Birmingham Royal Ballet at Sadler's Wells
BRB Momoko Hirata and Mathias Dingman in La Fille Mal Gardée. Photo: Bill Cooper
Under the dynamic leadership of the Cuban ballet superstar Carlos Acosta, Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB) continues to innovate, while at the same time paying due respect to important repertoire pieces.
This double-headed approach will be evident when BRB comes to Sadler's Wells in the autumn with two contrasting evenings of dance, presenting Ashton's La Fille Mal Gardée, and first new work by five international female choreographers under the umbrella title of Luna.
La Fille Mal Gardée (pictured top). is Ashton's sunniest, most delightful work, one in which Acosta himself shone in his time as a principal dancer with the Royal Ballet. Set in a dreamy bucolic setting and danced to music by Ferdinand Heróld, it tells of the resourceful girl of the title, Lise, and her determination to marry the penniless Colas, despite her mother's insistence that she should instead marry Alain, the simple-minded son of a rich local landowner.
With glorious dances, genuinely funny comedy, a real live pony and the daunting mother, Widow Simone, performed by a male dancer en travesti, this ballet never fails to enchant. This is the first time BRB dance it since Acosta became artistic director. It's at Sadler's Wells on 25 and 26 October
The brand new Luna will have its world premiere in early October in Birmingham, which is fitting, since it's the third part in BRB's Birmingham trilogy; and comes to Sadler's Wells as part of a UK tour on 22 and 23 October.
BRB rehearse a new piece by Thaís Suárez for Luna. Photo: Katja Ogrin
The brainchild of Carlos Acosta, the Birmingham trilogy is intended to pay homage to the city that is home to BRB, and doing so raise the profile of both city and company. The first two parts of the trilogy, City of a Thousand Trades and Black Sabbath – The Ballet, were daring and original.
Luna is even more daring: a two-Act abstract ballet in six movements, it brings together pieces by five female dance makers. A couple are well-known to British audiences: Arielle Smith whose especially commissioned Six Dances for London City Ballet met with general acclaim, and Seeta Patel, who blends the South Indian dance of her roots with contemporary choreographic language.
They are joined by Thaís Suárez, formerly a principal with Danza Contemporanea de Cuba, Basque-born Iratxe Ansa, winner of the 2020 National Prize for Dance in Spain, and the multi-award winning Dutch choreographer Wubkje Kuindersma. All take inspiration from the pioneering women of Birmingham, whose stories are told in the book Once Upon a Time in Birmingham: Women Who Dare to Dream by Louise Palfreyman,
This double-headed approach will be evident when BRB comes to Sadler's Wells in the autumn with two contrasting evenings of dance, presenting Ashton's La Fille Mal Gardée, and first new work by five international female choreographers under the umbrella title of Luna.
La Fille Mal Gardée (pictured top). is Ashton's sunniest, most delightful work, one in which Acosta himself shone in his time as a principal dancer with the Royal Ballet. Set in a dreamy bucolic setting and danced to music by Ferdinand Heróld, it tells of the resourceful girl of the title, Lise, and her determination to marry the penniless Colas, despite her mother's insistence that she should instead marry Alain, the simple-minded son of a rich local landowner.
With glorious dances, genuinely funny comedy, a real live pony and the daunting mother, Widow Simone, performed by a male dancer en travesti, this ballet never fails to enchant. This is the first time BRB dance it since Acosta became artistic director. It's at Sadler's Wells on 25 and 26 October
The brand new Luna will have its world premiere in early October in Birmingham, which is fitting, since it's the third part in BRB's Birmingham trilogy; and comes to Sadler's Wells as part of a UK tour on 22 and 23 October.
BRB rehearse a new piece by Thaís Suárez for Luna. Photo: Katja Ogrin
The brainchild of Carlos Acosta, the Birmingham trilogy is intended to pay homage to the city that is home to BRB, and doing so raise the profile of both city and company. The first two parts of the trilogy, City of a Thousand Trades and Black Sabbath – The Ballet, were daring and original.
Luna is even more daring: a two-Act abstract ballet in six movements, it brings together pieces by five female dance makers. A couple are well-known to British audiences: Arielle Smith whose especially commissioned Six Dances for London City Ballet met with general acclaim, and Seeta Patel, who blends the South Indian dance of her roots with contemporary choreographic language.
They are joined by Thaís Suárez, formerly a principal with Danza Contemporanea de Cuba, Basque-born Iratxe Ansa, winner of the 2020 National Prize for Dance in Spain, and the multi-award winning Dutch choreographer Wubkje Kuindersma. All take inspiration from the pioneering women of Birmingham, whose stories are told in the book Once Upon a Time in Birmingham: Women Who Dare to Dream by Louise Palfreyman,
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| What | Birmingham Royal Ballet at Sadler's Wells |
| Where | Sadler's Wells, Rosebery Avenue, London, EC1R 4TN | MAP |
| Nearest tube | Angel (underground) |
| When |
22 Oct 24 – 26 Oct 24, 19:30 Dur.: Luna 1hour 50 mins inc one interval. La Fille Mal Gardée 2hours 20 mins inc two intervals |
| Price | £15-£65 (+booking fee) |
| Website | https://www.sadlerswells.com/whats-on/birmingham-royal-ballet-luna/ |