, but ran out of steam. The costumes from fashion designer Roksanda Ilinčić were horribly distracting – they looked like deflated beach balls – and actively impeded the dancers. More potent was See Us!! from Joseph Toonga, the Royal Ballet's Emerging Choreographer. The disconnect between his activism-driven hip-hop and the company's trained elegance was never quite resolved, but there were moments of raw confrontation. However, the clear winner of the new pieces was Pam Tanowitz's Dispatch Duet. Strikingly original, it was like the music-box ballerina gone bad: spins with angular, stiff arms, quirky goosesteps, and a simmering competition between the boldly self-possessed and extraordinarily precise O'Sullivan and William Bracewell. It was danced right on the edge, as was Benoit Swan Pouffer's gorgeously expressive concerto pour deux [sic], given a visceral intensity by the dynamite duo of Natalia Osipova and Steven McRae. The dazzling climax was Balanchine's Diamonds – and sometimes you really do just want to see the Opera House stage crowded with tutus and chandeliers. The majestic Marianela Nuñez and Reece Clarke floated through it with otherworldly insouciance, although, crucially, they also invited the audience in. It was a heartfelt thanks to the company's Friends, and we thank them in turn for 60 years of such sustained excellence. Until Nov 19. Tickets: 020 7304 4000; https://www.roh.org.uk){kind=link}
From Frederick Ashton to Joseph Toonga, this Friends gala event at the Royal Opera House celebrated the best of past and present.
Ostensibly marking the 60th anniversary of the Friends of Covent Garden – and it is a critical time to recognise stalwart supporters of the arts – this gala is really just a good excuse for a triumphant celebration of the Royal Ballet: from its glorious past to the fascinating question of where it goes next, via four world premieres.
The bumper offering of ballet best-bits opened in the 1960s (when the Friends scheme began), with Anna Rose O’Sullivan and Alexander Campbell giving a buoyant account of Frederick Ashton’s La fille mal gardee. Akane Takada and Calvin Richardson then brought languid sensuality to Kenneth MacMillan’s Manon bedroom scene, but they lacked erotic firepower. That was certainly not an issue in the eye-popping duet from Wayne McGregor’s 2003 Qualia: Melissa Hamilton and Lukas B Brændsrød tackled its contortionist demands with fearless athleticism, while also bringing sizzling chemistry to this circus-style foreplay.
Curiously, Christopher Wheeldon’s 2006 work For Four has never been performed here, but it’s a perfect fit. Each member of the superstar male quartet (Matthew Ball, James Hay, Vadim Muntagirov, Marcelino Sambé) got a distinctive solo, yet they also maintained a constant energy exchange.
Valentino Zucchetti mirrored Wheeldon’s piece with his premiere, Prima, for four women. It initially made nimble use of Saint-Saëns’ jubilant third violin concerto (featuring a thrilling performance from violinist Vasko Vassilev), but ran out of steam. The costumes from fashion designer Roksanda Ilinčić were horribly distracting – they looked like deflated beach balls – and actively impeded the dancers. More potent was See Us!! from Joseph Toonga, the Royal Ballet’s Emerging Choreographer. The disconnect between his activism-driven hip-hop and the company’s trained elegance was never quite resolved, but there were moments of raw confrontation.