Ballet and Dance Reviews

All ballet reviews

Reliving memories of Rudolf Nureyev’s 1968 The Nutcracker production for The Royal Ballet

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Rudolf Nureyev’s The Nutcracker: Dancers of The Royal Ballet, Covent Garden Opera Chorus / John Lanchbery (conductor). Filmed (directed by John Vernon) at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, 10.3.1968 and re-released on DVD by Opus Arte in 2020. (JPr)

Rudolf Nureyev (Drosselmeyer) and Merle Park (Clara)

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Maina Gielgud and Polish National Ballet take a captivating Giselle back to the future

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PolandPoland Adolphe Adam, Giselle: Dancers of Polish National Ballet, Orchestra of Polish National Opera / Patrick Fournillier (conductor). Recorded (directed by Ewa Krasucka) at Teatr Wiekli – Polish National Opera, Warsaw, 28 and 30.11.2022 and available on OperaVision and YouTube until 26.6.2023. (JPr)

Polish National Ballet’s Wilis in Giselle © Ewa Krasucka

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ENB’s Nutcracker is an emotional journey from which the audience returns both grateful and charmed

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom English National Ballet’s Nutcracker: Dancers of English National Ballet, Students from Tring Park School for the Performing Arts, English National Ballet Philharmonic / Graham Sutherland (conductor). London Coliseum, 15.12.2022. (JO’D)

Artists of English National Ballet in Nutcracker © Laurent Liotardo

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The Royal Ballet’s The Nutcracker still is a glittering showcase for a company at their very best in 2022

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Tchaikovsky, The Nutcracker: Dancers of The Royal Ballet, London Oratory Junior Choir, The Schola Cantorum of the London Oratory School (director: Charles Cole), Orchestra of the Royal Opera House / Barry Wordsworth (conductor). Broadcast (directed by Peter Jones) from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, to Cineworld Basildon, Essex, 8.12.2022. (JPr)

William Bracewell (Prince) and Fumi Kaneko (Sugar Plum Fairy) © Alistair Muir

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Thielemann’s Siegfried is beautifully crafted as Tcherniakov explores the loss of childhood innocence

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GermanyGermany Wagner, Siegfried: Soloists, Staatskapelle Berlin / Christian Thielemann (conductor). Filmed (directed by Andy Sommer) on 6.11.2022 at Staatsoper Unter den Linden but available until 17.2.2023 on ARTE Concert. (JPr)

Andreas Schager (Siegfried) and Anja Kampe (Brünnhilde) © Monika Rittershaus

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In Munich, Christopher Wheeldon’s Cinderella continues to confuse as much as it delights

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GermanyGermany Prokofiev, Cinderella: Dancers of Bayerisches Staatsballett, Bayerisches Staatsorchester / Gavin Sutherland (conductor). Nationaltheater, Munich, 13.11.2022. (JPr)

Christopher Wheeldon’s Cinderella (opening of Act III)

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The Royal Ballet’s A Diamond Celebration honours the Friends of the Royal Opera House

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom The Royal Ballet’s A Diamond Celebration marking 60 years of the Friends of the Royal Opera House: Dancers of the Royal Ballet, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House / Koen Kessels (conductor). Broadcast live (directed by Ross MacGibbon) from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, to Cineworld Basildon, Essex, 16.11.2022. (JPr)

Steven McRae and Natalia Osipova in concert pour deux © Andrej Uspenski

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