Birmingham Royal Ballet return to Lighthouse, Poole’s Centre for the Arts on 13 and 14 May with an eclectic triple bill of dance.
The breathtaking programme features thrilling works by two of the greats of British ballet, Sir Frederick Ashton and Sir Kenneth MacMillan, alongside an exciting new work from upcoming choreographer Alexander Whitley. All three are accompanied by live music from members of the Royal Ballet Sinfonia.
A huge hit when it was first performed in 1933, Les Rendezvous was the first ballet in which Ashton put aside the comedy for which he was known and concentrated on pure technique. Loosely based around a group of friends meeting up in a park, the ballet is a series of fiercely difficult divertissements which give the whole cast the chance to show off their virtuosity.
Kin is an exciting new ballet from Alexander Whitley, Royal Opera House Choreographic Affiliate, Sadler’s Wells New Wave Associate and former Birmingham Royal Ballet company member. Danced to music by young American composer Phil Kline, Kin will receive its premiere at the 2014 International Dance Festival Birmingham.
In Elite Syncopations, a completely stripped back theatre bursts into life as dancers in brilliantly coloured costumes gather for a dance competition. An equally vibrant, onstage, rag-time band play old favourites from Scott Joplin and his fellows to accompany a string of sketches, spanning the dazzling, the witty and the touching, as each dancer takes their turn. One of his best-loved creations, Kenneth MacMillan’s Elite Syncopations is certain to leave you smiling.
