Sunday, June 9

[dirac]

A review of the Sarasota Ballet by Sarah Crompton in The Observer.

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The Florida company’s triple bill is a perfect way to kick off Ashton Celebrated, a Royal Ballet mini-season devoted to its founding choreographer. The revelation was Dante Sonata, which sends 22 dancers flooding across the tiny stage in movement at once uninhibited and highly sculptural. Designed by Sophia Fedorovitch and set to Liszt as arranged by Constant Lambert, it was premiered in 1940 at a point when the future of the world seemed in doubt.

 

[dirac]

An interview with Carlos Acosta.

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Yet he doesn’t believe the ballet repertoire itself needs a serious overhaul. “I don’t think ballet has an image problem,” Acosta tells me. He points out, instead, that “attracting new audiences for ballet takes collaboration”. “It’s a balance, and part of my vision [at Birmingham] is to continue to perform classical and heritage ballets and also commission new work from emerging artists across all disciplines.”

 

[dirac]

 Tirion Law becomes the National Ballet of Canada's newest principal.

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Law was born in Hong Kong and trained at The New Zealand School of Dance. Before joining The National Ballet of Canada in 2018, Law danced with Hong Kong Ballet and was promoted to Second Soloist in 2022. In 2010, Law was awarded two gold medals at The Star Award Competition in Hong Kong, won the Asian Grand Prix in Hong Kong in 2012 and was the first runner up at the Alana Haines Australasian Ballet Competition in 2015. In 2022, Law was awarded the National Ballet's Patron Award of Merit. 

 

[dirac]

  review of the Sarasota Ballet and the Royal Ballet dancing Ashton by Joy Sable in The Jewish Chronicle.

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The evening concluded with Sinfonietta, created in 1967. I could detect Balanchine-type spikiness in the first part and in the following slow movement it was easy to spot direct links to Monotones II (made two years previously), with its complicated lifts and other-worldly feel. Even the costumes bore a close resemblance to the earlier (and much better, in my opinion) work. A lively tarantella finished the ballet off, and credit to this young and enthusiastic company for completing this exhausting finale with panache.

 

[dirac]

A review of the Sarasota Ballet's second London program by Alexander Simpkins for Bachtrack.

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The second part of the programme comprised divertissements of two types: some choreographed as miniatures; those extracted from longer works all making strong cases to be seen in their entirety. Contributions from 20^th century greats in the realms of music and design were also showcased. As the curtain opened on Friday’s Child, from Jazz Calendar (1968), the dancers, Marijana Dominis and Ricardo Rhodes, were seen reflecting the knotted image of Derek Jarman’s scenery. In half-red half-blue unitards, the pas de deux that unfolded to Richard Rodney Bennett’s bluesy score was a mesmerising and seamless blend of dance styles: credit to the dancers and Ashton for bringing it off with such finesse.