Australian Ballet, Jewels, Royal Opera House

Australian Ballet brings glamour and glitter to the hot days of August at the Royal Opera House with a visit we've been waiting for for a long seven years, since the company's last London performances in 2016.

Renowned the world over for its bold and expansive style, allied with the technical prowess of its dancers, Melbourne-based Australian Ballet was founded by the London-born Dame Peggy van Praagh 60 years ago, a jubilee it's celebrating this year under the relatively new leadership of David Hallberg.

Described by The Times as 'one of the world's most sublime and acclaimed male dancers', Hallberg's extraordinary career includes being the first American to join Russia's Bolshoi Ballet as a premier dancer in 2011.

David Hallberg. Photo: Pierre Toussaint
Hallberg was also a principal with American Ballet Theatre, a principal guest artist with the Royal Ballet and a resident guest artist with the Australian Ballet.

For this London visit Hallberg has programmed Jewels, one of Balanchine's most inspired and glamorous full evening works. The choreographer's homage to the glittering displays in the windows of Van Cleef & Arpels on Fifth Avenue, New York, this timeless, always dazzling, 1967 ballet is divided into three parts.

First comes Emeralds. Set to a score by the French composer Fauré, this is a soft, dreamy piece designed to capture the mystery of the deep green gems with a nod to the style of the 19th-century Paris Opera Ballet.

In glaring contrast Rubies, which comes next, is set to a jazzy Stravinsky piece and is Balanchine's own homage to his adopted home of New York and its sassy energy, its choreography blending modern, spiky, off-centre movement with classical steps. It's exhilarating.

The last section, Diamonds, again establishes a contrast with what came before. Danced to music by Tchaikovsky, it's an homage to the grandeur of the imperial Russian tradition, which Russian-born Balanchine inherited.

For Australian Ballet's 60th anniversary gala on Sunday 6 August at 1:30pm, Hallberg has assembled a collection of classical and contemporary works, including pieces by Rudolf Nureyev, Yuri Possokhov, Pam Tanowitz and the Australian choreographer Alice Topp. Tickets: £7 – £135.

Live music will be provided by the Royal Ballet Sinfonia conducted by Jonathan Lo.

Note: The full gala programme will be announced in due course. Watch this space!