Carlos Acosta’s Ballet Celebration review: Vibrancy and variety on Northampton stage
Anna Brosnan reviews Carlos Acosta’s Ballet Celebration: Diaghilev and the Birth of Modern Ballet, presented by BRB2 at the Royal & Derngate, Northampton
As the velvet curtain rose, some audience members gave an audible gasp as the first ballet scene was revealed.
While the weather outside was burning hot, we had taken refuge in the coolness of the Derngate auditorium to watch Birmingham Royal Ballet’s BRB2 in action.
The company arrived in Northampton on Saturday to deliver two performances of Carlos Acosta’s Ballet Celebration: Diaghilev and the Birth of Modern Ballet.
And that first scene was quite visually stunning. As serene as a beautiful oil painting, one male dancer (the ‘poet’) and a troupe of young women, all dressed pristinely in white, with garlands adorning their hair, struck delicate poses against the backdrop of a moonlit forest glade.
This opening dance of Les Sylphides was accompanied by live piano music wonderfully performed by Jeannette Wong. It was the perfect dance to showcase the flair of its central performers, including the graceful Ixan Ferrer as the poet. Alexandra Manuel was another notable talent in this section, demonstrating beautiful expression in her dance.
The second section of this eclectic production was made up of four shorter dances featuring pas de deux from Scheherazade, The Firebird, Le Spectre de la rose and a solo and pas de deux from Les Biches.
In each of its dances, the programme pays tribute to choreographer Mikhail Fokine, taking highlights from the repertory of Serge Diaghilev’s early 20th century troupe of rebel dancers.
Although not running the single thread of story typical of a traditional ballet production, the programme was full of vibrancy and variety in tone and mood.
One personal highlight was The Firebird pas de deux, set to music by Igor Stravinsky (arranged by Jonathan McPhee). The dance was a powerful tale of the capturing of a magical bird, depicting a constant struggle for freedom in the tension between the two dancers - Andrea Riolo and Marlo Kempsey-Fagg. The pair showcased the finesse of storytelling through dance wonderfully well.
A brilliant tribute to Fokine and Diaghilev, the show was brought firmly into the 21st century by the amazing BRB2 dancers, who successfully created a special dance celebration of their very own.
Visit royalandderngate.co.uk or call 01604 624811 for details of future productions at the venue.