both her ethereality and her strength.  I loved the duet with Joe Caley.  There is also a standout solo for Tzu-Chao Chou.

 

Both these works definitely need to be seen so try and catch midscale somewhere if you can.  The midscale South tour hits High Wycombe in June!

 

The evening finished with Ashton's sublime Les Rendevouz.  I particularly enjoyed the pas de trois by Arancha Baselga, James Barton and Tzu-Chao Chou.  This and Kin are on midscale South and I am chomping at the bit to see them again!

 

I came out from this programme on a real high!

[2dancersmum]

Oh I so wish I had been free that night!!

[loveclassics]

Janet, what were the costumes like for Les Rendevouz?  Last time I saw it performed by the RB I thought them rather loud and garish, especially the technicolour gloves which Alison likened to Marigolds rubber ones.

[Jan McNulty]

Well I did need to put my sunglasses on!  Bright pastel blazers and spotted dresses.  (Watching Mark Heyes on Lorraine a couple of weeks ago the spotted dresses are very on trend!)

[Two Pigeons]

This is my biggest regret that the old white costumes can no longer be used. I see Iain Webb's company is using photos of the old designs. I wonder if they had to make up a new set.

 

BRB are using the RB ones which I have been told is the only way we could have the revival.