London City Ballet, Resurgence ★★★★★
The brand new iteration of London City Ballet brought its vibrant inaugural programme, Resurgence, to Sadler’s Wells as part of an extensive international tour
Bárbara Verdasco & Alejandro Virelles in Larina Waltz by Ashley Page. Photography by ASH
The brainchild of former dancer, teacher and choreographer Christopher Marney, London City Ballet is the 21st century iteration of the eponymous touring company directed by the late Harold King, which achieved considerable success in the latter part of the last century with Diana, Princess of Wales as its patron, before folding due to financial difficulties in 1996.
READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH CHRISTOPHER MARNEY HERE
London City Ballet’s inaugural international tour, aptly named Resurgence, has just reached Sadler’s Wells, a particularly poignant homecoming to the venue where its predecessor was a resident company. It brought a cleverly assembled mixed bill of old and new short pieces, which showcased the ability and engagement of its dancers.
A filmed montage of key moments from the original London City Ballet opened the evening, before making way for Ashley Page’s Larina Waltz, a bright, impeccably classic piece for five couples – the women in sparkly white tutus, the men all in black – set to an extract from Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin (pictured top).
Beautifully coordinated ensemble sequences alternated with sections showcasing each couple’s particular qualities. All excelled. It was the perfect opener.
Ballade, which came next, was particularly interesting. An early piece by Kenneth MacMillan, it was seen only once in 1972, but has now been painstakingly reconstructed by Marney with a team of collaborators. It proved fascinating both in itself, as a rare moment of light and innocence in MacMillan’s oeuvre, and, in its choreographic language, also as precursor of much darker moments in later works.
Arthur Wille, Joseph Taylor, Ayça Anil and Nicholas Vavrecka in MacMillan's Ballade. Photography by ASH
A piece for three men and one woman in simple, summery white costumes, it’s set to music by Fauré and was inspired by the first date between the choreographer and his wife-to-be Deborah. The star ballerina Alina Cojocaru guested at Sadler’s Wells, the luminous focus of the men’s attentions, now gently lifted by all three, then playfully dueting with each of them, before making her choice.
The immensely talented young choreographer Arielle Smith provided the new piece in the programme: Five Dances, set to John Adams’s intensely rhythmic ‘John’s Book of Alleged Dances’.
Jimin Kim and Arthur Wille in Five Dances. Photography by ASH
A plotless celebration of dance, it exhibits Arielle’s Smith’s characteristic distortion of classical steps, that nonetheless remain recognisable, combined with more contemporary movement, each of its five sections a continuum of movement within the music’s accent ranging from allegro vivace to andante.
In its inventiveness and sheer love of dance it was exhilarating.
Joseph Taylor and Isadora Bless gave a creditable account of the pas de deux from MacMillan’s Concerto, set to Shostakovich’s second piano concerto.
The programme ended with Christopher Marney’s Eve, an attempt to tell the biblical story of Adam and Eve from Eve’s perspective. Cira Robinson lately of Ballet Black, was Eve, gradually succumbing to the very sexual allure of the Serpent, intensely danced by Álvaro Madrigal; but as a finale this overwrought piece proved a bit of a downer.
No matter: Resurgence more than justified the decision to revive London City Ballet. It left me craving more.
READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH CHRISTOPHER MARNEY HERE
London City Ballet’s inaugural international tour, aptly named Resurgence, has just reached Sadler’s Wells, a particularly poignant homecoming to the venue where its predecessor was a resident company. It brought a cleverly assembled mixed bill of old and new short pieces, which showcased the ability and engagement of its dancers.
A filmed montage of key moments from the original London City Ballet opened the evening, before making way for Ashley Page’s Larina Waltz, a bright, impeccably classic piece for five couples – the women in sparkly white tutus, the men all in black – set to an extract from Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin (pictured top).
Beautifully coordinated ensemble sequences alternated with sections showcasing each couple’s particular qualities. All excelled. It was the perfect opener.
Ballade, which came next, was particularly interesting. An early piece by Kenneth MacMillan, it was seen only once in 1972, but has now been painstakingly reconstructed by Marney with a team of collaborators. It proved fascinating both in itself, as a rare moment of light and innocence in MacMillan’s oeuvre, and, in its choreographic language, also as precursor of much darker moments in later works.
Arthur Wille, Joseph Taylor, Ayça Anil and Nicholas Vavrecka in MacMillan's Ballade. Photography by ASH
A piece for three men and one woman in simple, summery white costumes, it’s set to music by Fauré and was inspired by the first date between the choreographer and his wife-to-be Deborah. The star ballerina Alina Cojocaru guested at Sadler’s Wells, the luminous focus of the men’s attentions, now gently lifted by all three, then playfully dueting with each of them, before making her choice.
The immensely talented young choreographer Arielle Smith provided the new piece in the programme: Five Dances, set to John Adams’s intensely rhythmic ‘John’s Book of Alleged Dances’.
Jimin Kim and Arthur Wille in Five Dances. Photography by ASH
A plotless celebration of dance, it exhibits Arielle’s Smith’s characteristic distortion of classical steps, that nonetheless remain recognisable, combined with more contemporary movement, each of its five sections a continuum of movement within the music’s accent ranging from allegro vivace to andante.
In its inventiveness and sheer love of dance it was exhilarating.
Joseph Taylor and Isadora Bless gave a creditable account of the pas de deux from MacMillan’s Concerto, set to Shostakovich’s second piano concerto.
The programme ended with Christopher Marney’s Eve, an attempt to tell the biblical story of Adam and Eve from Eve’s perspective. Cira Robinson lately of Ballet Black, was Eve, gradually succumbing to the very sexual allure of the Serpent, intensely danced by Álvaro Madrigal; but as a finale this overwrought piece proved a bit of a downer.
No matter: Resurgence more than justified the decision to revive London City Ballet. It left me craving more.
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| What | London City Ballet, Resurgence |
| Where | Sadler's Wells, Rosebery Avenue, London, EC1R 4TN | MAP |
| Nearest tube | Angel (underground) |
| When |
11 Sep 24 – 14 Sep 24, 19:30 Sat mat at 14:30 Dur.: 1 hour 40 mins inc one interval |
| Price | £15–£65 |
| Website | Click here to book |