Ballet
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Ashton Double bill sparkles at Birmingham Hippodrome
Spring season came to the Birmingham Hippodrome last night with the opening of the Birmingham Royal Ballet’s latest offerings, ‘The Dream’ and ‘A Month in the Company’. This Sir Frederick Ashton double bill transported the audience to the Forest of Arden for a balletic take on ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ and to Victorian Russia for a tale of forbidden romance and emotion. Two very different ballets, both totally wonderful in their own way. The Dream The classic Shakespeare story lends itself so beautifully to ballet. Titania (a stunning, ethereal Nao Sakuma) quarrels with her King Oberon, the King of the Fairies over a changeling boy who he wants to be…
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Dressed for work with the Birmingham Royal Ballet
A wonderful new photographic exhibition opened in Birmingham last week. ‘Dressed for Work’ is a fantastic celebration of the work of Marta Kochanek and is part of the 25th Birthday celebrations of the Birmingham Royal Ballet. The photographs feature four of the key dancers from the BRB, First Soloist Celine Gitttens, Principal Momoko Hirata, Soloist Rory Mackay and Principal Cesar Morales and shows their transformation from their normal wardrobes, to being ‘Dressed for Work’. I love the idea behind the exhibition, which states “Most of us naturally think of our wardrobes as including both work and play clothes, or casual or dress clothes. But what happens when fancy dress is…
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The Nutcracker brings Christmas Magic to Birmingham
A visit to see ‘The Nutcracker’ always signifies the start of my Christmas. The classic Tchaikovsky ballet which tells the magical story of the night before Christmas, is a seasonal treat that arrived at the Birmingham Hippodrome this weekend, delighting audiences young and old. To put it simply, The Nutcracker is Christmas, especially when staged by the fabulous Birmingham Royal Ballet, celebrating 25 years in 2015. It is sparkle and glitter, excitement and anticipation, presents and children, and, most of all dreams and magic. This is all reflected in the exquisite set design, which transforms from a sumptuous Victorian home, complete with an enormous Christmas Tree (courtesy of Prince Albert,…
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How to choose the right ballet wear for your kids
If you have a budding ballerina or ballerino in your family, you’ll know that a ballet costume is more than just a cute outfit for pirouetting around the living room in. As well as being nice to look at, dancewear should be comfortable, durable and allow for movement. However, if you’re new to the world of ballet, it can be difficult to know where to start when choosing clothing. To get the lowdown on selecting ballet wear for your little ones, read on. Tights Tights are an essential part of a ballet dancer’s wardrobe, and for good reason. From accentuating form to helping improve circulation and prevent strains, a good…
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Birmingham Royal Ballet The King Dances/Carmina Burana
The Birmingham Royal Ballet celebrated David Bintley’s 20th anniversary as director with the opening of a new double header. The World Premiere of ‘The King Dances’ and a revival of ‘Carmina Burana’ promised to bring drama, morality, sex and just a little bit of horror to the Birmingham Hippodrome, and this was all delivered in spectacular style. The King Dances The King Dances is a brand new ballet from David Bintley. Freely based on Le Ballet de la Nuit from 1653, and on the legendary Louis XIV, the Sun King of France, ‘The King Dances taps into dance and theatre from history by being performed by a company almost wholly…
