The celebration for Sir Peter Wright’s 100th birthday continued at the Birmingham Hippodrome last night with 20th-Century Masterpieces, a trio of wonderful short ballets, Frederick Ashton’s Birthday Offering, Kurt Jooss The Green Table, and George Balachine’s Theme and Variation. The three ballets were a showcase for the beauty and diversity of ballet as an art form, and I thought it was an absolutely stunning night of dance.
Birthday Offering
Birthday Offering dates from 1956, and was the perfect start to the evening, with the ballerinas showcased ‘pure and simple’. This is a true celebratory piece, with each ballerina having a solo dance, with the stunning Yaoqian Shang front and centre, just resplendent in a sunshine yellow dress, the very picture of grace and elegance, and perfectly partnered by Yasiel Hodelun Bello.
Credit: Johan Persson
Birthday Offering is a beautiful, joyous ballet that is made to make you smile.
The Green Table
Please revert to last night’s review for a full review of The Green Table.
Credit: Johan Persson
Theme and Variation
Theme and Variation is a ballet I had never seen before, but it could very easily become a favourite, as it is just exquisite. It is a ballet without a story, but it is full of feelings, expressions and sheer beauty through the tableau it creates. I love how busy this ballet is, how much is going on at one time, the intricacies and sheer range of steps and movement, and the absolute beauty of the finale, which is an absolute tour de force of timing and symmetry that simply delights the audience.
Credit: Johan Persson
The principals, Max Maslen and Beatrice Parma, were just wonderful with so much chemistry, and the staging and costumes are exquisite – almost like a young girls idea of what a ballet should look like.
Credit: Johan Persson
The standard of these two nights of ballet has been just incredible, a worthy tribute to Sir Peter Wright in his centennial year.
To keep up to date with everything Birmingham Royal Ballet, please visit the website https://www.brb.org.uk/.
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