San Francisco Ballet launch their London season at London’s Sadler’s Wells Theatre this evening, and until September 23 they will be presenting three mixed-bill programs. That's 10 works over nine performances, featuring works by George Balanchine, Edwaard Liang, Mark Morris, Ashley Page, Christopher Wheeldon, SF Ballet chief Helgi Tomasson, as well as their Choreographer in … [Read more...]
Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty – from Petipa to iPads
Matthew Bourne is to create a new version of ballet Sleeping Beauty with "vampiric influences".The work will be premiered at Christmas as part of a season at Sadler's Wells marking 25 years of Bourne's company, New Adventures. Earlier works, including Nutcracker and Play Without Words, will also be showcased at the London venue in 2012.Perrault’s timeless fairy tale, … [Read more...]
Critics round-up: Sylvie Guillem at Sadler’s Wells – “Dancers have a cruelly curt use-by date. They’re better fresh. Or are they?”
She's done it again, and everyone's delighted that Guillem still has the possibility to enchant, astonish and all those other adjectives that the press have been hurling around in the last 24 hours. Here's a selection: At 46, Sylvie Guillem may have abandoned her former ballerina roles, but she is still one of the most astonishing dancers on stage today. Even though the … [Read more...]
Sylvie Guillem evening at Sadler’s Wells – Hope for Japan
Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist Sylvie Guillem has added an extra performance to her currently sold out run this July. The proceeds from this additional show, including the transaction fee, will be donated to the Japan Tsunami Appeal, managed by the British Red Cross.Widely recognised as one of the world’s greatest dancers, Sylvie Guillem stars in this new evening of work … [Read more...]
The funding cuts are deep, but “Ballet is dying” anyway, insists Sadler’s Wells chief Alistair Spalding
Ballet is in crisis, with fresh talent and ideas struggling to break through and the major companies obsessed with 200-year-old productions at the expense of new work, according to the head of Sadler's Wells, in remarks sure to cause a sharp intake of breath backstage at his more traditional rivals. Much of the large ballet companies' output lacks variety, according to the … [Read more...]