The Australian Ballet 60th Anniversary Gala review ★★★★★
The Australian Ballet ended its first visit to the ROH in over three decades with an enjoyable gala marking the company’s 60th anniversary
TAB, Marcus Morelli in Petipa-Ratmansky's Harlequinade. Photo: Tristram Kenton
Before curtain up, The Australian Ballet (TAB) artistic director David Hallberg made a brief introduction, stressing that the programme wasn’t an account of the company’s six decades, but rather a snapshot of ‘The Australian Ballet of today.’
What followed was a wide-ranging selection of work old and new that showed off the dancers’ versatility, and if not all was perfect across nine pieces, there was nevertheless much to enjoy.
The programme opened with an extract from Alexei Ratmanski’s meticulous reconstruction of Petipa’s Harlequinade (pictured top). Set to music by Drigo, it’s based on the ‘commedia dell’arte’ characters Harlequin and Colombine, which Marcus Morelli and Shami Spencer performed with due deference to 19th-century Russian style, supported by an impeccably drilled 12-strong ensemble.
The 'Andante' from Kenneth MacMillan’s Concerto came next.
TAB: Nathan Brook and Amy Harris in MacMillan's Concerto. Photo: Tristram Kenton
MacMillan was inspired by a dancer warming up in the studio. The woman uses her partner’s arm to support her, as if holding on to the barre. It’s a slow piece of absolute precision, with clear lines and angles. Amy Harris and Nathan Brook did it justice.
For me, the absolute highlights of the programme were three contemporary ensemble pieces by Justin Peck, Pam Tanowitz and Johan Inger.
New York City Ballet resident choreographer Justin Peck’s Everywhere We Go, of which TAB presented an extract for nine soloists plus ensemble, is a characteristically complex piece relying on geometries of backdrop (Karl Jensen), costumes (Janie Taylor), and movement.
To a score by Sufian Stevens, Peck draws intricate, flowing formations which the dancers, led by Drew Hedditch, infused with clarity and gusto. It was exhilarating.
Pam Tanowitz is the gift that keeps on giving. With each new work she creates a sense of novelty, deconstructing what went before and coming up with works that are fresh, unexpected, and always very Tanowitz.
TAB: Adam Elmes in Tanowitz's Watermark. Photo: Tristram Kenton
And so it was with Watermark, a commission by TAB set to an eponymous score by Caroline Shaw. Costumed in soft, loose, unisex white, Seventeen dancers tackled Tanowitz’s specific style – no facial expressions, clean movements with no extraneous embellishments – as if to the manner born.
Also very enjoyable, but with a completely different vibe, was Johan Inger’s I New Then. Created a decade ago for Nederlands Dans Theater, and set to Van Morrison’s Madame George it’s playful and very street, portraying a group of nine young people larking around within a very loose narrative.
With such good work on offer, it’s lamentable that TAB decided to include local choreographer Alice Topp’s perverse pas de trois, Little Atlas, which consisted of a woman being manhandled every which way by two men, including being dragged across the floor, for no discernible purpose. It was a nasty piece and left a bad taste in the mouth.
Both halves of the programme ended with virtuoso pieces: Balanchine’s Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, performed by Ako Kondo and Chengwu Guo, closed Act I.
TAB: Chengwu Guo and Ako Kondo in Balanchine's Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux. Photo: Tristram Kenton
And the marriage finale from Rudolf Nureyev’s production of Don Quixote, led by Benedicte Bemet and Joseph Caley ended the programme.
Neither piece went without incident, but Caley in particular stood out with his impeccably performed and astutely timed box of tricks. We’ve seen more charismatic Basilios, but technically Caley was up there with the best of them.
What followed was a wide-ranging selection of work old and new that showed off the dancers’ versatility, and if not all was perfect across nine pieces, there was nevertheless much to enjoy.
The programme opened with an extract from Alexei Ratmanski’s meticulous reconstruction of Petipa’s Harlequinade (pictured top). Set to music by Drigo, it’s based on the ‘commedia dell’arte’ characters Harlequin and Colombine, which Marcus Morelli and Shami Spencer performed with due deference to 19th-century Russian style, supported by an impeccably drilled 12-strong ensemble.
The 'Andante' from Kenneth MacMillan’s Concerto came next.
TAB: Nathan Brook and Amy Harris in MacMillan's Concerto. Photo: Tristram Kenton
MacMillan was inspired by a dancer warming up in the studio. The woman uses her partner’s arm to support her, as if holding on to the barre. It’s a slow piece of absolute precision, with clear lines and angles. Amy Harris and Nathan Brook did it justice.
For me, the absolute highlights of the programme were three contemporary ensemble pieces by Justin Peck, Pam Tanowitz and Johan Inger.
New York City Ballet resident choreographer Justin Peck’s Everywhere We Go, of which TAB presented an extract for nine soloists plus ensemble, is a characteristically complex piece relying on geometries of backdrop (Karl Jensen), costumes (Janie Taylor), and movement.
To a score by Sufian Stevens, Peck draws intricate, flowing formations which the dancers, led by Drew Hedditch, infused with clarity and gusto. It was exhilarating.
Pam Tanowitz is the gift that keeps on giving. With each new work she creates a sense of novelty, deconstructing what went before and coming up with works that are fresh, unexpected, and always very Tanowitz.
TAB: Adam Elmes in Tanowitz's Watermark. Photo: Tristram Kenton
And so it was with Watermark, a commission by TAB set to an eponymous score by Caroline Shaw. Costumed in soft, loose, unisex white, Seventeen dancers tackled Tanowitz’s specific style – no facial expressions, clean movements with no extraneous embellishments – as if to the manner born.
Also very enjoyable, but with a completely different vibe, was Johan Inger’s I New Then. Created a decade ago for Nederlands Dans Theater, and set to Van Morrison’s Madame George it’s playful and very street, portraying a group of nine young people larking around within a very loose narrative.
With such good work on offer, it’s lamentable that TAB decided to include local choreographer Alice Topp’s perverse pas de trois, Little Atlas, which consisted of a woman being manhandled every which way by two men, including being dragged across the floor, for no discernible purpose. It was a nasty piece and left a bad taste in the mouth.
Both halves of the programme ended with virtuoso pieces: Balanchine’s Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, performed by Ako Kondo and Chengwu Guo, closed Act I.
TAB: Chengwu Guo and Ako Kondo in Balanchine's Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux. Photo: Tristram Kenton
And the marriage finale from Rudolf Nureyev’s production of Don Quixote, led by Benedicte Bemet and Joseph Caley ended the programme.
Neither piece went without incident, but Caley in particular stood out with his impeccably performed and astutely timed box of tricks. We’ve seen more charismatic Basilios, but technically Caley was up there with the best of them.
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| What | The Australian Ballet 60th Anniversary Gala review |
| Where | Royal Opera House, Bow Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 9DD | MAP |
| Nearest tube | Covent Garden (underground) |
| When |
On 06 Aug 23, 13:30 Dur.: 2 hours 30 mins inc one interval |
| Price | £7-£135 |
| Website |