BALLET NIGHTS 006 at Cadogan Hall

★★★★

“A hugely enjoyable evening with a true mix of ballet styles in one performance”

As the title states this is the sixth Ballet Nights in a series that was founded last year by its Artistic Director Jamiel Devernay-Laurence, who also comperes the evening with a friendly warmth. This was Ballet Nights’ first outing at the beautifully intimate Cadogan Hall, which usually houses concert nights.

Ballet Nights 006 is all about celebrating new choreography and dancers at all stages of their careers.

The evening begins with Ballet Nights’ in-house pianist (and we are told also their photographer) Viktor Erik Emanuel performing Chopin’s Ballade No 1 in G Minor, a little surprising to open the night without dance.

First up was a new work September, In The Rain, with choreography by Jordan James Bridge and danced by Constance Devernay-Laurence, former principal of Scottish Ballet. The ballet starts as Constance pas de bourrées down stage with her loose hair covering her face, which looked great for that moment. The choreography is not complicated, and the loose long hair becomes slightly annoying, as whilst in profile you could not see her face at all. Now we know why the classical ballet tradition is to have hair tied up in a tight bun.

Tanzt is a new duet danced by the Company Wayne McGregor star Rebecca Bassett-Graham and James Pett. Tanzt is choreographed by Pett|Clausen Knight and accompanied live on stage by the composer and singer Madil Hardis and a violinist. Hardis has a terrific voice, but the dance was nothing new in the angst-ridden couple stakes, however neatly and passionately danced.

Introducing Joy is the title of another new work by Constant Vigier created for American ballet and former Bolshoi star Joy Womack, in her debut performance with Ballet Nights. A flowing dance and lovely to see Joy’s beautiful lines and her connection to the in-house pianist Emanuel.

Then comes Set Fast with seven young final year students with Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance. And the stage came alive with the piece choregraphed by fellow student Grace O’Brien and danced by Amari Webb-Martin, Evie-Leigh Savage, Lottie Hawkins, Matthew Potulski, Jemma Sparrow, Phoebe Dowglass and Rory Clarke. This was innovative and new choreography with fast paced quivers and syncopated moves, with, at times, an almost Spanish toreador arm position. The piece was pulsing and danced with precision and passion by these young, still to graduate 20-year-olds.

Part I finale is the White Swan Pas De Deux, Act II Swan Lake with the classical choreography of Marius Petipa. Sangeun Lee and Gareth Haw, both principles with ENB were entrancing as they fell in love through this beautiful pas de deux. Lee’s wonderfully long legs were truly unbelievable wrapping past Haw’s head in arabesque and her miniscule frappés were breathtaking. A fitting end to the first part of the evening, with one of the most famous pas de deux in the classical dance cannon, traditional and unbeatable if danced well, and this was.

Part II opens with a long unnecessary piano solo as Emanuel plays (very well) the hugely difficult Ravel’s Gaspard De La Nuit, Ondine. The piece completely slowed down the pace of the evening and it was hard for Cha Cha And Tiara to lift the audience again. This was a light fun dance choreographed by Rentaro Nakaaki, whose parents had been ballroom dancers. Danced by ENB’s Julia Conway and Eric Snyder, it starts in silence with some comedic almost Coppelia puppet dance movements before mixing ballroom with classical dance.

If, should have been a magical performance, as reciting Rudyard Kipling’s poem If was spoken word artist and hip hop dancer Jonzi D, with dancer Alexander Fadayiro responding to the words, choreographed by Jamiel Devernay-Laurence. It could have been so much more if there had been interaction between the two and a fusion of hip hop and classical….

Nashville Ballet’s debut performance with Ballet Nights 006, is another pas de deux Leto, choreographed by their CEO and Artistic Director, Nick Mullikin. The dance is inspired by a poem written by the French poet Henri de Régnier, with Ravel’s Jeux d’eau, performed by the onstage in-house pianist and danced by Sarah Pierce and James Lankford.

Max Richter’s recomposed The Four Season’s Summer is choreographed and danced by Sarah Jane Taylor and James Wilton in a very physical and athletic performance as atoms prior to the big bang. There were star jumps and a fascinating lift with Wilton lying on the floor as Taylor held a hand stand over him.

And to the finale as the Royal Ballet’s Steven McRae swaggers on stage with his trademark red hair, wearing a white sleeveless vest and red kilt and wows the audience with his tap-dancing prowess and speed. With a flash of Lord of the Dance arms, he is clearly having great fun. Mcrae is joined on stage by the internationally renowned violinist Charlie Siem as they perform Fortitudine together.

A hugely enjoyable evening with a true mix of ballet styles in one performance.

BALLET NIGHTS 006 at Cadogan Hall

Reviewed on 4th September 2024

by Debbie Rich

Photography by Deborah Jaffe

Previous Ballet Nights reviews:

BALLET NIGHTS | ★★★★ | LANTERNS STUDIO THEATRE | February 2024

BALLET NIGHTS 2023 | ★★★★ | LANTERNS STUDIO THEATRE | September 2023

BALLET NIGHTS

BALLET NIGHTS

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