Review: Ballet Nights 011 Convergence, Cadogan Hall

What could be nicer on a warm spring evening than a trip to Cadogan Hall to see some fantastic, sophisticated entertainment? The comfortable, spacious yet intimate auditorium is the perfect spot for Ballet Nights to bring its eleventh collection of creative forces from the world of music and dance together in one space. The event has grown from humble beginnings in London in 2023 to now being an international touring production, and this season’s UK tour sees performances in Manchester, Brighton and Richmond before reaching London. The show is not a play with characters and a narrative, but more a collection of passionate, like-minded individuals bringing their talents to the fore.

Whilst labelled as ballet, the programme offers an eclectic mix of ballet, modern and culturally-inspired performances that are quite breathtaking. A warm, lively welcome from Jamiel Devernay-Laurence, Artistic Director and Founder of Ballet Nights, introduces us to the evening’s performances. Some of the creatives have travelled from far and wide, only arriving the day before and leaving the next day, and some are making their professional debuts.

A lovely start is provided by Quartet Concrete, playing Beethoven’s ‘String Quartet No.9’, swiftly followed by the mesmerising talents of Parisian dancer Germain Zambi. Every beat of the music is synchronised with movement, slowly building speed to reach a thrilling end and receiving a great response from the audience.

The ballet highlight of the evening is ‘Etudes on a Theme of Satie’, performed by the second-year students of the English National Ballet, choreographed by Lynne Charles and Juan Eymar and performing at the barre. Seeing such young talent and dedication delivering quite so polished a performance – which for most was their first on a professional stage – was quite moving. To then see the ensemble take seats in the balcony and watch in wonder and excitement the mature talents of prima ballerina Alina Cojocaru and Denys Cherevychko, was lovely to witness.

The partnership between Cojocaru and Cherevychko tells a spellbinding story, reminding the audience of ballet’s classical roots and why Cojocaru remains such a force in the world of dance. With every inch of the stage used, the pair are a delight. Cherevychko returns later to dance a solo, more humorous, piece to ‘Les Bourgeois’, showing a far more relaxed side to his performance.

Taiwanese artists B.Dance (Shu-Han Yeh and Hsin-Chien Chou) perform a beautifully timed and choreographed dance, playfully using the large skirt of one to hide the other at the start, which drew gasps from some of the audience on the reveal. Taiwanese music adds to the cultural significance of the act.

The acoustics and lighting in the hall create a perfect sounding board and backdrop to the night’s events while the carefully curated programme and pace really excel in highlighting each individual performer’s talents without any overshadowing another.

Not being any kind of ballet or dance aficionado, for me this is the perfect blend of relaxing music, dance and creativity in an ideal location that I will most definitely re-visit and learn more about.

Executive Producer: Fundamentally Dance
Founder & Artistic Director: Jamiel Devernay-Laurence
Producer: Olivia Godwin
Technical Director: Max Marchment
Sound & Equipment: Industrial Sound Light & Space

Ballet Nights run regular events. Further details via the below link.