The Royal Ballet’s Sarah Lamb on Jewels
“I think each jewel theme comes through very clearly in the dances through the choreography. Diamond is incredibly regal and imperial and is very classical. You could say, that like the diamond, this dance is the epitome of purity.
“Rubies is so incredibly modern, compared with the other two and there are lots of jagged lines with bent arms and wrists, a bit daring in the same way that rubies are considered a little more vivacious than an emerald or a sapphire,” she says.
“Emeralds is very detailed with lots of intricate patterns formed by all the dancers on stage at once, like the facets of a stone. It is the least athletic of all the dances, expressing the frailty of emeralds. The piece has no narrative so, like jewellery, the ballet is beautiful as it is. There is no secret or a key to understanding it. It is a very personal reaction and you bring your own experience to it. So while some may think rubies are garish others may prefer emeralds or diamonds, and it is the same with the ballet.”
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Graham Spicer, aka ‘Gramilano’, is a writer, director and photographer based in Milan. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy. His articles have appeared in various publications from Woman’s Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the Danza in Italia column for Dancing Times magazine. Graham was the historical advisor on Codice Carla, the 2023 documentary on Carla Fracci.
Graham also works as a dance photographer, and his photos have appeared in many books, theatre programmes, and magazines, including Dancing Times, Dance Spirit and Ballet2000, as well as all the major Italian newspapers.
He is a member of the Dance Section of The Critics’ Circle.
