Details

Dante Sonata - Fragile innocence confronts desperate evil in Frederick Ashton’s simple and poignant ballet, created at the height of World War II. The elegant white-clad Children of Light battle the dark and serpentine Children of Darkness with only one certain outcome – like every war, there will be casualties on both sides. Danced to a passionate, virtuoso score by Franz Liszt, inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy, the piece still holds a chilling resonance today. Small Worlds - Taking his inspiration from the brilliant and colourful lines of paintings by Vassily Kandinsky, Birmingham Royal Ballet dancer Kit Holder created this work in 2007. Set to the energetic and engaging Concerto in D for string orchestra by the great ballet composer Igor Stravinsky, Small Worlds offers an unmissable opportunity to see work from a rising talent within the company. Elite Syncopations - A completely stripped back theatre bursts into life as dancers in brilliantly coloured costumes gather for a dance competition. An equally vibrant rag-time band play old favourites from Scott Joplin and his contemporaries to accompany a string of sketches, spanning the dazzling, the witty and the touching, as each dancer at the competition takes their turn. One of his best-loved creations, Kenneth MacMillan’s Elite Syncopations is certain to leave you smiling. Birmingham Royal Ballet website.

Creatives/Company

Company: Birmingham Royal Ballet
Music(s): Franz Liszt (Dante Sonata), Constant Lambert (musical arrangement - Dante Sonata), Igor Stravinsky (Small Worlds), Scott Joplin (and others - Elite Syncopations)
Choreographer(s): Frederick Ashton (Dante Sonata), Kit Holder (Small Worlds), Kenneth Macmillan (Elite Syncopations)
Design(s): Sophie Fedorovitch (Dante Sonata), Helen Fownes-Davies (Small Worlds), Ian Spurling (Elite Syncopations)
Lighting(s): Mark Jonathan (Dante Sonata), Peter Teigen (Small Worlds), Peter Teigen ( adaptation - Elite Syncopations)
Adapted by: Peter Teigen (Dante Sonata)