An accessible, welcoming form of relaxation therapy through high-quality dance.Rating
Ballet Nights 012 is the Company’s third annual performance at Cadogan Hall. Opened in 1907 as a church, this beautiful historic building fell into disrepair when the congregation moved to new premises. In 2000, the Cadogan Estate purchased the building and invested in an impressive restoration programme. It soon became home to the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, establishing itself as one of London’s most popular entertainment venues, attracting big names and packed audiences.
I have always enjoyed going to the ballet, although I wouldn’t claim to know a great deal about the world of dance. So, when the compère for the evening, Anaish Yilma-Parmar, made a point of introducing himself to me, I immediately felt I was in safe hands. That sense of accessibility is very much at the heart of Ballet Nights. Each show is a one-night-only event featuring a collection of short works, live music and a compère who guides the audience through the evening. The concept aims to make ballet feel less intimidating and more accessible to everyone. As the Ballet Nights website puts it: “You don’t need to know anything about dance to enjoy it – you just need to be curious.”
This evening showcased 12 performances, beginning with the Sleeping Beauty Waltz performed by Quartet Concrète. The acoustics inside Cadogan Hall, combined with warm lighting and the magic of the building itself, created a beautiful atmosphere and a fitting introduction.
The first dance of the evening was then Spring Waters Pas de Deux, performed by Yasmine Naghdi and Reece Clarke, both Principal dancers of The Royal Ballet. It was everything you might expect from two dancers at the top of their profession – elegant, graceful and seemingly effortless.
Next, Yilma-Parmar introduced Cape Town City Ballet Principals Hannah Ward and Leusson Muniz, making their UK debut with Pie Jesu. This was a beautiful and moving performance, with impeccable timing and a wonderful connection between the two dancers. Their bodies seeming to mould into one another, moving in perfect unison, which was mesmerising to watch.
One of the most intriguing performances before the interval was BREATH, performed and choreographed by Liam Woodvine alongside Taylor Hughes. This was a bold and contemporary piece, very different in style from the traditional ballet seen so far. Both dancers wore face coverings and were connected by a long piece of fabric, representing gas masks. Yilma-Parmar explained that the piece depicted a bunker, with one character wanting to leave while the other wanted to stay. It was an innovative and thought-provoking performance, open to interpretation and an example of how Ballet Nights brings together different styles of dance in one programme.
After the interval, baritone Michael Lafferty took to the stage and wowed the audience with ‘Largo al factotum’ from Il Barbiere di Siviglia, accompanied by Quartet Concrète. This powerful performance was seriously impressive and a reminder that Ballet Nights is about more than dance alone.
Further highlights included the return of both the Cape Town City Ballet Principals and the Royal Ballet Principals. However, my personal favourite was Don Quixote Suite, performed by The Acosta Dance Foundation Rising Stars Mako Egawa and Alejandro Rosa Constantino. Both dancers were making their professional debuts, and they lit up the stage with their enormous talent and huge energy, performing multiple pirouettes. Watching two young dancers at the beginning of their professional careers was a real joy.
For me, dance is a personal experience – a form of relaxation where you can free your mind of other thoughts, and Ballet Nights’ accessible, welcoming quality supports that perfectly. A combination of traditional, new and modern pieces, showcasing world stars alongside emerging artists, it is a totally joyous watch.
Choreographers: Asaf Messerer (Spring Waters Pas De Deux), Garry Trinder (Pie Jesu), Travis Clausen-Knight / PCK Dance (There Were Storms), Liam Woodvine (BREATH), David Dawson (On The Nature of Daylight), Veronica Paeper (Orpheus in the Underworld), Carlos Acosta (Don Quixote Suite), James Wilton Dance (LOKI), Kenneth MacMillan (Elite Syncopations)
Composers: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Sleeping Beauty Waltz), Sergei Rachmaninov (Spring Waters Pas De Deux), Gabriel Fauré (Pie Jesu), Valentin Silvestrov (There Were Storms), Max Richter (On The Nature of Daylight), Gioachino Rossini (Largo al factotum), Ludwig Minkus (Don Quixote Suite), Scott Joplin (Stoptime Rag and Bethena Rag Waltz)
Music Arrangers: Dominic Stokes (Sleeping Beauty Waltz; Largo al factotum), Michael Tuffin (Orpheus in the Underworld)
Producers: Tracy Li (Pie Jesu; Orpheus in the Underworld), David Dawson (On The Nature of Daylight)
Staging: Aydmara Cabrera (Don Quixote Suite)
Costumes: Asli Ozuak (BREATH), Yumiko Takeshima (On The Nature of Daylight), Peter Cazalet (Orpheus in the Underworld), Ian Spurling (Elite Syncopations)
Compère: Anaish Yilma Parmar
Ballet Nights has completed its performance at Caodgen Hall, but a UK Tour continues.
