[Review] Ballet Nights – a familiar concept with original charm
Matthew Paluch sees Ballet Nights in deepest, darkest Docklands, London: “The fact that anyone’s doing anything with, and for dance should be celebrated.”
| Title | Ballet Nights |
| Company | 3GGGs |
| Venue | Lanterns Studio Theatre, London |
| Date | 23 February 2024 |
| Reviewer | Matthew Paluch |
This is my first experience of ‘Ballet Nights‘. Somehow, I wasn’t able to attend BN1, 2, or 3… but I made it to 4!
So off to the Lanterns Studio Theatre in the deepest, darkest Docklands we all went, to witness an evening with 12 different works!
The space is vast, with a stage verging on the size of a football pitch, but there’s definitely an atmosphere, even if it’s a bit on the chilly side.
First up was Miroirs IV. Alborada Del Gracioso by Maurice Ravel expertly performed by pianist Viktor Erik Emanuel. It makes sense to open with a musical interlude, but in reality felt like a slightly too long overture.
Then we met our compère (and producer of the event) Jamiel Devernay-Laurence. When I heard there was chat in between I wasn’t too sure… but Devernay-Laurence has buckets of charm and shares lots of useful info, giving the whole evening a worthwhile context.
The first dance was the Etoile Variation from Paquita (Marius Petipa) performed by Chloe Keneally of English National Ballet. It isn’t always easy to open things but Keneally is a confident dancer with both style and strength, though I wish I could’ve seen her more clearly. The lights (throughout!) giving more bar than stage vibes.
Next came And So The Rhythm Goes choreographed and performed by Jordan James Bridge. There’s no doubting James Bridge’s presence or capability as a dancer, but choreographically I was left indifferent.
The solo Laurel from Seven Portraits by Sir Robert Cohan, created on and performed by Laurel Dalley Smith, was a moment for me. Dalley Smith is a consummate artist, and this was clearly understood by Cohan through the solo he created for her. Equally feral and sophisticated, it’s a prime example of what dance can be when intelligently structured and authentically embodied.
The duo Watson & Woodvine performed and choreographed by Cydney Watson and Liam Woodvine was a world premiere that needs more time to find its feet. Both dancers bring energy in abundance, but the execution currently feels too rough, and the pace, one dimensional.
The secret performer was Guy Salim, Devernay-Laurence’s brother, offering a tap solo. Salim is clearly highly skilled, but the a cappella experience felt dry at times, regardless of the expertise involved.
Closing the first half was the star turn: principals of the Royal Ballet Yasmine Naghdi and Reece Clarke in Asaf Messerer’s wild Spring Waters pas de deux. Both dancers showed the calibre of their work with a perfectly pitched balance of abandon and precision – bravo indeed.
The second half opened like the first, with a musical moment performed by Viktor Erik Emanuel. Abegg Variations, Op.1 by Robert Schumann isn’t the most memorable of pieces but was executed with proficient ease.
Keneally returned with her second solo of the evening, Aurora from Act III of The Sleeping Beauty. It’s important for younger dancers to challenge themselves, and Keneally did well. But moving forwards she needs to keep acquiring the clarity that Petipa demands in action.
324a by Joshua Junker was performed with major presence by Felicity Chadwick. Rambert School produce ongoingly brilliant graduates, case in point Chadwick, who has a palpable sense of grounding and generous use of plié, and feels like one to watch. Choreographically I’m more into Junker circa 2024.
Nerve Wire, choreographed and performed by Pett | Clausen-Knight (James Pett and Travis Clausen Knight) is probably the most polished work of the evening, and also the only one that features a set of any kind – five vertical, tube lights that change colour. Both dancers wore black loose trousers and socks, so often their movement was even more difficult to see, no thanks to the already minimal lighting. They’re undoubtedly, extremely accomplished artists, but I found the overall flavour of the work too panicked in relation to dynamic, and on the (unsure why) heavy side of emotional communication.
Closing the programme, the headliners returned with Kenneth MacMillan‘s balcony pas de deux from Romeo and Juliet. The beginning feels a bit awks without a set to support the narrative, but once the dancing started it made much more sense. It’s interesting to see dancers outside of their usual habitats, as the shift can awaken untapped aspects. Both Naghdi and Clarke danced with less inhibition. Perhaps it was the proximity to them, or the fact they weren’t on the Royal Opera House stage. Hallowed ground can be stifling in its own way… so much pressure and expectation. Zone 2 suits them.
A bone of contention though – having only one piece of dance with live music out of a possible 10 doesn’t seem good enough to me. This needs a rethink.
Ballet Nights returns in April, and if they crank up the lights and heating, I’ll defo be there. It’s an unoriginal concept with an original charm. And the fact that anyone’s doing anything with, and for dance should be celebrated.
Matthew Paluch was awarded a place at The Royal Ballet School in 1990 where he graduated in 1997. His first four years as a professional dancer were spent working with London City Ballet, Scottish Ballet, K-Ballet and English National Ballet, becoming a full-time member of ENB until leaving in 2006.
Matthew graduated from the Royal Academy of Dance, Professional Dancers’ Teaching Diploma in 2007, and was formerly on faculty at The Royal Ballet School. He completed his Masters in Ballet Studies at Roehampton University in 2011, has been a freelance writer since 2010 and currently works in the Law Sector.
He is a member of the Dance Section of The Critics’ Circle.
