Jessica Harris reports back from watching the next generation of ballet stars.
Supported by Birmingham Royal Ballet, BRB2 is a company of young ballet graduates from around the world. In this Ballet Celebration, Carlos Acosta brought together highlights from the repertoire of Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, one of the most influential dance companies of the 20th century. With its diversity of dance styles and innovative music, with the lyricism of the dance and its striking costumes, the programme felt as modern and fresh as it must have done when first performed.
Les Sylphides, the short ballet of Act One, took a little while to bed in. But once the initial tension evaporated and the dancers began to relax, the performance by the corps started to flow. The lead dancers were impressive from the outset, particularly so Tom Hazelby.
Set in a woodland glade to the music of Chopin (pianist Jeanette Wong), movements were often languid and there was a painterly quality to the piece, as the corps adopted sculptural positions when leads took to the stage. At times, the pace picked up and the mood changed. Emotional expression was all, and this piece was very touching.
The second act was full of contrast. The pas de deux from Shéhérazade, danced by Ixan Llorca Ferrer and Andrea Riola, had a beguiling sensuality, and their performances expressed a deep sense of longing. This was equally played out in the melody of Rimsky-Korsakov’s music as the sense of yearning performed by the strings was picked up by the wind instruments.
Eye-catching costumes were influenced by tales from the book of The Thousand and One Nights, their sparkling jewels and vivid orange contrasting with the backdrop of a blue silhouetted mosque.
Le Spectre de la Rose, a short dance to music by Carl Maria von Weber, allowed for BRB dancer Jack Easton to display his virtuosity. Performing the Rose in a pink, skintight costume adorned with flowers, his dance seemed effortless and his performance was thoroughly bewitching.
Les Biches extracts added a playful feel and a touch of commentary on 1920s society. Performed to music by Poulenc, the focus of the piece was on appearance and style, with a nod to the way in which people compete rather than collaborate. A backdrop of drawing-room curtains and flamboyant costumes replete with strings of beads and a cigarette holder complemented the effect.
The final piece added sparks to the programme. Dressed in fiery red, Alexandra Manuel and Marlo Kempsey-Fagg, BRB apprentice dancer, performed a pas de deux from The Firebird that conveyed a tension which was echoed in the atonal music of Stravinsky. With its imagery of the hunted and ensnared firebird, this was a disquieting piece, and its intensity made an effective contrast with what had gone before.
BRB2 dancers, under the artistic co-ordination of Kit Holder, train and perform with the whole of Birmingham Royal Ballet Company in major productions, but also develop their own touring programme, supported by senior members of BRB’s ballet staff.
There is some exceptional talent within the company and, whilst all lead dancers were strong, it was perhaps the male dancers who particularly stood out in this Ballet Celebration. For those with an eye on the future of ballet, this production is one to see.
Les Biches was choreographed by Bronislava Nijinska. All other pieces were choreographed by Mikhail Fokine. Birmingham Royal Ballet is directed by Carlos Acosta.
Carlos Acosta’s Ballet Celebration is on tour around the country. For further information visit brb.org.uk.
Pics © Tristram Kenton
