Two contrasting ballets from Wayne McGregor and George Balanchine return with a world premiere by Alastair Marriott.

The classical and the contemporary meet in this programme of three complementary works. Alastair Marriott’s new ballet to a commissioned score from Dario Marianelli marks the centenary of the ending of World War I in October 2018. The Unknown Soldier imagines the story of individuals caught up in the turmoil of war. Both McGregor’s Infra, created on The Royal Ballet in 2008, and Balanchine’s 20th-century classic Symphony in C each provide a technical tour de force in their individual ways for the Company, soloists and corps de ballet alike.

Infra

Wayne McGregor’s abstract ballet is a moving exploration of emotion, set to Max Richter’s melancholic and beautiful score.

Infra. Tristan Dyer and Akane Takada ©ROH, 2018. Photographed by Helen Maybanks

Infra. William Bracewell and Anna Rose O’Sullivan ©ROH, 2018. Photographed by Helen Maybanks

Infra. William Bracewell and Anna Rose O’Sullivan ©ROH, 2018. Photographed by Helen Maybanks 01

Infra. Yasmine Naghdi and Calvin Richardson ©ROH, 2018. Photographed by Helen Maybanks

Infra. Artists of The Royal Ballet ©ROH, 2018. Photographed by Helen Maybanks

Symphony in C

Symphony in C. Artists of The Royal Ballet ©ROH, 2018. Photographed by Helen Maybanks

Symphony in C. Artists of The Royal Ballet ©ROH, 2018. Photographed by Helen Maybanks 01

Symphony in C. Fumi Kaneko ©ROH, 2018. Photographed by Helen Maybanks

Balanchine’s dazzling neoclassical ballet, set to Bizet’s Symphony no.1 is a joyful showcase for the whole Company.

The Unknown Soldier

Alastair Marriott creates a new work for The Royal Ballet, to commemorate the centenary of the ending of World War I.

The Unknown Soldier. Yasmine Naghdi as Florence Billington and Matthew Ball as Ted Feltham ©ROH, 2018. Ph by Helen Maybanks

The Unknown Soldier. Matthew Ball as Ted Feltham and Tomas Mock as Harry Patch ©ROH, 2018. Photographed by Helen Maybanks

The Unknown Soldier. Matthew Ball as Ted Feltham and Yasmine Naghdi as Florence Billington ©ROH, 2018. Ph by Helen Maybanks

The Unknown Soldier. Artists of The Royal Ballet ©ROH, 2018. Photographed by Helen Maybanks

The Unknown Soldier. Artists of The Royal Ballet ©ROH, 2018. Photographed by Helen Maybanks 02