Jewels
This alluring, abstract ballet, a triptych in which each piece sparkles with the
brilliance of a precious stone, is a lyric tribute to women and to the cities of
the great dance schools. Couturier, painter and craftsman Christian Lacroix
created the glorious costumes and sets which, together with the outstanding
performances of the dancers and the sensitive musical direction of Paul
Connelly, result in a celebration of sumptuous splendour.
Chopin: La Dame aux camélias
Based on the novel that also inspired the stories of Verdi’s La Traviata and
Hollywood’s Moulin Rouge, Neumeier has created a riveting dance drama which
unfolds ingeniously through love, passion and danger. Chopin’s ravishing
music combines with the lavish production, filmed live at the Palais
Garnier.
Prokofiev: Cinderella, Op. 87
Rudolf Nureyev’s colourful, “movie-star” production retains the classic
Perrault story but sets it in America during the difficult years of the Great
Depression in the 1930s and 1940s. Agnès Letestu stars as Cinderella who,
living with her alcoholic father, tyrannical stepmother and two spiteful
stepsisters, dreams of escape and stardom in Hollywood. Choreographer: Rudolf
Nureyev.
Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake, Op. 20
Agnès Letestu, a feminine and warm Odette, and José Martinez, a convincing,
pale, vulnerable prince Siegfried, are the stars of this deeply passionate,
‘dream’ version of Swan Lake. Rudolf Nureyev’s interpretation of
Tchaikovsky’s lyrical ballet, far from being a clichéd stereotype of this
celebrated masterpiece, is an exposé of astonishingly powerful and recognisable
human emotions. Choreographer: Rudolf Nureyev.